[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 124 (Monday, June 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35277-35278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-17180]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of a Revised Draft Recovery Plan for the
Mobile River Basin Aquatic Ecosystem for Review and Comment
AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability and public comment period.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the
availability for public review of a revised draft recovery plan for the
Mobile River Basin aquatic ecosystem, a drainage basin encompassing
much of south and central Alabama, with portions extending into east
Mississippi, northwest Georgia, and southeast Tennessee. The revised
draft plan addresses the recovery objectives, criteria, and tasks for
15 freshwater species, including 3 fish, 11 mussels, and 1 aquatic
snail, and complements recovery plans previously developed for another
17 freshwater species within the Mobile River Basin, including 2
turtles, 7 fish, 6 mussels, and 2 plants. The Service solicits review
and comment from the public on this revised draft plan.
DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or
before September 1, 1998 to receive consideration by the Service.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft recovery plan may obtain
a copy by contacting the Jackson Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, 6578 Dogwood View Parkway, Suite A, Jackson, Mississippi
39213. Written comments and materials regarding the plan should be
addressed to the Field Supervisor at the above address. Comments and
materials received are available on request for public inspection, by
appointment, during normal business hours at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Hartfield at the above address
(601/965-4900, ext. 25).
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 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 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 a 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 draft Mobile River Basin Aquatic Ecosystem Recovery Plan was
initially released for public review and comment on September 28, 1994.
The current revised draft plan evolved from four years of information
sharing, discussion, and review of aquatic resources and conflicts by a
group of Mobile River Basin stakeholders that included private
landowners, industry representatives, environmental organizations, and
State and Federal agencies.
The revised draft recovery plan provides recovery objectives and
criteria for the goldline darter (Percina aurolineata), Cherokee darter
(Etheostoma scotti), Etowah darter (Etheostoma etowahae), Alabama
moccasinshell (Medionidus acutissimus), orange-nacre mucket (Lampsilis
perovalis), fine-lined pocketbook (Lampsilis altilis), southern
acornshell (Epioblasma othcaloogensis), upland combshell (Epioblasma
metastriata), Coosa moccasinshell (Medionidus parvulus), ovate
clubshell (Pleurobema perovatum), southern clubshell (Pleurobema
decisum), dark pigtoe (Pleurobema furvum), southern pigtoe (Pleurobema
georgianum), triangular kidneyshell (Ptychobranchus greeni), and the
tulotoma snail (Tulotoma magnifica). The goldline darter was listed as
threatened in 1992 due to a suspected decline in historic range,
population fragmentation and isolation, and existing threats to extant
populations due to water quality degradation. The threatened Cherokee
darter and endangered Etowah darter were listed in 1994 because of
nonpoint source pollution threats to limited stream populations. In
1993, eight of the 11 mussels were listed as endangered, and three as
threatened due to habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from
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impoundment and their vulnerability to nonpoint source pollution and
other threats. The tulotoma snail was listed as endangered in 1991 due
to the loss of more than 90 percent of its historic habitat, and the
isolation and vulnerability of surviving populations.
The recovery objectives of the revised draft plan are to protect
the Basin's native aquatic fauna and flora by achieving higher levels
of innovative land and water stewardship; reclassify and delist the
tulotoma snail; delist the goldline, Etowah, and Cherokee darters; and
prevent the extinction of the eight endangered mussels and the
continued decline of the three threatened mussels. Actions needed to
achieve these objectives include protection of fluvial habitats and
water quality, development of mitigation strategies for in stream
habitats, community based watershed stewardship planning and action,
concerted public education efforts, and basic research on freshwater
species endemic to the basin.
This revised plan is being submitted for technical/agency review.
After consideration of comments received during the review period, it
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 this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: June 22, 1998.
Robert Bowker,
Field Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 98-17180 Filed 6-26-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
