[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 188 (Thursday, September 29, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-24067]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: September 29, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Kanab Ambersnail
(Oxyloma Haydeni kanabensis) 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 Kanab
ambersnail (Oxyloma haydeni kanabensis). Three populations of the
species are known, two in southern Utah and the other within the Grand
Canyon of Arizona. The Service solicits review and comment from the
public on this draft plan.
DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or
before November 28, 1994 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 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 also will take these comments into account in the
course of implementing approved recovery plans.
The Kanab ambersnail is a terrestrial snail in the family
Succineidae. The empty shell is a light amber color. The live snail has
a mottled grayish-amber to yellowish-amber color. The species' shell is
thin walled with a right handed, elevated spire and a broad expanded
opening. Mature individuals are up to 19 mm (0.75 inch) long, 9 mm
(0.33 inch) in diameter, with 3.25 to 3.75 whorls in a drawn out spire.
Three populations of the species are known, two in southern Utah and
the other within the Grand Canyon of Arizona. The two Utah populations
are near the Utah-Arizona border in Kane County. The larger Utah
population occurs in Three Lakes Canyon about 10 kilometers (6 miles)
northwest of the town of Kanab, Utah. The smaller Utah population is
adjacent to the main stem of Kanab Creek in Kanab Creek Canyon. The
Arizona population occurs in a spring-fed wetland at Vasey's Paradise
about 92 kilometers (57 miles) southeast of the two Utah populations.
The Kanab ambersnail was listed as an endangered species under the
authority of the Endangered Species Act (Act), as amended, on April 17,
1993. Critical habitat was proposed on November 15, 1992, for the
species' largest Utah population. This species was listed due to loss
of historical populations and past and threatened destruction of its
limited habitat. Initial recovery efforts will focus on protecting the
species population and habitat from habitat destroying activities
through the section 6, 7, and 9 prohibitions of the Act for animal
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.
Given the species vulnerability and lack of suitable habitat, it is
doubtful that recovery and delisting of the species can occur in the
foreseeable future.
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, 1994.
Terry T. Terrell,
Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 94-24067 Filed 9-28-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M
