51444 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 195 / Tuesday, October 9, 2001 / Notices
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity January 10, 2002 procedures for compliance with those of the information to be collected; and Performing Arts Building, Gates County regulations. (4) Ways to minimize the burden of the High School, 088 Highway 158 West, Mamie A. Parker, collection of information on Gatesville, North Carolina respondents. The information Acting Regional Director U.S. Fish and collections in this program are part of a January 22, 2002 Wildlife Service, Hadley, Massachusetts. system of record covered by the Privacy City Council Chambers, 441 Market [FR Doc. 01–25191 Filed 10–5–01; 8:45 am] Act (5 U.S.C. 552 (a)) Street, Suffolk, Virginia BILLING CODE 4310–55–P Dated: October 3, 2001. January 24, 2002 Rebecca A. Mullin, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Information Major Hillard Public Library, Deep Collection Officer. Creek, 824 Old George Washington Fish and Wildlife Service [FR Doc. 01–25234 Filed 10–5–01; 8:45 am] Highway, Chesapeake, Virginia BILLING CODE 4310–55–P ADDRESSES: Address comments, Availability of Draft Implementation questions, and request for more Plan for Falconry Take of Nestling information to the following: Refuge American Peregrine Falcons in the DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Manager, Great Dismal Swamp National Contiguous United States and Alaska Fish and Wildlife Service Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 349, Suffolk, VA 23439–0349, 757–986–3706. AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Notice of Intent to Prepare Interior. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comprehensive Conservation Plans By Federal ACTION: Notice of availability. and Associated Environmental law, all lands within the National Documents for the Great Dismal Wildlife Refuge System are to be Swamp National Wildlife Refuge managed in accordance with an SUMMARY: This notice is to announce the approved CCP. The CCP guides availability of the Draft Implementation AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, management decisions and identifies Plan for take for falconry of nestling Department of Interior. refuge goals, long-range objectives, and American peregrine falcons in the SUMMARY: This notice advises the public strategies for achieving refuges contiguous United States and Alaska. that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service purposes. The planning process will The Implementation Plan is intended to (Service) intends to gather information consider many elements including assist the States in implementing the necessary to prepare a Comprehensive habitat and wildlife management, selected alternative from our May 2001 Conservation Plan (CCP) and habitat protection and acquisition, Environmental Assessment on take of environmental documents pursuant to public uses, and cultural resources. nestlings. We seek public comment on the National Environmental Policy Act Public input into this planning process the Draft Plan. and its implementing regulations. CCPs is essential. The CCP will provide other will be prepared for the Great Dismal DATES: Comments on the Draft agencies and the public with a clear Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) Implementation Plan are due by understanding of the desired conditions located in Suffolk and Chesapeake, November 8, 2001. Virginia and Gates and Camden for the Refuges and how the Service will impact management strategies. ADDRESSES: The Plan is available from, Counties, North Carolina and the and written comments about it should The Service will solicit public input Nanesmond Refuge Unit located within be submitted to, Chief, Division of the City of Suffolk, Virginia. A via, open houses, public meetings, Migratory Bird Management, U.S. Fish Wilderness Review of Great Dismal workshops, and written comments. and Wildlife Service, 4401 North Fairfax Swamp NWR will also be completed Special mailings, newspaper articles, Drive, Room 634, Arlington, Virginia concurrently in accordance with the and announcements will inform people 22203–1610. You can request a copy of Wilderness Act of 1964, as amended of the time and place of such and Refuge Planning policy 602 FW the Plan by calling 703/358–1714. The opportunities for public input to the fax number for a request or for Chapters 1, 2, and 3. The Service is CCP. The Great Dismal Swamp National furnishing this notice in compliance comments is 703/358–2272. The Plan Wildlife Refuge encompasses some also is available on the Division of with the National Wildlife Refuge 109,000 acres of marshes, wooded System Administration Act of 1966, as Migratory Bird Management web pages wetlands/swamps, and open water. at http://migratorybirds.fws.gov. amended (16 U.S.C. 668dd et seq.): (1) Comments on the protection of To advise other agencies and the public threatened and endangered species and FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jon of our intentions, and (2) to obtain migratory birds and the protection and Andrew, Chief, Division of Migratory suggestions and information on the management of their habitat will be Bird Management, U.S. Fish and scope of issues to include in the solicited as part of the planning process. Wildlife Service, at 703/358–1714 or the environmental documents. A Draft CCP and Environmental address above. DATES: Inquire at the address below for Assessment are planned for public dates of planning activity and due dates SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The review by December of 2002. for comments. The public scoping Implementation Plan provides meetings will be held in January 2002 Review of the project will be additional details to be used by the in the cities of Suffolk and Chesapeake, conducted in accordance with the States for implementing the alternative Virginia and also in Elizabeth City and requirements of the national selected. The Plan outlines the Gatesville, North Carolina in the Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as procedures we will follow in reviewing following locations: amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), NEPA and adjusting the allowed take of January 8, 2002 Regulations (40 CFR parts 1500–1508), nestling American peregrine falcons in Hampton Inn, 402 Halstead Boulevard, other appropriate Federal laws and accordance with the best available Elizabeth City, North Carolina regulations, and Service policies and information about the population.
