[Federal Register: January 10, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 6)]
[Notices]
[Page 1736-1737]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10ja05-59]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Re-Opening of the Comment Period for the Draft Recovery Plan for
the Sentry Milk-Vetch
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of re-opening of public comment period.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
re-opening of the comment period for public review of a draft Recovery
Plan for the sentry milk-vetch (Astragalus cremnophylax var.
cremnophylax) for an additional 30 days. The original public comment
period was held from September 14, 2004 to October 14, 2004. We are re-
opening the public comment period in response to a specific request
from the National Park Service, Grand Canyon National Park (Park) to
allow additional time for public review of this draft Recovery Plan.
All known populations of the species occur on land managed by the Park
in Coconino County, Arizona.
DATES: Comments on the draft Recovery Plan must be received on or
before February 9, 2005, to receive consideration by the Service.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft Recovery Plan may obtain
a copy by accessing the Service's Arizona Ecological Services Field
Office Internet Web page at http://arizonaes.fws.gov or by contacting
the Field Supervisor, Arizona Ecological Services Field Office, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, 2321 West Royal Palm Road, Suite 103,
Phoenix, Arizona 85021-4951 (602/242-0210) to obtain a copy via the
mail or in person at the address above. Written comments and materials
regarding the plan should be addressed to the Field Supervisor at the
address provided 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: Mima Falk, Arizona Ecological Services
Tucson Suboffice, 201 N Bonita Ave., Tucson, Arizona 85745 (520/670-
6150 ext. 225).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Restoring an endangered or threatened animal or plant species to
the point where it is again a secure, self-sustaining member of its
ecosystem 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 actions considered necessary for
conservation of 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. We will consider
all information presented during the public comment period prior to
approval of each new or revised recovery plan. We, along with other
Federal agencies, will also take these comments into account in the
course of implementing approved recovery plans.
The draft Recovery Plan describes the status, current management,
recovery
[[Page 1737]]
objectives and criteria, and specific actions needed to reclassify the
sentry milk-vetch from endangered to threatened and for eventual
consideration for delisting. An original draft of the recovery plan was
developed by Dr. Joyce Maschinski, a botanist and species specialist
from The Arboretum at Flagstaff. The document was reviewed and updated
by a team of botanists, soil scientists, naturalists and National Park
Service land managers that have a history of researching or managing
the plant and its environs. In 1993, a draft recovery plan for the
sentry milk-vetch underwent technical and public review. The draft was
not finalized at that time due to other high priority work. The reviews
received on the 1993 draft are maintained in the Service's
administrative record. Peer review of this draft Recovery Plan was
conducted concurrent with the original public review period.
Sentry milk-vetch is known from two, and up to three, locations on
the South Rim and one location on the North Rim of the Park, where
Kaibab limestone forms large flat platforms with shallow soils near
pinyon-juniper woodlands. The primary cause of population decline prior
to protection was trampling by Park visitors, although drought
conditions may have worsened the situation. We carefully assessed the
best scientific and commercial information available regarding the
past, present, and future threats faced by sentry milk-vetch as part of
our 1990 final determination to list this species as endangered (55 FR
50184). The four major threats identified in the rule listing the
species were: (1) Destruction of habitat and damage to individuals
through human disturbance (trampling); (2) over-utilization due to
collection; (3) inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms to provide
protection of habitat; and (4) naturally low reproduction of the
species. The draft Recovery Plan contains action items to alleviate
these factors.
Public Comments Solicited
We solicit written comments on the Draft Plan. 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: November 24, 2004.
Bryan Arroyo,
Acting Regional Director, Region 2, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 05-409 Filed 1-7-05; 8:45 am]
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