[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 180 (Monday, September 18, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48166-48167]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-23083]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Madison
Cave Isopod 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
for public review of a draft Recovery Plan for the Madison Cave Isopod
(Antrolana lira). The Madison Cave Isopod is a subterranean freshwater
crustacean endemic to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. The species
was listed as threatened in November 1982 due to its extremely limited
distribution and threats to the quality of its deep karst habitat. The
objective of the proposed Recovery Plan is to protect Madison Cave
isopod populations by conserving its groundwater habitat, thereby
enabling its removal from the Federal list of endangered and threatened
wildlife and plants. To accomplish this, the draft Plan recommends
recovery activities that should continue or be initiated. If the
Recovery Plan is successfully implemented, full recovery may be
achieved by 2005. The Service solicits review and comment from the
public on this draft Plan.
dates: Comments on the draft Recovery Plan must be received December
18, 1995 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, Chesapeake Bay Field
Office, 177 Admiral Cochrane Drive, Annapolis, Maryland 21401,
telephone 410/573-4537 and fax 410/269-0832. Comments should be sent to
the same address, to the attention of G. Andrew Moser.
for further information contact: G. Andrew Moser at 410/573-4537 (see
ADDRESSES).
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 (Act), as amended (16 U.S.C.
1531 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, 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. 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 Madison Cave Isopod
(Antrolana lira) Recovery Plan. The Madison Cave isopod is a
subterranean crustacean endemic to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
This monotypic genus is the only freshwater member of the family
Cirolanidae found north of Texas. Until 1990, A. lira was known only
from two sites, Madison Saltpetre
[[Page 48167]]
Cave and a fissure near the cave; since June 1990, the isopod has been
collected from five additional sites. Although specimens from all seven
sites are morphologically identical, they probably represent more than
one but less than seven genetic populations. Population size appears to
be extremely small at five of the species' seven occurrence sites.
The Madison Cave isopod was listed as a threatened species in
November 1982. Urban and agricultural development threaten the quality
of its groundwater habitat, and the small population size at most of
its sites indicates that this species is highly sensitive to
disturbance. The Madison Cave isopod, which is difficult to study and
collect, is known only from areas where fissures descend to the
groundwater table, thus allowing access to the surface of underground
lakes, or deep karst aquifers. Little is known of the physical and
chemical conditions of A. lira habitat. The temperature of the water
ranges from 11-14 deg.C, as is typical of groundwater for the
latitude, and the water is saturated with calcium carbonate, a
condition also typical of groundwater in areas of limestone. The level
of the karst aquifers can fluctuate for tens of meters at some sites.
The extent of the recharge zone of the aquifer at any site is unknown.
The objective of the draft Recovery Plan is to protect populations
of Antrolana lira from potential threats to the quality of its deep
karst aquifer habitat, thereby enabling the removal of this threatened
species from the Federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife and
plants. Delisting may be considered when: (1) Populations of Antrolana
lira and groundwater quality at Front Royal Caverns, Linville Quarry
Cave No. 3, and Madison Saltpetre Cave/Steger's Fissure are shown to be
stable over a ten-year monitoring period; (2) the recharge zone of the
deep karst aquifer at each of these population sites is protected from
all significant contamination sources; and (3) sufficient population
sites are protected to maintain the genetic diversity of the species.
Recovery activities designed to achieve these objectives include:
(1) Determining the number of genetic populations, (2) searching for
additional populations, (3) identifying potential sources and entry
points of contamination of the deep karst aquifer habitat, (4)
protecting known populations and habitats from a watershed perspective,
(5) collecting baseline ecological data for management and recovery,
and (6) implementing a program to monitor recovery progress and future
needs. Contingent on vigorous implementation of all recovery tasks,
full recovery is anticipated by the year 2005.
The draft Recovery Plan is being submitted for technical and agency
review. After consideration of comments received during the review
period, the 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 this action is Section 4(f) of the Endangered
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: September 8, 1995.
Ralph C. Pisapia,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 95-23083 Filed 9-15-95; 8:45 am]
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