[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 1, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 15856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8524]
[[Page 15856]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of a Draft Updated Recovery Plan for the
Northeastern Population of the Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii
dougallii) for Review and Comment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the availability
population of the roseate tern (Sterna dougallii dougallii). The
roseate tern is a worldwide species that breeds in two discrete areas
in the Western Hemisphere. One of those areas is the northeast where
the species breeds on islands along the Atlantic Coast of the United
States from New York to Maine and northward into adjacent portions of
Canada. This population was listed as an endangered species in November
1987, and the initial recovery plan was completed in March 1989. This
species was listed due to its rarity and population decline, which lead
to a restricted breeding range with most roseates nesting on just a few
islands. The primary threat to the roseate tern is considered to be
loss of nesting sites and predation. Additional factors that can effect
nesting productivity and overall population status include food
availability near the colonies and storm events. The recovery objective
is to reclassify the roseate tern to threatened status. The Service
solicits review and comment from the public on this draft Plan update.
DATES: Comments on the draft Recovery Plan must be received May 1, 1998
to receive consideration by the Service.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft Recovery Plan can obtain
a copy from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region
Endangered Species Program, 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley,
Massachusetts 01035, telephone (413) 253-8628. Comments should be sent
to Michael J. Bartlett, Field Supervisor, New England Field Office, 22
Bridge Street, Concord, New Hampshire 03301.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Amaral (see above Address for New England Field Office,
telephone 603/225-1411.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Restoring an endangered or threatened animal or plant to the point
where it is again a secure, self-sustaining member of its ecosystem is
a primary goal of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's endangered
species program. To help guide the recovery effort, the Service is
working to prepare Recovery Plans for most of the listed species native
to the United States. Recovery Plans describe actions considered
necessary for conservation of the species, establish criteria for the
recovery levels for downlisting or delisting them, and estimate time
and cost for implementing the recovery measures needed.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. et seq.)
requires the development of Recovery Plans for listed species unless
such a Plan would not promote the conservation of a particular species.
Section 4(f) of the Act requires that public notice and an opportunity
for public review and comment be providing during the Recovery Plan
development. The Service will consider all information presented during
a public comment period prior to approval of each new, revised or, in
this case, updated Recovery Plan. The Service and other federal
agencies will also take these comments into account in the course of
implementing Recovery Plans.
The document submitted for review is the draft Roseate Tern (Sterna
dougallii dougallii) Updated Recovery Plan. Currently, 85 percent of
the birds are concentrated in three colonies, two in Massachusetts and
one in New York.
This temperate zone tern prefers to nest under or adjacent to
objects that provide cover or shelter. These objects include clumps of
vegetation, rocks, driftwood, or man-made objects. Roseate terns are
exclusively marine, and usually breed on small islands, but
occasionally on sand dunes at the end(s) of barrier beaches.
Since the roseate tern was listed in 1987, the sites that support
the largest colonies of terns, and most of those that support medium-
sized colonies, are owned by government agencies or private
conservation organizations and are managed to protect the terns. Though
most of the terrestrial habitat that the roseate tern occupies during
the nesting season is ``protected'', threats such as predation, human
disturbance, storm events, and habitat loss to erosion persist at most
colonies.
Due to the continued vulnerability of this population, delisting of
the roseate tern is inadvisable at this time. The immediate recovery
objective for this species is to reclassify the species to threatened
status. To achieve this objective, three criteria need to be met: (1)
increase the northeast nesting population (U.S. and Canada) to 5,000
breeding pairs; (2) the 5,000 pairs occur among 6 or more large
colonies with high productivity within the current geographic
distribution; and (3) institute long-term agreements to assure
protection and management sufficient to maintain the population targets
and average productivity in each breeding colony. Delisting of the
population will be considered if the nesting population reaches the
historic, 1930's level of 8,500 pairs. The preceding recovery
objectives are the same as those in the 1989 Recovery Plan.
The draft Recovery Plan update is being submitted for agency and
public review. After consideration of comments received during the
review period, the revised Plan will be submitted for final approval.
Public Comments Solicited
The Service solicits written comments on the Recovery Plan
described. All comments received by the date specified above will be
considered prior to approval of the Plan.
Authority: The authority for the action is section 4(f) of the
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: March 20, 1998.
Adam O'Hara,
Acting Regional Director, Region 5.
[FR Doc. 98-8524 Filed 3-31-98; 8:45 am]
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