Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 40 / Wednesday, February 28, 1996 / Proposed Rules 7457
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Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 40 / Wednesday, February 28, 1996 / Proposed Rules 7457 List of Subjects in 48 CFR Parts 401 candidate list may very well be restored tridentata) communities. Recent survey through 453 to candidate status if additional information indicates there are at least Government contracts, Government information supporting such a change 66 extant populations of Aase's onion procurement. becomes available to the Service. (containing approximately 400,000 Requests for such information were individuals), with 49 of these Ira L. Hobbs, issued by the Service in the 1993 Plant populations having more than 1,000 Director of Operations. Notice of Review (58 FR 51144; individuals. Because threats from [FR Doc. 96±4499 Filed 2±27±96; 8:45 am] September 30, 1993) and the 1994 suspected hybridization with other BILLING CODE 3410±98±M Animal Notice of Review (59 FR 58982; species have been shown to be November 15, 1994). A combined plant unfounded and because of the size and and animal notice of review, requesting distribution of extant populations, A. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR updated information on candidate aaseae is removed from candidate species, is being published elsewhere in status. Fish and Wildlife Service today's Federal Register. Allium dictuon (Blue Mountain onion) is known only from the vicinity 50 CFR Part 17 Findings of Weller Butte in the Blue Mountains Candidate species are those species Endangered and Threatened Species; of Columbia County, Washington. Five for which the Service has on file occurrences of this plant are historically Notice of Reclassification of 96 sufficient information to support and currently known within a range of Candidate Taxa issuance of a proposed rule to list under about 4 square miles. Population AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, the Act. The Service recently completed estimates for this species range between Interior. a review of all candidate species to 1,000 and 3,000 plants. The species is ACTION: Notice of candidate taxa assure that this definition is uniformly removed from candidate status because reclassification. applicable. The results of this review it is believed to be stable and the threats indicate that 88 plant taxa and 8 animal associated with recreational use are SUMMARY: In this document, the U.S. taxa included in the settlement exhibits uncertain. Cattle grazing does occur in Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) should be removed from candidate the vicinity of Weller Butte, but the provides explanation for changes in the status. There are four primary impact of this activity on Allium status of 96 taxa of plants and animals explanations for these reclassifications: dictuon is uncertain and data currently that are under review for possible (1) The taxon is believed or known to available to the Service do not indicate addition to the List of Endangered and be extinct; (2) the taxon is not a listable that listing is warranted. Threatened Wildlife and Plants (List) entity or is the subject of taxonomic Allium hickmanii (Hickman's onion) under the Endangered Species Act (Act) review; (3) the taxon is more occurs in Monterey and San Luis of 1973, as amended. widespread than previously thought or Obispo Counties (California) and is ADDRESSES: Comments and questions not subject to identified threats; and (4) associated with closed-cone coniferous concerning this notice should be sent to Service files contain insufficient forests, chaparral, coastal prairie, coastal the Chief, Division of Endangered information on status and threats to scrub, and valley and foothill Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, justify issuing a proposed rule. This grasslands. Additional populations of 1849 C Street, N.W., Mail Stop ARLSQ± notice provides specific explanations for Hickman's onion have been found in the 452, Washington, D.C., 20240. each of the 96 reclassifications. last five years, indicating the species is The Ciervo aegialian scarab beetle more widespread than previously FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: (Aegialia concinna) is a flightless, known. Also, information in Service E. LaVerne Smith, Chief, Division of fossorial beetle that was first described files is currently insufficient to support Endangered Species, at telephone in 1977: long-term information on issuance of a proposed listing, so this number (703/358±2171). species trends is not available. General species is removed from candidate SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: threats from urban, suburban, and status. agricultural development were Artemisia campestris wormskioldii Background identified when this species was first (northern wormwood) was historically In December 1992, the Service designated as a candidate. Additional known from the banks of the Columbia reached a settlement agreement populations have been discovered in River near the mouth of the John Day (agreement) with the plaintiffs in the Fresno, San Joaquin, and Costa River in Wasco County, Oregon, Fund For Animals et al. v. Lujan et al. Counties. These discoveries include westward to the vicinity of the Hood case (D.D.C. Civ. No. 92±800) that new habitat types and suggest that the River. Today it is known from two provides for the Service to review the species is not likely to become widely disjunct sites along the listing status of species regarded as threatened or endangered in the Columbia River in Washington. Possible Category 1 candidates as of September foreseeable future. The species is trampling associated with recreational 1, 1992. For any species covered by the removed from candidate status because activity is the only identified threat to agreement and removed from candidate of the recent discoveries and limited this species. The most recent status (Category 1) status because listing is no information on habitat requirements, information indicated a declining trend, longer considered to be warranted, the life history, and status needed to but those data are from 1989. It is Service must publish a notice in the prepare a proposed listing. removed from candidate status Federal Register that provides Allium aaseae (Aase's onion) is a primarily because the Service lacks explanation for the reclassification. This small, perennial plant that is endemic to sufficient information on current status notice is published to comply with the southwestern Idaho. The species occurs to issue a proposed listing. above requirement. on relatively barren, xeric habitats with Aster jessicae (Jessica's aster) is It is important to note that candidate gentle to steep slopes and is usually endemic to mesic grasslands or steppe assessment is an ongoing function and associated with sparsely vegetated vegetation of the Palouse region in changes in status should be expected. bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) or southeast Washington and northern Species that are removed from the bitterbrush/sagebrush (Artemisia Idaho. The species is currently known 7458 Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 40 / Wednesday, February 28, 1996 / Proposed Rules from three population centers, two in River in Kittitas, Yakima, and Benton Calochortus nitidus (broad-fruit Idaho and one in Washington. Review of counties in Washington. Though once mariposa lily) is a perennial herb with file information indicates that the presumed extirpated in Washington, 29 large, showy flowers that is endemic to threats from grazing, non-native plants, populations have been documented in mid-elevation grassland habitats of the and land use practices are not the past 15 years, four of these in 1994. Palouse region in north-central Idaho. sufficiently severe to support a Approximately 55,000 plants are known The taxon was previously known from proposed listing. Also, additional to exist and viable seeds are being southeast Washington but is now information on the status of this species produced. The recent discovery of considered to be extirpated from the is needed. It is removed from candidate additional populations and apparent State. C. nitidus is currently known status primarily because the Service stability justify removal from candidate from more than 100 populations that lacks current information on biological status. range in size from a few individuals to vulnerability and threats needed for Astragalus mulfordiae (Mulford's several thousand plants. The species is preparation of a proposed listing. milk-vetch) is endemic to the western believed to be stable and faces only Aster puniceus ssp. elliotti var. Snake River plain in Idaho and Oregon. weak threats from grazing, scabricaulis (Synphyotrichum Removal from candidate status is nonindigenous plants, logging, and puniceum var. scabricaule; rough- justified by identification of 36 extant agriculture. A conservation agreement stemmed aster) inhabits wetland areas populations and a lack of information was signed in 1991 to conserve C. in east-central Texas. Recent survey on threats to the species. The estimated nitidus on a parcel of land transferred work has discovered three additional population size is approximately 15,000 from the Bureau of Land Management to populations and extended the range to individuals in Oregon and between private ownership and numerous other a new (Cherokee) county. A recent 3,000 and 4,000 individuals in Idaho. populations occur on BLM lands. taxonomic study has placed this taxon Because of poor documentation of Calochortus westonii (Shirley in the genus Synphyotrichum and the threats and the existence of stable Meadows mariposa lily) is a perennial validity of the taxon is being reviewed. populations, the species is