Vol. 76 Thursday, No. 194 October 6, 2011 Part III Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Finding on a Petition To List the Mohave Ground Squirrel as Endangered or Threatened; Proposed Rule VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:29 Oct 05, 2011 Jkt 226001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4717 Sfmt 4717 E:\FR\FM\06OCP3.SGM 06OCP3 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS3 62214 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 194 / Thursday, October 6, 2011 / Proposed Rules DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife information to indicate that listing the and Plants that contains substantial Mohave ground squirrel may be Fish and Wildlife Service scientific or commercial information warranted, announced the initiation of a that listing may be warranted, we make status review of this species, and 50 CFR Part 17 a finding within 12 months of the date solicited comments and information to [Docket No. FWS–R8–ES–2010–0006; of receipt of the petition. In this finding, be provided in connection with the 92210–1111–0000–B2] we determine whether the petitioned status review by June 28, 2010. This action is: (a) Not warranted, (b) notice constitutes our 12-month finding Endangered and Threatened Wildlife warranted, or (c) warranted, but the regarding the petition to list the Mohave and Plants; 12-Month Finding on a immediate proposal of a regulation ground squirrel. Petition To List the Mohave Ground implementing the petitioned action is Squirrel as Endangered or Threatened precluded by other pending proposals to Species Information determine whether species are Species Description AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, endangered or threatened, and Interior. expeditious progress is being made to The Mohave ground squirrel is a ACTION: Notice of 12-month petition add or remove qualified species from medium-sized squirrel. Total length, finding. the Federal Lists of Endangered and including the tail, is about 9 inches (in) Threatened Wildlife and Plants. Section (23 centimeters (cm)), tail length is SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 4(b)(3)(C) of the Act requires that we about 2.5 in (6.4 cm), and weight is Wildlife Service (Service), announce a treat a petition for which the requested about 3.5 ounces (104 grams). The upper 12-month finding on a petition to list action is found to be warranted but body is grayish brown, pinkish gray, the Mohave ground squirrel precluded as though resubmitted on the cinnamon gray, and pinkish cinnamon, (Spermophilus mohavensis) as date of such finding, that is, requiring a without stripes or fleckings. The endangered or threatened under the subsequent finding to be made within underparts of the body and the tail are Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 12 months. We must publish these 12- silvery white and the tail is bushy amended (Act). After review of the best month findings in the Federal Register. (Grinnell and Dixon 1918, p. 667). The available scientific and commercial Previous Federal Actions skin is darkly pigmented and dorsal hair information, we find that listing the tips are multi-banded. The Mohave Mohave ground squirrel is not On December 13, 1993, the Service ground squirrel has a winter and warranted at this time. However, we ask received a petition dated December 6, summer pelage (coat). In summer the the public to continue to submit to us 1993, from Dr. Glenn R. Stewart of pelage is coarser and shorter, the sides any new information that becomes California Polytechnic State University, of the face paler, and the underbelly available concerning the threats to the Pomona, California, requesting the whiter than the winter pelage. The two Mohave ground squirrel or its habitat at Service list the Mohave ground squirrel sexes appear to be alike in color and any time. as a threatened species. At that time, the measurements (Grinnell and Dixon DATES: The finding announced in this species was a category 2 candidate 1918, p. 667). document was made on October 6, 2011. (November 15, 1994; 59 FR 58982), and was first included in this category on Two other species of small ground ADDRESSES: This finding is available on September 18, 1985. Category 2 squirrels occur within the range of the the Internet at http:// included taxa for which information in Mohave ground squirrel, the antelope www.regulations.gov at Docket Number the Service’s possession indicated that ground squirrel (Ammospermophilus FWS–R8–ES–2010–0006 and at http:// listing the species as endangered or leucurus) and the round-tailed ground www.fws.gov/ventura/. Supporting threatened was possibly appropriate, squirrel (Xerospermophilus documentation we used in preparing but for which sufficient data on tereticaudus). The three species are this finding is available for public biological vulnerability and threats were different in appearance. Although inspection, by appointment, during not available to support a proposed similar in size