Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 3 / Monday, January 6, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 665
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Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 3 / Monday, January 6, 1997 / Rules and Regulations 665 231A to Morristown at Station DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR springs and stream headwaters, have WMXK(FM)'s existing site at permanently or seasonally saturated coordinates North Latitude 36±13±40 Fish and Wildlife Service highly organic soils, and have a low and West Longitude 83±19±58; and probability of flooding or scouring 50 CFR Part 17 Channel 252A to Whitley City at Station (Hendrickson and Minckley 1984). WHAY(FM)'s existing site at North RIN 1018±AD11 Cienegas support diverse assemblages of Latitude 36±44±39 and West Longitude animals and plants, including many 84±28±37. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife species of limited distribution, such as and Plants; Determination of the three taxa addressed in this final This is a summary of the Endangered Status for Three Wetland rule (Hendrickson and Minckley 1984, Commission's Memorandum Opinion Species Found in Southern Arizona Lowe 1985, Ohmart and Anderson 1982, and Order, MM Docket No. 93±28, and Northern Sonora, Mexico Minckley and Brown 1982). Although adopted December 13, 1996 and Spiranthes delitescens (Spiranthes), released December 20, 1996. The full AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Lilaeopsis schaffneriana spp. recurva text of this Commission decision is Interior. (Lilaeopsis), and the Sonora tiger available for inspection and copying ACTION: Final rule. salamander typically occupy different during normal business hours in microhabitats, they all occur or once SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service Commission's Reference Center (Room occurred in cienegas. Lilaeopsis is also (Service) determines endangered status 239), 1919 M Street, NW., Washington, found along streams and rivers and for the Canelo Hills ladies-tresses occurs at mid-elevations, from 1,148± DC 20554. The complete text of this (Spiranthes delitescens), the Huachuca decision may also be purchased from 2,133 meters (m) (3,500±6,500 feet (ft)). water umbel (Lilaeopsis schaffneriana The Sonora tiger salamander occurs the Commission's copy contractor, ssp. recurva), and the Sonora tiger International Transcription Services, mostly in cattle tanks and impounded salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum cienegas, but presumably was associated 2100 M Street, NW., Suite 140, stebbinsi) pursuant to the Endangered Washington, DC 20037, (202) 857±3800. primarily with natural cienegas and Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended other wetlands prior to human List of Subjects in 47 CFR Part 73 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). These species settlement. occur in a limited number of wetland Cienegas, perennial streams, and Radio broadcasting. habitats in southern Arizona and rivers in the desert southwest are northern Sonora, Mexico. They are extremely rare. The Arizona Game and 47 CFR PART 73Ð[AMENDED] threatened by one or more of the Fish Department (AGFD)(1993) recently followingÐcollecting, disease, estimated that riparian vegetation 1. The authority citation for Part 73 predation, competition with nonnative associated with perennial streams reads as follows: species, and degradation and comprises about 0.4 percent of the total Authority: Secs. 303, 48 Stat., as amended, destruction of habitat resulting from land area of Arizona, with present 1082; 47 U.S.C. 154, as amended. livestock overgrazing, water diversions, riparian areas being remnants of what dredging, and groundwater pumping. once existed. The State of Arizona § 73.202 [Amended] All three taxa also are threatened with (1990) estimated that up to 90 percent extirpations or extinction from naturally 2. Section 73.202(b), the Table of FM of the riparian habitat along Arizona's occurring climatic and other Allotments, under Tennessee, is major desert watercourses has been lost, environmental events, such as degraded, or altered. Spiranthes, amended by removing Channel 290C3 at catastrophic floods and drought, a threat Lilaeopsis, and the Sonora tiger Colonial Heights and adding Channel that is exacerbated by habitat alteration salamander occupy small portions of 240C2; by removing Channel 231A at and small numbers of populations or these rare habitats. Tazewell and adding Channel 290A; individuals. This rule implements Spiranthes is a slender, erect, and by removing Channel 240A at Federal protection provided by the Act terrestrial orchid that, when in flower, Morristown and adding Channel 231A. for these three taxa. reaches approximately 50 centimeters 3. Section 73.202(b), the Table of FM EFFECTIVE DATE: February 5, 1997. (cm) (20 inches (in.)) tall. Five to 10, Allotments, under Kentucky, is ADDRESSES: The complete file for this