Proposed Endangered Status for Four Central Texas Salamanders and Designation of Critical Habitat

Vol. 77 Wednesday, No. 163 August 22, 2012 Part II Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Status for Four Central Texas Salamanders and Designation of Critical Habitat; Proposed Rule VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:54 Aug 21, 2012 Jkt 226001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4717 Sfmt 4717 E:\FR\FM\22AUP2.SGM 22AUP2 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS2 50768 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 163 / Wednesday, August 22, 2012 / Proposed Rules DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR from the Austin Ecological Services deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Field Office (see FOR FURTHER Information Relay Service (FIRS) at Fish and Wildlife Service INFORMATION CONTACT). 800–877–8339. The coordinates or plot points or both SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 50 CFR Part 17 from which the maps are generated are Executive Summary [Docket No. FWS–R2–ES–2012–0035; included in the administrative record 4500030114] for this critical habitat designation and Why We Need to Publish a Rule are available at (http://www.fws.gov/ This is a proposed rule to list the RIN 1018–AY22 southwest/es/AustinTexas/), http:// Austin blind salamander (Eurycea regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS–R2– Endangered and Threatened Wildlife waterlooensis), Jollyville Plateau ES–2012–0035, and at the Austin and Plants; Endangered Status for salamander (Eurycea tonkawae), Ecological Services Field Office (see FOR Four Central Texas Salamanders and Georgetown salamander (Eurycea FURTHER INFROMATION CONTACT). Any Designation of Critical Habitat naufragia), and Salado salamander additional tools or supporting (Eurycea chisholmensis) as endangered. AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, information that we may develop for With this rule, we are proposing to Interior. this critical habitat designation will also designate the following critical habitat be available at the above locations. ACTION: Proposed rule. for the four central Texas salamanders: Written Comments: You may submit • Austin Blind salamander: 120 acres SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and written comments by one of the (49 hectares) Wildlife Service (Service), propose to following methods: • Jollyville Plateau salamander: 4,460 list the Austin blind salamander, (1) Electronically: Go to the Federal Jollyville Plateau salamander, acres (1,816 hectares) eRulemaking Portal: http:// • Georgetown salamander: 1,031 Georgetown salamander, and Salado www.regulations.gov. Search for Docket acres (423 hectares) salamander as endangered under the No. FWS–R2–ES–2012–0035. You may • Salado salamander: 372 acres (152 Endangered Species Act of 1973, as submit a comment by clicking on hectares) amended (Act), and propose to ‘‘Comment Now!’’ The proposed critical habitat is designate critical habitat for the species. (2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail located within Travis, Williamson, and In total, we propose to designate or hand-delivery to: Public Comments Bell Counties, Texas. approximately 5,983 acres (2,440 Processing, Attn: FWS–R2–ES–2012– hectares) as critical habitat for the four 0035ES–2012–0035; Division of Policy The Basis for Our Action species. The proposed critical habitat is and Directives Management; U.S. Fish Under the Endangered Species Act, located in Travis, Williamson, and Bell and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax we can determine that a species is Counties, Texas. Drive, MS 2042–PDM; Arlington, VA endangered or threatened based on any DATES: We will accept comments 22203. of the following five factors: (A) received or postmarked on or before We request that you send comments Destruction, modification, or October 22, 2012. Comments submitted only by the methods described above. curtailment of its habitat or range; (B) electronically using the Federal We will post all comments on http:// overutilization for commercial, eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES www.regulations.gov. This generally recreational, scientific, or educational section, below) must be received by means that we will post any personal purposes; (C) disease or predation; (D) 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing information you provide us (see the inadequacy of existing regulatory date. We must receive requests for Information Requested section below for mechanisms; or (E) other natural or public hearings, in writing, at the more information). manmade factors affecting the species address shown in the FOR FURTHER Public informational sessions and continued existence. Based on our INFORMATION CONTACT section by October public hearings: The September 5, 2012, analysis under the five factors, we find 9, 2012. public informational session and that the four central Texas salamanders Public Informational Sessions and hearing will be held at the Wingate by are primarily threatened by: factors A Public Hearings: We will hold two Wyndham Round Rock, 1209 N. IH 35 and D. Therefore, these species qualify public informational sessions and two North, Exit 253 at Hwy 79, Round Rock, for listing, which can only be done by public hearings on this proposed rule. Texas 