39314 Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 148 / Wednesday, August 2, 1995 / Proposed Rules determined to be critical habitat as provided National Environmental Policy Act List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17 by section 4 of the Act; (3) Additional information concerning the The Fish and Wildlife Service has Endangered and threatened species, range, distribution, and population size of determined that Environmental Exports, Imports, Reporting and the species; and Assessments or Environmental Impact recordkeeping requirements, and (4) Current or planned activities in the Transportation. subject areas and their possible impacts on Statements, as defined under the the species. authority of the National Environmental Proposed Regulation Promulgation Policy Act of 1969, need not be The Service specifically solicits Accordingly, the Service hereby expert opinion from independent prepared in connection with regulations proposes to amend part 17 subchapter B specialists regarding pertinent scientific adopted pursuant to section 4(a) of the of chapter I, title 50 of the Code of or commercial data and assumptions Endangered Species Act of 1973, as Federal Regulations, as set forth below: relating to taxonomy, population amended. A notice outlining the models, and supportive biological and Service's reasons for this determination PART 17Ð[AMENDED] was published in the Federal Register ecological information. 1. The authority citation for part 17 Final promulgation of the regulation on October 25, 1983 (48 FR 49244). continues to read as follows: on this species will take into consideration the comments and any References Cited Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361±1407; 16 U.S.C. additional information received by the 1531±1544; 16 U.S.C. 4201±4245; Pub. L. 99± A complete list of all references cited 625, 100 Stat. 3500, unless otherwise noted. Service, and such communications may herein is available upon request from lead to a final regulation that differs the Field Supervisor, Sacramento Field 2. Section 17.12(h) is amended by from this proposal. Office (see ADDRESSES section). adding the following, in alphabetical The Endangered Species Act provides order under FLOWERING PLANTS, to for a public hearing on this proposal, if Author the List of Endangered and Threatened requested. Requests must be received by Plants, to read as follows: September 25, 1995. Such requests must The primary author of this proposed be made in writing and be addressed to rule is Elizabeth Warne, Sacramento § 17.12 Endangered and threatened plants. the Field Supervisor, Sacramento Field Field Office (see ADDRESSES section). * * * * * Office (see ADDRESSES section). (h) * * * Species Historic range Family name Status When listed Critical Special Scientific name Common name habitat rules FLOWERING PLANTS ******* Arctostaphylos Pallid manzanita ..... U.S.A. (CA) ............ EricaceaeÐHeath .T NA NA pallida. ******* Dated: July 5, 1995. pitkinense (Pitkin Marsh lily), DATES: Comments from all interested Mollie H. Beattie, Plagiobothrys strictus (Calistoga parties must be received by October 9, Director, Fish and Wildlife Service. allocarya), Poa napensis (Napa 1995. Public hearing requests must be [FR Doc. 95±18813 Filed 8±1±95; 8:45 am] bluegrass), Sidalcea oregana ssp. valida received by September 25, 1995. BILLING CODE 4310±55±P (Kenwood marsh checkermallow), and ADDRESSES: Comments and materials Trifolium amoenum (showy Indian concerning this proposal should be sent clover) as endangered pursuant to the to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and 50 CFR Part 17 Endangered Species Act of 1973, as Wildlife Service, Sacramento Field RIN 1018±AD36 amended (Act). These nine species grow Office, 2800 Cottage Way, Room E± in a variety of habitats including valley 1803, Sacramento, California 95825± Endangered and Threatened Wildlife grasslands, meadows, freshwater 1846. Comments and materials received and Plants; Proposed Endangered marshes, seeps, and broad-leaf upland will be available for public inspection, Status for Nine Plants from the forests in Marin, Napa, and Sonoma by appointment, during normal business Grasslands or Mesic Areas of the counties on the central coast of hours at the above address. Central Coast of California California. Habitat loss and degradation, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale Pierce, Assistant Field Supervisor, AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, competition from aggressive plant Sacramento Field Office (see ADDRESSES Interior. species, elimination through plant community succession, grazing, section) (telephone 916/979±2710; ACTION: Proposed rule. inadequate regulatory mechanisms, facsimile 916/979±2723). SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service collection for horticultural use, and SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: (Service) proposes to list Alopecurus hydrological modifications to wetland aequalis var. sonomensis (Sonoma areas threaten the continued existence Background alopecurus), Astragalus clarianus (Clara of these plants. This proposal, if made Populations of the nine plant species Hunt's milkvetch), Carex albida (white final, would implement the Federal in this proposed rule are found in sedge), Clarkia imbricata (Vine Hill protection and recovery provisions Sonoma County and east as far as Napa clarkia), Lilium pardalinum ssp. afforded by the Act for these plants. Valley, California. Alopecurus aequalis Federal Register / Vol. 60, No. 148 / Wednesday, August 2, 1995 / Proposed Rules 39315 var. sonomensis (Sonoma alopecurus), the pea family (Fabaceae). Astragalus Napa. Two remaining populations occur Carex albida (white sedge), Clarkia clarianus, a slender, sparsely leafy on private land. imbricata (Vine Hill clarkia), Lilium plant, is sparingly covered with sharp, Edward Greene (1892) and Willis pardalinum ssp. pitkinense (Pitkin stiff, appressed hairs. The simple single Jepson (1901) treated Plagiobothrys Marsh lily), Sidalcea oregana ssp. or few basally branching, ascending strictus as Allocarya stricta and valida (Kenwood Marsh stems reach 7 to 20 centimeters (cm) (3 Allocarya californica var. stricta, checkermallow), and Trifolium to 8 inches (in.)) in height. The leaves respectively, before Ivan Johnston amoenum (showy Indian clover) are are alternate, 1.5 to 6.0 cm (0.5 to 2.5 (1923) assigned the present name, found in mesic areas mostly within 33 in.) long, with 5 to 9 uncrowded leaflets Plagiobothrys strictus, to specimens kilometers (km) (15 miles (mi)) of the 2 to 10 millimeters (mm) (0.1 to 0.4 in.) collected on alkaline flats near sulphur central coast of California. Astragalus long. The leaflets are oblong to obovate, springs at Calistoga, Napa County, clarianus (Clara Hunt's milkvetch), narrow at the base, and notched at the California. Plagiobothrys strictus is a Plagiobothrys strictus (Calistoga tip. Small, pea-like flowers appear from small, erect, annual herb belonging to the borage family (Boraginaceae). allocarya), and Poa napensis (Napa March through April. The petals are Plagiobothrys strictus grows 1 to 4 bluegrass) are found up to 70 km (32 mi) bicolored, with the wings whitish and decimeters (dm) (4 to 15 in.) in height. inland in a variety of habitats around the banner and keel purple in the upper the City of Calistoga in the Napa Valley, The nearly hairless plant has either a third. The keel is longer and wider than California. Urbanization, road single stem or branches from near the the wings. The horizontal to declining construction, a possible water storage base. The linear lower leaves are 4 to 9 seed pods are narrow, linear, slightly project, airport construction, cm (1.5 to 4 in.) long. Small, usually development of hot springs into curved, pointed at both ends, and occur paired, white flowers appear in March commercial resorts, agricultural land on a 1.5 to 2.5 mm (0.06 to 0.10 in.) long to April in a slender, unbranched conversion, wetland drainage, waste slender stalk. Astragalus rattanii var. inflorescence. The fruit is an egg-shaped disposal, competition with aggressive jepsonianus looks similar to A. nutlet about 1.5 mm (0.6 in.) long, plant species, collection for clarianus, but grows 10 to 36 cm (4 to keeled on the back, with wart-like horticultural use, and livestock grazing 14 in.) tall, has larger flowers, and seed projections without any prickles. have destroyed much of the habitat and pods that are not elevated on a seed Plagiobothrys greenei, P. lithocaryus, P. numerous populations of these nine stalk. mollis var. vestitus, P. stipitatus, and P. plant species. Historically, these nine Astragalus clarianus is found on thin, tener occur in vernal pools and have species have not been known to occur rocky clay soils derived from volcanic ranges that overlap with the range of outside of Alameda, Marin, Mendocino, substrates in foothill grasslands, in Plagiobothrys strictus, but they do not Napa, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma openings in Arctostaphylos (manzanita), resemble P. strictus. counties. and in openings in Quercus douglasii Plagiobothrys strictus is found in vernal pools adjacent to and fed by hot Discussion of Inland Species (blue oak) woodlands over an elevational range of 75 to 225 meters (m) springs and small geysers in foothill The habitats in which Plagiobothrys (240 to 750 feet (ft)). Historically, six grasslands at an elevational range of 90 strictus and Poa napensis can be found populations were known from Napa and to 160 m (300 to 500 ft). Three historical include meadows near small thermal Sonoma counties. Two historical populations occurred within a 3 km (2 hot springs underlain by