Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 19, 2002 / Proposed Rules 41669 and comment (67 FR 17122). The Dated: June 7, 2002. Cottage Way, Suite W–2605, proposal provided for a 90-day Diane C. Regas, Sacramento, CA 95825. comment period, which was scheduled Acting Assistant Administrator for Water. You may also send comments by to end on July 8, 2002. [FR Doc. 02–15456 Filed 6–18–02; 8:45 am] electronic mail (e-mail) to [email protected]. See EPA received multiple requests from BILLING CODE 6560–50–P the Public Comments Solicited section the potentially regulated community to below for file format and other extend the comment period. In most information about electronic filing. cases, a general extension of 60 days DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Comments and materials received will was requested. In one case, a 30-day Fish and Wildlife Service be available for public inspection, by comment extension was requested for appointment, during normal business the proposed rule with an additional 30 50 CFR Part 17 hours at the above address. days required to prepare comments FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Glen related to the case studies, economic RIN 1018–AG93 Tarr or Susan Moore, U.S. Fish and and benefits assessment, and related Endangered and Threatened Wildlife Wildlife Service (telephone 916/414– portions of the proposed rule. These 6600; facsimile 916/414–6710). requests argued that an extension of the and Plants; Critical Habitat SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: comment period was necessary because Designation for Sidalcea keckii (Keck’s of the large volume of material checkermallow) Background associated with the proposed rule, AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Sidalcea keckii (Keck’s including the extensive rulemaking Interior. checkermallow) is an annual herb of the record; the complexity of the proposal ACTION: Proposed rule. mallow family (Malvaceae). The species and the need for coordination among grows 15 to 33 centimeters (cm) (6 to 13 multidisciplinary areas of expertise SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and inches (in)) tall, with slender, erect (e.g., economic, scientific, engineering, Wildlife Service (Service), propose to stems that are hairy along their entire and legal); the inclusion in the proposal designate critical habitat pursuant to the length. Leaves towards the base of the of several innovative concepts, such as Endangered Species Act of 1973 as plant have a roughly circular outline, trading and mitigation through amended (Act), for Sidalcea keckii and seven to nine shallow lobes restoration measures, that require time (Keck’s checkermallow). Approximately arranged somewhat like the fingers of a and effort to comprehend and evaluate; 438 hectares (ha) (1,085 acres (ac)) are hand (palmate). Leaves farther up the difficulty in accessing several electronic proposed in California, consisting of plant have fewer lobes which are more documents contained in the rulemaking three separate units: one unit in Fresno deeply divided. Both types of leaves record; the amount of time needed to County, 206 ha (510 ac), and two units also have irregular serrations at their copy all written materials in the record in Tulare County, one of 86 ha (213 ac) margins forming ‘‘teeth.’’ The plant for offsite review; difficulty in and one of 146 ha (362 ac). flowers in April and early May, ascertaining how various aspects of the Critical habitat receives protection producing five petalled flowers that are record support the proposal; and from destruction or adverse either solid pink or pink with a maroon numerous information requests made by modification through required center. Petals are 1 to 2 cm (0.4 to 0.8 consultation under section 7 of the Act EPA within the proposal (i.e., 88 in) long, and are often shallowly with regard to actions carried out, separate requests for comment solicited notched at their outermost margins. funded, or authorized by a Federal from the regulated community). Parties Below the petals is a smaller calyx agency. Section 4 of the Act requires us requesting an extension argued that the (cuplike structure) formed by five to consider economic and other relevant 90-day comment period was insufficient narrow green sepals (modified leaves). impacts when specifying any particular to fully understand the entire content of Each sepal is 8 to 11 millimeters (mm) area as critical habitat. (0.3 to 0.4 in) long, and has a maroon the proposal, verify data and We solicit data and comments from calculations associated with the line running down its center. Below the the public on all aspects of this calyx are bracts (modified leaflike proposal (especially impingement and proposal, including data on economic entrainment losses and correlated structures), which are much shorter and other impacts of the designation, than the sepals and are either undivided benefits), and prepare written and our approaches for handling any comments. or divided into two threadlike lobes. future habitat conservation plans. We Sidalcea keckii is distinguished