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Dated: October 1, 2001. from material collected in Tennessee, is Distribution, Habitat, and Life History Kevin Adams, a squamulose (scale-like) lichen in the Gymnoderma lineare (Evans) Director. reindeer moss family. This species is the Yoshimura and Sharp is endemic [FR Doc. 01–25161 Filed 10–5–01; 8:45 am] only member of its genus occurring in (native to a particular region) to the BILLING CODE 4310–55–P North America (Yoshimura and Sharp southern Appalachian Mountains of 1968). Gymnoderma was considered a North Carolina, Tennessee, South monotypic genus for over a century, Carolina, and Georgia, where it occurs DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR until its revision by Yoshimura and only in areas of high humidity, either on Sharp (1968). These authors reclassified high-elevation cliffs that are frequently Fish and Wildlife Service Evans’ (1947) Cladonia linearis as bathed in fog or in deep river gorges at RIN 1018—AH32 Gymnoderma lineare on the basis of its lower elevations. It is primarily limited short and solid podetia (hollow upright to vertical rock faces, where seepage Endangered and Threatened Wildlife structures) that lack symbiotic algae water from forest soils above flows at and Plants; Determination That (algae that live cooperatively with a (and only at) very wet times, and large Designation of Critical Habitat Is Not fungus). Gymnoderma lineare occurs in stream-side boulders, where it receives Prudent for the Rock Gnome Lichen rather dense colonies of narrow straps a moderate amount of light but not high- AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, (squamules). The only similar lichens intensity solar radiation. It is almost Interior. are the squamulose species of the genus always found growing with the moss Cladonia. Gymnoderma lineare has Andreaea in these vertical intermittent ACTION: Notice of finding. terminal portions of the straplike seeps. This association makes it rather SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and individual lobes that are blue-grey on easy to search for, due to the distinctive Wildlife Service (Service), have the upper surface and generally shiny- reddish-brown color of Andreaea that reconsidered whether designating white on the lower surface; near the can be observed from a considerable critical habitat for the rock gnome base they grade to black (unlike distance (Weakley 1988). Most lichen (Gymnoderma lineare) would be squamulose Cladonia, which are never populations occur above 1,524 meters prudent. We have again determined that blackened toward the base) (Weakley (5,000 feet) elevation. In Tennessee, it is such a designation would not be 1988, Hale 1979). Hale’s (1979) apparently limited to the Great Smoky prudent. The rock gnome lichen was description of the species reads as Mountains National Park (Park) and one listed as an endangered species under follows: ‘‘Squamules dark greenish other mountain on the North Carolina/ the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as mineral grey; lower surface white to Tennessee State line. Very little specific amended (Act), on January 18, 1995. At brownish toward the tips, weakly information is known about the life the time the plant was listed, we corticated; podetia lacking but small history and population biology of the determined that the designation of clustered apothecia common on low rock gnome lichen. Other common critical habitat was not prudent because tips.’’ Weakley (1988) further describes species found growing with or near this designation would increase the degree the species as having squamules about species include Huperzia selago, of threat to the species and/or would not 1 millimeter (mm) (0.04 inches [in]) Stereocaulon sp., Scirpus cespitosus, benefit the species. across near the tip, tapering to the Carex misera, Rhododendron spp., We determine that the designation of blackened base, sparingly branched, and Saxifraga michauxii, Krigia montana, critical habitat is not prudent for the generally about 1 to 2 centimeters (cm) Heuchera villosa, Geum radiatum, and rock gnome lichen because it would (0.39 to 0.79 in) long (though they can sometimes Juncus trifidus. The high- likely increase the threat from be longer or shorter, depending on elevation coniferous forests adjacent to the rock outcrops and cliffs most often collection, vandalism, or habitat environmental factors). The squamules occupied by the species are dominated degradation and destruction, both direct are nearly parallel to the rock surface, by red spruce (Picea rubens) and Fraser and inadvertent. but the tips curl away from the rock, We have revised the proposed finding fir (Abies fraseri). approaching or reaching a to incorporate or address comments and Forty populations of Gymnoderma perpendicular orientation to the rock new information received during the lineare have been reported historically; comment period. surface. The fruiting bodies (apothecia) thirty-five remain in existence. The are borne at the tips of the squamules DATES: The finding announced in this remaining populations are in Mitchell and are black (contrasting to the brown document was made on September 27, (two), Jackson (five), Yancey (four), or red apothecia of Cladonia spp.) 2001. Swain (one), Transylvania (four), (Weakley 1988). The apothecia are Buncombe (four), Avery (two), Ashe ADDRESSES: The complete file for this borne singly or in clusters, usually at finding is available for public (two), Haywood (one) and Rutherford the tips of the squamules but (one) Counties, North Carolina; inspection, by appointment, during occasionally along the sides; these have normal business hours at the Asheville Greenville County (one), South been found from July through Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Carolina; Rabun County (one), Georgia; September (Evans 1947, North Carolina Service, 160 Zillicoa Street, Asheville, and Sevier (seven) and Carter (part of Natural Heritage Program records 1991). North Carolina 28801. this population is on the State line with The apothecia are either sessile or borne FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mitchell County, North Carolina) on short podetia 1 to 2 mm (0.04 to 0.08 Counties, Tennessee. Brian P. Cole, State Supervisor, (828) in) in height, and the largest of these 258–3939, Ext. 223. have a diameter of about 1 mm (0.04 in), Threats SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: with most being much smaller. The Five populations of rock gnome Background apothecia are cylindrical in shape and lichen are known to have been radial in symmetry (Evans 1947). The completely extirpated. The reasons for Taxonomy and Description primary means of propagation of this the disappearance of the species at most Gymnoderma lineare, first described lichen appears to be asexual, with of these sites are undocumented; by Evans (1947) as Cladonia linearis colonies spreading clonally. however, one population is believed to
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