[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 27, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49853-49854]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-23944]
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[[Page 49854]]
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Heliotrope
Milkvetch (Astragalus montii) for Review and Comment
agency: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
action: Notice of document availability.
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summary: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the
availability for public review of a draft recovery plan for the
Heliotrope milkvetch (Astragalus montii). The Heliotrope milkvetch
occurs in Sanpete and Sevier Counties, Utah. The Service solicits
review and comment from the public on this draft recovery plan.
dates: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or
before November 27, 1995, to ensure they receive consideration by the
Service.
addresses: Persons wishing to review the draft recovery plan may obtain
a copy by contacting the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Lincoln Plaza, Suite 404, 145 East 1300 South, Salt Lake City,
Utah 84115. Written comments and materials regarding this plan should
be sent to the Field Supervisor at the Salt Lake City address given
above. 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: John L. England, Botanist (see
ADDRESSES above), at telephone 801/524-5001.
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 (Service)
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 recovery levels for downlisting or delisting them, and
estimate time and cost for implementing the recovery measures needed.
The Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.), requires the development or 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 also will take these comments into account in the
course of implementing approved recovery plans.
The Heliotrope milkvetch is a perennial, herbaceous plant in the
legume family (Fabaceae). The species is very low growing, nearly
stemless plant approximately 1 to 5 centimeters (0.4 to 2 inches) tall,
with two to eight pinkish purple flowers with white wing-tips. The
species range includes Heliotrope Mountain in Sanpete County, Utah, and
White Mountain in Sevier County, Utah. Currently, three populations are
known with a total population of approximately 200,000 individuals,
occupying a total area of about 400 acres.
The Heliotrope milkvetch (Astragalus montii) was listed as a
threatened species on November 6, 1987 (52 FR 42657), under the
authority of the Act. Critical habitat has been designated for the
species western Heliotrope Mountain population. This species was listed
due to its limited habitat and small population size, and to current
and potential threats from grazing and oil and gas surface disturbing
activities to the species habitat. The goal of the recovery plan is to
maintain viable populations of the species at its known sites to ensure
the species survival, and to guide recovery efforts to facilitate
delisting of the species. Recovery efforts will focus on protecting the
species population and habitat from habitat destroying activities
through the sections 7 and 9 prohibitions of the Act for plant species.
Biological and ecological research of the species' biology and its
relationship and interaction with its environment is necessary to guide
future management of the species population and habitat to ensure its
continued survival and the preservation of the species ecosystem.
Additional recovery efforts will focus on inventory of potential
habitat and minimum viable population studies of its known populations.
Public Comments Solicited
The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan
described above. All comments received by the date specified in the
DATES section above will be considered prior to approval of the
recovery plan.
Authority: The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: September 21, 1995.
Elliott N. Sutta,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 95-23944 Filed 9-26-95; 8:45 am]
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