linear-lanceolate, grass-like leaves, 18 amended by removing Channel 290A at rule is available for public inspection, cm (7.1 in.) long and 1.5 cm (0.6 in.) Whitley City and adding Channel 252A. by appointment, during normal business wide, grow basally on the stem. The fleshy, swollen roots are approximately Federal Communications Commission. hours at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2321 West Royal Palm Road, 5 mm (0.2 in.) in diameter. The top of Douglas W. Webbink, Suite 103, Phoenix, Arizona 85021, the flower stalk contains up to 40 small Chief, Policy and Rules Division, Mass Media telephone (602/640±2720), or facsimile white flowers arranged in a spiral. This Bureau. (602/640±2730). species is presumed to be perennial, but [FR Doc. 97±171 Filed 1±3±97; 8:45 am] mature plants rarely flower in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim BILLING CODE 6712±01±P consecutive years and, in some years, Rorabaugh or Angie Brooks (see have no visible above ground structures ADDRESSES section). (McClaran and Sundt 1992, Newman SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 1991). Martin first collected Spiranthes Background delitescens in 1968 at a site in Santa Cienegas in southern Arizona and Cruz County, Arizona (Sheviak 1990). northern Sonora, Mexico, are typically This specimen was initially identified mid-elevation wetland communities as Spiranthes graminea, a related often surrounded by relatively arid Mexican species. Sheviak (1990) found environments. These communities are that the Spiranthes specimens in usually associated with perennial Arizona, previously thought to be S. 666 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 3 / Monday, January 6, 1997 / Rules and Regulations graminea, displayed a distinct set of find in the dense herbaceous vegetation, Nine Lilaeopsis populations occur in morphological and cytological and yearly counts underestimate the the San Pedro River watershed in characteristics and named them S. population because dormant plants are Arizona and Sonora, on sites owned or delitescens. not counted. McClaran and Sundt managed by private landowners, Fort This species is known from five sites (1992) twice monitored marked Huachuca Military Reservation, the at about 1,525 m (5,000 ft.) elevation in individuals in a Spiranthes population Coronado National Forest, and the the San Pedro River watershed in Santa during 2±3 year periods. They Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Cruz and Cochise Counties, southern concluded that both monitored sites Tucson District. Two extirpated Arizona (Newman 1991). The total were stable between 1987 and 1989, populations in the upper San Pedro amount of occupied habitat is less than although Newman (1991) later reported watershed occurred at Zinn Pond in St. 81 hectares (ha) (200 acres (ac)). Four of that one monitored site was reduced to David and the San Pedro River near St. the populations are on private land less one nonflowering plant in 1991. Due to David. Cienega-like habitats were than 37 kilometers (km) (23 miles (mi)) the propensity of Spiranthes to enter probably common along the San Pedro north of the U.S./Mexico border; one and remain in a vegetation state and the River prior to 1900 (Hendrickson and additional small site containing four lack of new flowering plants at one Minckley 1984, Jackson et al. 1987), but individuals was discovered on public monitoring site, overall population these habitats are now largely gone. land in 1996 (Mima Falk, Coronado numbers are believed to be declining. Surveys conducted for wildlife habitat National Forest, pers. comm. 1996). This McClaran and Sundt (1992) also assessment have found several site is located near a previously known speculated that population numbers discontinuous clumps of Lilaeopsis population. Potential habitat in Sonora, may be declining. within the upper San Pedro River where Mexico, has been surveyed but no S. Lilaeopsis schaffneriana spp. recurva habitat was present in 1996 prior to delitescens populations have been is an herbaceous, semiaquatic perennial recent flooding (Mark Fredlake, Bureau found (Sheviak 1995, Newman 1991). plant with slender, erect leaves that of Land Management, pers. comm. The dominant vegetation associated grow from creeping rhizomes. The 1996). with Spiranthes includes grasses, sedges leaves are cylindrical, hollow with no The four Lilaeopsis populations in the (Carex spp.), rushes (Juncus spp.), spike pith, and have septa (thin partitions) at Santa Cruz watershed probably rush (Eleocharis spp.), cattails (Typha regular intervals. The yellow-green or represent very small remnants of larger spp.), and horsetails (Equisetum spp.) bright green leaves are generally 1±3 populations, which may have occurred (Cross 1991, Warren et al. 1991). millimeters (mm) (0.04±0.12 in.) in in the extensive riparian and aquatic Associated grass species include diameter and often 3±5 centimeters (cm) habitat formerly along the river. Before bluegrass (Poa pratensis),