78664. The September 6, 2012, issuing a rule. We will hold a public informational public informational session and The Act requires that the Secretary session from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., hearing will be held at Thompson designate critical habitat for a species, to followed by a public hearing from 7 Conference Center, 2405 Robert Dedman the maximum extent prudent and p.m. to 8:30 p.m., in Round Rock, Texas, Drive, Room 2.102, Austin, Texas determinable, concurrently with making on Wednesday, September 5 (see 78705. People needing reasonable a determination that a species is an ADDRESSES). We will hold a public accommodations in order to attend and endangered or threatened species. informational session from 6:30 p.m. to participate in the public hearings Section 4(b)(2) of the Act requires that 7:30 p.m., followed by a public hearing should contact Adam Zerrenner, Field the Secretary designate critical habitat from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., in Austin, Supervisor, Austin Ecological Services based upon the best scientific data Texas, on Thursday, September 6 (see Field Office, as soon as possible (see FOR available, and after taking into ADDRESSES). Registration to present oral FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). consideration the economic impact, the comments on the proposed rule at the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: impact on national security, and any public hearings will begin at the start of Adam Zerrenner, Field Supervisor, U.S. other relevant impact of specifying any each informational session. Fish and Wildlife Service, Austin particular area as critical habitat. ADDRESSES: Document availability: You Ecological Services Field Office, 10711 Section 4(b)(2) of the Act provides that may obtain copies of the proposed rule Burnet Rd, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78758; the Secretary may exclude any area from on the Internet at http:// by telephone 512–490–0057; or by critical habitat if he determines that the www.regulations.gov at Docket No. facsimile 512–490–0974. Persons who benefits of excluding that area outweigh FWS–R2–ES–2012–0035 or by mail use a telecommunications device for the the benefits of including it in the VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:54 Aug 21, 2012 Jkt 226001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\22AUP2.SGM 22AUP2 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS2 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 163 / Wednesday, August 22, 2012 / Proposed Rules 50769 designation, unless such an exclusion U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) including whether understanding, or to better would result in the extinction of the there are threats to the species from accommodate public concerns and species. This ‘‘weighing’’ of human activity, the degree of which can comments. considerations under section 4(b)(2) of be expected to increase due to the Please note that submissions merely the Act is the next step in the designation, and whether that increase stating support for or opposition to the designation process, in which the in threat outweighs the benefit of action under consideration without Secretary may consider particular areas designation, such that the designation of providing supporting information, for exclusion from the final designation. critical habitat may not be prudent. although noted, will not be considered We are preparing an economic (6) Specific information on: in making a determination, as section analysis. To ensure that we consider the (a) The amount and distribution of the 4(b)(1)(A) of the Act directs that economic impacts, we are preparing a four central Texas salamanders’ determinations as to whether any draft economic analysis of the proposed habitats, species is an endangered or critical habitat designations. We will (b) What areas, that are currently threatenedspecies must be made ‘‘solely use information from this analysis to occupied by these species, that contain on the basis of the best scientific and inform the development of our final features essential to their conservation, commercial data available.’’ designation of critical habitat for these (c) Special management You may submit your comments and species. considerations or protection that may be materials concerning this proposed rule We will seek peer review. We are needed in critical habitat areas we are by one of the methods listed in the seeking comments from independent proposing, including managing for the ADDRESSES section. We request that you specialists to ensure that our critical potential effects of climate change, send comments only by the methods habitat designations are based on (d) What areas not occupied at the described in the ADDRESSES section. scientifically sound data, assumptions, time of listing are essential for the If you submit information via http:// and analyses. We have invited these conservation of these species and why, www.regulations.gov, your entire peer reviewers to comment on our (e) How subterranean populations of submission—including any personal specific assumptions and conclusions in these four salamander species are identifying information—will be posted these proposed critical habitat distributed underground, and on the Web site.

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