[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 90 (Tuesday, May 11, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25362-25363]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11775]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice To Extend the Public Comment Period for the Draft Recovery
Plan for Gabbro Soil Plants of the Central Sierra Nevada Foothills, CA
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of extension of public comment period.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gives notice that the
comment period announced in the March 8, 1999, notice of availability
of the Draft Recovery Plan for Gabbro Soil Plants of the Central Sierra
Nevada Foothills, California, will be extended an additional 30 days
until July 7, 1999. Substantial public interest in the draft plan led
the Service to distribute additional copies and to provide additional
opportunities for the public to comment on the plan. This recovery plan
includes six plant species, of which five are federally listed as
endangered or threatened. The draft plan includes recovery criteria and
measures for the plants--Stebbin's morning-glory (Calystegia
stebbinsii), Pine Hill ceanothus (Ceanothus roderickii), Pine Hill
flannelbush (Fremontodendron californicum ssp. decumbens), El Dorado
bedstraw (Galium californicum ssp. sierrae), and Layne's butterweed
(Senecio layneae), and an additional species, El Dorado mule-ears
(Wyethia reticulata), that is considered to be a species of concern.
The Service extends the current 90-day comment period and solicits
review and comment from the public on this draft plan.
DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan received by July 7, 1999,
will be considered by the Service.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft recovery plan are available for
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the
following location: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Fish and
Wildlife Office, 3310 El Camino Avenue, Suite 130, Sacramento,
California (telephone (916) 979-2710); and U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Regional Office, Ecological Services, 911 NE 11th Ave.,
Eastside Federal Complex, Portland Oregon 97232-4181 (telephone (503)
231-6131). Requests for copies of the draft recovery plan and written
comments and materials regarding this plan should be addressed to Wayne
S. White, Field Supervisor, Ecological Services, at the above
Sacramento address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Elam, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, at the above Sacramento address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Restoring endangered or threatened animals and plants to the point
where they are again secure, self-sustaining members of their
ecosystems is a primary goal of the Service's
[[Page 25363]]
endangered species program. To help guide recovery efforts, 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 the conservation of the species, establish criteria for
downlisting or delisting listed species, and estimate time and cost for
implementing the recovery measures needed. The Endangered Species Act
of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) (Act), 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 as amended in 1988 requires that public notice and an
opportunity for public review and comment be provided during recovery
plan development. The Service will consider all information presented
during the public comment period prior to approval of each new or
revised recovery plan. Substantive technical comments will result in
changes to the plan. Substantive comments regarding recovery plan
implementation may not necessarily result in changes to the recovery
plan, but will be forwarded to appropriate Federal or other entities so
that they can take these comments into account during the course of
implementing recovery actions. Individualized responses to comments
will not be provided. The six species of plants covered in the draft
recovery plan are primarily restricted to gabbro soils habitat in the
central Sierra Nevada foothills of California. Conversion of habitat to
urban uses has extirpated the listed species and species of concern
from a significant portion of their historic ranges. The remaining
natural communities are highly fragmented, and many are marginal
habitats in which these species may not persist during catastrophic
events. The objectives of this recovery plan are two-fold: (1) to
delist the plants Stebbin's morning-glory, Pine Hill ceanothus, Pine
Hill flannelbush, El Dorado bedstraw, and Layne's butterweed by
protecting, enhancing, restoring, and appropriately managing their
habitat; and (2) to ensure the long-term conservation of the one
species of concern, El Dorado mule-ears, that occurs in the same gabbro
soils habitats with the listed species.
Public Comments Solicited
The Service solicits written comments on the draft recovery plan
described. All comments received by the date specified above will be
considered prior to approval of this plan.
Authority: The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: May 5, 1999.
Elizabeth H. Stevens,
Acting Manager, California/Nevada Operations Office, Sacramento,
California.
[FR Doc. 99-11775 Filed 5-10-99; 8:45 am]
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