to the Mohave ground normal business hours at the U.S. Fish listing rule. On September 7, 1995, we squirrel, the antelope ground squirrel is and Wildlife Service, Ventura Fish and published our 90-day petition finding, grayish brown in color, with a white Wildlife Office, 2493 Portola Road, which determined that the 1993 petition side stripe and a black band on the Suite B, Ventura, CA 93003. Please did not present substantial information underside of the tail near the tip (Ingles submit any new information, materials, indicating that the petitioned action 1965, pp. 169–171). The round-tailed comments, or questions concerning this may be warranted (60 FR 46569). ground squirrel has a unicolored tail finding to the above address. On September 5, 2005, we received a that is cylindrical or round and not FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: petition, dated August 30, 2005, from bushy, and a larger body than the Michael McCrary, Listing and Recovery the Defenders of Wildlife and Dr. Glenn Mohave ground squirrel (Ingles 1965, p. Program Coordinator, U.S. Fish and R. Stewart to list the Mohave ground 171). However, its skull is significantly Wildlife Service, Ventura Fish and squirrel as an endangered species in smaller than that of the Mohave ground Wildlife Office (see ADDRESSES); by accordance with section 4 of the Act. It squirrel in 18 of 20 cranial telephone at 805–644–1766; or by also requested that critical habitat be characteristics (Best 1995, p. 508). facsimile at 805–644–3958. If you use a designated concurrent with the listing of Mohave and antelope ground squirrels telecommunications device for the deaf the Mohave ground squirrel. The occur sympatrically (occupying the (TDD), call the Federal Information petition clearly identified itself as such same or overlapping geographic areas Relay Service (FIRS) at 800–877–8339. and included the requisite identification without interbreeding) in the same SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: information for the petitioners, as habitat (Aardahl and Roush 1985, p. 20), required in 50 CFR 424.14(a). while round-tailed ground squirrels Background On April 27, 2010, the Service made overlap only along the eastern edge of Section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act (16 its 90-day finding (75 FR 22063), the Mohave ground squirrel’s range (see U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) requires that, for concluding that the petition presented ‘‘Nomenclature and Taxonomy’’ section any petition to revise the Federal Lists substantial scientific or commercial below). VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:29 Oct 05, 2011 Jkt 226001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\06OCP3.SGM 06OCP3 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with PROPOSALS3 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 194 / Thursday, October 6, 2011 / Proposed Rules 62215 Nomenclature and Taxonomy area within which a species may be previously reported (Wessman 1977, The scientific name of the Mohave found. p. 4). For this 12-month finding, the Service ground squirrel was changed from Aspects of the Mohave ground is defining the range of the Mohave Spermophilus mohavensis to squirrel’s biology and behavior make ground squirrel as about 5,319,000 acres Xerospermophilus mohavensis with the individuals of the species difficult to (ac) (2,152,532 hectares (ha)) (Service publication of a review of the available observe, trap, and count, which in part calculations) (see Map 1). The range is research on morphological, genetic, explains why the range of the species bounded on the south and west by the cytogenetic, ecological, and behavioral has increased over time (see below). San Bernardino, San Gabriel, attributes in the genus Spermophilus Mohave ground squirrels are only active Tehachapi, and Sierra Nevada mountain (Helgen et al. 2009, p. 273). and above ground for part of the year ranges, although the species occurs in The Mohave ground squirrel is a (generally February through August) canyons in the eastern foothills of the distinct, full species with no recognized and therefore can only be trapped and Sierra Nevada up to 5,600 feet (ft) (1,706 subspecies. It was discovered in 1886 by observed during this time. They spend much of the year underground and in a meters (m)) (Gustafson 1993, pp. 56–57; Frank Stephens (Grinnell and Dixon Laabs 1998, p. 1). The range is bounded 1918, p. 667) and described by Merriam state of dormancy (see ‘‘Active Season and Dormancy’’ section). The length of on the north and east by Owens Lake (1889, p. 15). The type specimen is from and the Mojave River/Lucerne Valley, near Rabbit Springs, San Bernardino the active season and movements of Mohave ground squirrels may also be respectively (Leitner 2008, p. 18). County, California, about 15 miles (mi) Howell (1938, p. 184) and Aardahl and (24.1 kilometers (km)) east of Hesperia affected by rainfall amounts. The number of individuals in an area Roush (1985, p.