[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 75 (Monday, April 20, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 19468-19469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10368]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
50 CFR Parts 222 and 227
[I.D. 052493B]
Endangered and Threatened Species; Proposed Threatened Status for
Johnson's Seagrass
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.
ACTION: Proposed rule; notice of reopening of comment period
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SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), pursuant to the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), provides notice of
reopening of the comment period on the proposed listing of Johnson's
seagrass, Halophila johnsonii as a threatened species. The comment
period has been reopened to provide opportunity for public comment
since the close of the original comment period on December 14, 1993.
DATES: The public comment period, which originally closed on December
14, 1993, now closes June 4, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Comments and requests for copies of the technical workshops
proceedings and references should be sent to the Chief, Endangered
Species Division (F/PR3), Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315
East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Donna Brewer, F/PR3, NMFS, (301) 713-
1401, or Colleen Coogan, Southeast Region, NMFS, (813) 570-5312.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On September 15, 1993, NMFS published a proposed rule to list
Johnson's seagrass as a threatened species (58 FR 48326). Designation
of critical habitat was subsequently proposed on August 4, 1994 (59 FR
39716). A public hearing on both the proposed listing and critical
habitat
[[Page 19469]]
designation was held in Vero Beach, Florida on September 20, 1994. This
reopening of the comment period applies only to the proposed listing of
Johnson's seagrass as a threatened species. The proposed designation of
critical habitat will be addressed in a separate Federal Register
notice and additional comments will be solicited at that time.
Since publication of the proposed rule, additional information has
been made available to NMFS that supplements available data on the
status and distribution of Johnson's seagrass. This information was
reviewed in a technical workshop held in St. Petersburg, Florida, in
November 1996, and has been summarized in a workshop proceedings
(Kenworthy, 1997) submitted to NMFS on October 15, 1997.
In addition, genetic studies confirming and supporting information
presented in the proposed rule regarding the species separation of
Johnson's seagrass have been published (Jewitt-Smith et al., 1997);
peer review comments on the proposed rule have been received, and a
report summarizing several years of surveys for Johnson's seagrass
within the Indian River Lagoon has been completed (Virnstein, et al.,
1997). A brief summary of the workshop proceedings follows:
The workshop convened species experts and representatives of
agencies with jurisdiction over seagrasses and their habitats to review
existing information on the biology and ecology of Johnson's seagrass.
Workshop attendees reviewed new genetic information supporting H.
johnsonii as a separate species from H. decipens (recently published by
Jewitt-Smith et al, 1977). New qualitative and quantitative benthic
surveys and interviews with species experts also reviewed at the
workshop, confirmed the extremely limited geographic distribution of
Johnson's seagrass to patchy and vertically disjunct areas between
Sebastian Inlet and northern Biscayne Bay on the east coast of Florida,
finding no verifiable sightings outside of the range other than those
already reported. Since additional surveys have not located any male
flowers, nor has seedling recruitment been confirmed, the workshop
attendees attributed the distribution and abundance of Johnson's
seagrass to a reliance on vegetative means of reproduction and growth.
High densities of apical meristems, rapid rates of horizontal growth,
and a fast leaf turnover were suggested to explain the appearance and
disappearance of Johnson's seagrass observed in disturbed areas and on
survey transects.
Public Comments Solicited
Due to the availability of additional information, the passage of
time since the close of the previous comment period, and the desire to
review the best scientific information available during the decision-
making process, the comment period for the proposed listing of
Johnson's seagrass as a threatened species is being reopened. NMFS is
requesting comments from the public on new or additional information on
the distribution and status of Johnson's seagrass. All comments
received by June 4, 1998 will be considered in NMFS final decision.
References
Kenworthy, J.W. 1997. An updated biological status review and
Summary of the Proceedings of a Workshop to Review the Biological
Status of the Seagrass, Halophila johnsonii Eiseman. Final Report
submitted to Office of Protected Species, NMFS, NOAA, Silver Spring, MD
- October 15, 1997.
Jewitt-Smith, J., C. McMillan, W.J. Kenworthy, and K. Bird. 1997.
Flowering and genetic banding patterns of Halophila johnsonii and
conspecifics. Aquatic Botany 59: 323-331.
Virnstein, R.W., L.J. Morris, J.D. Miller, and R. Miller-Meyers.
1997. Distribution and abundance of Halophila johnsonii in the Indian
River Lagoon. St. John's River Water Management District, Techincal
Memorandum # 24.
Authority
The Authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: April 10, 1998.
Rolland A. Schmitten,
Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries
Service.
[FR Doc. 98-10368 Filed 4-17-98; 8:45 am]
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