[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 186 (Thursday, September 25, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50397-50398]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-25421]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for Nelson's
Checker-Mallow (Oregon and Washington) for Review and Comment
AGENCY: 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 draft recovery plan for the
Nelson's checker-mallow (Sidalcea nelsoniana), listed as a threatened
species on February 12, 1993 (58 FR 8242). The species occurs primarily
as scattered populations in two distinct ecological regions--the
northern Coast Range and the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Two outlying
populations are located in the Puget Trough of Washington.
DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan received by November 24,
1997 will be considered by the Service.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft recovery plan may obtain
a copy by contacting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon State
Office, 2600 S.E. 98th Ave., Suite 100, Portland, Oregon 97266-1398.
Written comments and material regarding the plan should be addressed to
the Field Supervisor at the above address. Comments and materials
received are available for public inspection, by appointment, during
normal business hours at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Andrew F. Robinson Jr., Fish and
Wildlife Biologist, at the above address or by phone at 503/231-6179.
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 the site specific management
actions considered necessary for conservation and survival of the
species, establish objectives and measurable 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. 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, and
other affected Federal agencies, will take these comments into account
in the course of implementing approved recovery plans.
Nelson's checker-mallow (Sidalcea nelsoniana) is a herbaceous
perennial plant species in the mallow family (Malvaceae). Like many of
the members of its genus, Nelson's checker-mallow produces mature
plants that have either exclusively female flowers or perfect flowers.
Nelson's checker-mallow is listed as threatened, with 59 known extant
occurrences containing an estimated 27,000 individuals. The species
typically occurs in or along the margins of seasonally moist, early
successional valley bottom habitats of the Willamette Valley or in
mountain meadows in the Oregon Coast Range.
Populations in the Willamette Valley are threatened by agriculture
and urban development that has resulted in severe habitat depletion and
modification, and the fragmentation of its populations into mostly
small, widely-scattered patches. Successional species, primarily
resulting from suppression or elimination of natural disturbances such
as periodic flooding and fires, are eliminating Nelson's checker-mallow
from much of its remaining habitat. In addition to land use threats,
Willamette Valley populations are subject to competitive exclusion by
exotic species, seed predation by weevils prior to seed dispersal, and
increased vulnerability to extirpation due to small population size and
genetic isolation, and lack of genetic variation within and among
populations.
Land use threats are serious in the Oregon Coast Range, where the
meadows occupied by Nelson's checker-mallow are isolated from
agricultural and Urban development. The major land use threat in the
Oregon Coast Range is inundation by a reservoir planned for Walker
Creek, the site of the largest known population of the species. The
habitat of several Oregon Coast Range populations is disturbed by
recreational use of habitat by motorcyclists.
The objective of this plan is to provide a framework for the
recovery of Nelson's checker-mallow so that its protection by the Act
is no longer necessary. The plan will be made final and approved
following incorporation of comments and material received during this
comment period.
Public Comments Solicited
The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan
described above. All comments received by the date specified above will
be considered prior to approval of this plan.
[[Page 50398]]
Authority
The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: September 14, 1997.
William F. Shake,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 97-25421 Filed 9-24-97; 8:45 am]
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