[Federal Register: November 19, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 222)]
[Notices]
[Page 65058-65059]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr19no07-83]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Draft Revised Recovery Plan for the Attwater's Prairie-Chicken
(Tympanuchus cupido attwateri)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of the draft revised recovery plan for the Attwater's
prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri). This is the second
revision of the recovery plan for this species; the original was
completed in 1983. We are soliciting review and comment from the public
on this draft revised recovery plan.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive comments by January 18,
2008.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain copies of the recovery plan on CD from the
Refuge Manager, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Attwater Prairie
Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 519, Eagle Lake, Texas
77434, or download it from the Internet at http://www.fws.gov/
endangered (type ``Attwater's'' in the species search field).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terry Rossignol, Refuge Manager,
Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 519, Eagle
Lake, Texas 77434; telephone 979-234-3021, ext. 13, facsimile 979-234-
3278, e-mail: terry--rossignol@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
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
considers all information provided during a public comment period prior
to approval of each new or revised recovery plan. The Service and
others take these comments into account in the course of implementing
recovery plans.
The Attwater's prairie-chicken was listed as Endangered with
Extinction in 1967. This listing was ``grandfathered'' into the
Endangered Species Act of 1973. Critical habitat has not been
designated for this species. Attwater's prairie-chickens occur only in
coastal prairie habitats of Texas in the United States. Fewer than 50
individuals exist in the wild at 2 locations, and approximately 150
Attwater's are in captivity at 7 sites. With so few individuals
surviving, the population remains in imminent danger of extinction.
Habitat destruction and degradation, and to a lesser extent over
harvesting, are the primary factors contributing to historic population
declines. Current threats include extremely small populations, habitat
and population fragmentation resulting in genetic isolation, diseases
and parasites in both the wild and captive setting, inability of
captive breeding facilities to produce large numbers of captively-
reared birds that are capable of survival and reproduction in wild
habitats, and poor brood survival in wild populations.
The revised recovery plan includes scientific information about the
species and provides objectives and actions needed to recover the
Attwater's prairie-chicken and ultimately remove it from the list of
threatened and endangered species. Recovery actions designed to achieve
these objectives include restoration of a network of large, high
quality grasslands within a large (greater than 100 linear miles)
geographic area to minimize threats from catastrophic weather and allow
for gene flow among populations, maintenance of 90 percent of original
gene diversity in a captive flock of 200 for 20 years, increasing
production of the captive flock to allow for release at multiple sites,
establishment of multiple greater than 500-bird populations within the
grassland network, and broadening public support and partner efforts to
conserve the Attwater's and its coastal prairie ecosystem.
The current recovery goal is to protect and ensure the survival of
the Attwater's prairie-chicken and its habitat, allowing the population
to reach a measurable level of ecological and genetic stability so that
it can be reclassified to threatened status (downlisted) and ultimately
removed from the endangered species list (delist). Downlisting can be
considered when the population maintains a minimum of 3,000 breeding
adults annually over a 5-year period. These birds should be distributed
along a linear distance of no less then 50 miles to mitigate for
environmental stochasticity (e.g.,
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hurricanes, drought) while maintaining gene flow. Delisting can be
considered when the population reaches a minimum of 6,000 breeding
adults over a 10-year period, and occupies habitats along a linear
distance of no less than 100 miles. We estimate approximately 50 years
will be required to achieve the delisting criteria.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying
information, may be made publicly available at any time. While we will
try to honor your written request to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Authority
The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: October 23, 2007.
Christopher T. Jones,
Acting Regional Director, Regions 2.
[FR Doc. 07-5705 Filed 11-16-07; 8:45 am]
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