From today's Federal Register, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announce the re-opening of a public comment period, Paragraph Citation 77 FR 18173:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the reopening of the public comment period on the October 4, 2011, rule proposing endangered status for the Alabama pearlshell (Margaritifera marrianae), round ebonyshell (Fusconaia rotulata), southern sandshell (Hamiota australis), southern kidneyshell (Ptychobranchus jonesi), and Choctaw bean (Villosa choctawensis), and threatened status for the tapered pigtoe (Fusconaia burkei), narrow pigtoe (Fusconaia escambia), and fuzzy pigtoe (Pleurobema strodeanum), and designation of their critical habitat, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis (DEA) of the proposed designation of critical habitat for these eight species and an amended required determinations section of the proposal. We are reopening the comment period to allow all interested parties an opportunity to comment simultaneously on the proposed rule, the associated DEA, and the amended required determinations section. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.

And so with that, here comes the next batch. There has got to be a way to tie the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act together for aquatics, and some way to bring geomorphology and non-source point into the mix. What we got (water and species) just ain't working.

Todd

And it's made worse by state environmental agencies such as ADEM in Alabama that haven't done a good job historically, really working as extensions of the corporate interests they're supposed to regulate. Many key people in decisions such as this pretend not to know much about geomorphology and NPS, but they do.

I'm sayin'! I mean, really, what IS critical habitat, USFW? They know, they just need better teeth. I'm sure many of the people working on this are dead tired from gumming everything to keep the black helicopters in the hanger.

Todd