from In response to these requests, EPA is may revise this proposal prior to final other members of its genus by the extending the comment period by 30 designation to incorporate or address maroon lines on its sepals, its much days, through August 7, 2002, because new information received during the shorter bracts, and by stems which are of the complexity and the range of comment period. hairy along their entire length issues raised in the proposal. EPA made DATES: We will accept comments until (Kirkpatrick 1992; Shevock 1992; Hill copies of the proposed rule and August 19, 2002. Public hearing 1993). preamble available to potentially requests must be received by August 5, Sidalcea keckii fruit consist of four to regulated industries, States, 2002. five wedge-shaped sections arranged in environmental groups, and the public ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment, a disk. The sections measure 3 to 4 mm on March 6, 2002, 34 days prior to you may submit your comments and (0.1 to 0.2 in) across, and each contains publication of the proposed rule and materials concerning this proposal by a single seed (Abrams 1951; Hill 1993; preamble in the Federal Register. EPA any one of several methods: Cypher 1998). Sections mature and believes that 120 days is a sufficient You may submit written comments separate in May, but their methods of period of time for comment on the and information or hand-deliver dispersal, other than gravity, are proposed rule, especially in light of the comments to the Field Supervisor, currently unknown (Cypher 1998). Also prepublication availability of the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, unknown are the seeds’ requirements proposed rule and preamble. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 for germination (sprouting) in the wild, VerDate May<23>2002 17:02 Jun 18, 2002 Jkt 197001 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 4702 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\19JNP1.SGM pfrm17 PsN: 19JNP1 41670 Federal Register / Vol. 67, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 19, 2002 / Proposed Rules their typical germination dates, and how somewhat vague description of the current level does not appear to be long the seeds remain viable in the soil. White River site (Wiggins 1940). detrimental, and may reduce Based on other Malvaceae species, and Searches at the site may also simply encroachment by non-native grasses (C. on recent observations of extreme yearly have been conducted during poor years Peck, in litt., 2002; Weiss 1999), fluctuations in numbers of above- when few above-ground plants had however, cattle damage S. keckii ground plants, it is likely that S. keckii germinated from the seed bank (S. Hill, directly by eating and trampling it, and seeds remain viable for several years in litt., 1997). Now that botanists have unmanaged increases in grazing during and form a persistent soil seed bank (W. a better understanding of what months of flowering or seed maturation Moise as in Ellen Cypher, Endangered constitutes appropriate habitat for the could pose a threat (Cypher 1998). The Species Recovery Program, California species, based on the discovery of plant’s low population numbers, State University, in litt., 1999; S. Hill, additional sites (see below), it is particularly at Mine Hill, leave it Illinois Natural History Survey, pers. possible that future surveys may vulnerable to random environmental comm., 2002 ). Persistent seed banks relocate S. keckii at the White River site. events such as extreme weather, disease, consist of all the viable seeds left Initial visits to the site have already or insect infestations (Shaffer 1981, ungerminated in the soil longer than a identified areas of likely habitat (John 1987; Menges 1991). The isolation of S. single growing season, and typically Stebbins, Herbarium Curator, California keckii populations exacerbates these extend over a much greater area than the State University, pers. comm., 2002). vulnerabilities by reducing the observable above-ground plants (Given Sidalcea keckii was presumed extinct likelihood of recolonization of 1994). The number and location of until it was rediscovered in 1992 at a extirpated populations. Inbreeding standing plants in a population with a site near Mine Hill in Tulare County depression and loss of genetic persistent seed bank may vary annually (Stebbins 1992). The Mine Hill variability may also be causes for due to a number of factors, including population contained about 60 plants concern in such small isolated the amount and timing of rainfall, growing on private land around a populations (Ellstrand and Elam 1993). temperature, soil conditions, and the serpentine rock outcrop on 20 to 40 Previous Federal Action extent and nature of the seed bank. As percent slopes at about 229 meters (m) the depository from which each new (750 feet (ft)) elevation. Associated Federal action on Sidalcea keckii generation of plants must grow, such plants included Achyrachaena mollis began when the Secretary of the seed banks are extremely important for (blow-wives), Bromus madritensis ssp.