[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 175 (Thursday, September 10, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48518-48519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-24325]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Extension of Comment Period for Technical/Agency Draft
Multi-Species Recovery Plan for the Threatened and Endangered Species
of South Florida
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of extension of public comment period.
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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the
extension of the public comment period for Volume II of the draft
multi-species recovery plan for the threatened and endangered species
of South Florida. A notice announcing the availability of Volume II was
published in the Federal Register on July 13, 1998 (63 FR 37584).
DATES: The comment period, which originally closed on September 30,
1998, is now extended until October 31, 1998 for Volume II only. The
comment period for Volume I (63 FR 11304) still closes on September 30,
1998. Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or before
these dates to ensure consideration by the Service.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft recovery plan can be obtained by
contacting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Publications Unit,
National Conservation Training Center, c/o Aramark, Rt. 1 Box 166,
Shepherd Grade Rd., Shepherdstown, West Virginia 25443. The Service is
encouraging that requests for copies be for the CD-ROM version as the
hard copy of Volume II encompasses approximately 900 pages.
Additionally, the entire document may be viewed or downloaded from the
Service's South Florida Ecological Service's Field Office website at:
http://www.fws.gov/r4eao/wildlife/esvb.html.
Written comments and materials regarding the plan should be
addressed to Dawn Jennings, South Florida Field Office, 1360 U.S.
Highway 1, Suite 5, Vero Beach, Florida 32960. Comments and materials
received are available on request for public inspection, by
appointment, during normal business hours at the South Florida Field
Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dawn Jennings at the South Florida
Field Office (561) 562-3909 for information on the recovery plan; the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Publications Unit (304) 876-7203 for
additional copies of the draft recovery plan.
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 Fish and Wildlife Service's
threatened and endangered species program. To help guide the recovery
effort, the Service prepares recovery plans for most of the listed
species native to the United States. Recovery plans describe actions
that may be necessary for conservation of these species, establish
criteria for the recovery levels for reclassification from endangered
to threatened status or removal from the list, and estimate the time
and cost for implementing the needed recovery measures.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), 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 provided during the
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. The Service and other Federal agencies will
take these comments into account in the course of implementing approved
recovery plans.
The Multi-Species Recovery Plan identifies the recovery and
restoration needs of 68 threatened and endangered
[[Page 48519]]
species and their habitats in the South Florida Ecosystem, an area
encompassing 67,346 square kilometers covering the 19 southernmost
counties in Florida, using an ecosystem-wide approach. This plan is a
two-volume effort to identify recovery needs of the species of South
Florida and the ecosystems upon which they depend. The focus of Volume
I is the individual species, while Volume II integrates the species
needs with those of the ecological communities in which they reside.
Paper copies of both volumes of the draft recovery plan are
available for public inspection at the following locations:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, South Florida Field Office, U.S.
Highway 1, Suite 5, Vero Beach, Florida 32960, 561-562-3909
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Merritt Island National Wildlife
Refuge, 4 miles east of Titusville, State Road 402, Titusville, Florida
32782, 407-861-0667
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, J.N. ``Ding'' Darling National Wildlife
Refuge, 1 Wildlife Drive, Sanibel, Florida 33957, 813-472-1100
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Panther National Wildlife
Refuge, 3860 Tollgate Boulevard, Suite 300, Naples, Florida 34114, 941-
353-8442
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Key Deer Refuge, Winn Dixie
Shopping Plaza, Big Pine Key, Florida 33043-1510, 305-872-2239
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge,
10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach, Florida 33437-4796, 561-732-3684
University of Florida, Smathers Library West, Gainesville, Florida
32611, University of Miami Library, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami,
Florida 33149
University of Central Florida Library, 4000 Central Florida Blvd.,
Orlando, Florida 32816
Florida Atlantic University Library, 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton, Florida
33431
Florida International University Library, FIU University Park, 11200 SW
A St., Miami, Florida 33199
University of South Florida Library, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa,
Florida 33620
Florida Gulf Coast University Library, 19501 Ben Hill Griffin Parkway,
Ft. Myers, Florida 33965-6565
Archbold Biological Station Library, P.O. Box 2057, Old State Road 8,
Lake Placid, Florida 33852
Fairchild Tropical Garden Library, 11935 Old Cutler Road, Miami,
Florida 33156
Big Pine Key Branch Library, 213 Key Deer Boulevard, Big Pine Key,
Florida 33043
Public Comments Solicited
The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan
described. All comments received by the date identified 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: September 3, 1998.
James J. Slack,
Project Leader.
[FR Doc. 98-24325 Filed 9-9-98; 8:45 am]
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