[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 34 (Monday, February 22, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7625-7626]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-3343]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R2-ES-2010-N016; 20124-1113-0000-C2]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Rio Grande Silvery
Minnow (Hybognathus amarus) Recovery Plan, First Revision
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability: revised recovery plan.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of the Rio Grande Silvery Minnow (Hybognathus amarus)
Recovery Plan, First Revision. The Rio Grande silvery minnow was listed
as endangered in 1994, its first recovery plan was approved in 1999,
and critical habitat was designated in 2003.
ADDRESSES: An electronic copy of the recovery plan can be obtained from
our website at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Library/. Copies of the
recovery plan are also available by request. To obtain a copy, contact
Jennifer Bachus by U.S. mail at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New
Mexico Ecological Services Field Office, 2105 Osuna Road, New Mexico
87113; by phone at (505) 761-4714; or by e-mail at [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Bachus (see ADDRESSES).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Rio Grande silvery minnow was listed as federally endangered in
1994 (July 20, 1994; 59 FR 36988) and critical habitat was designated
in 2003 (February 19, 2003; 68 FR 8087). The species was extirpated
from about 93 percent of its historical range, currently persisting in
only one 280-kilometer (km) (174-mile (mi)) reach of the Rio Grande
River in New Mexico, downstream of Cochiti Dam to the headwaters of
Elephant Butte Reservoir. In December 2008, silvery minnows were
introduced into the Rio Grande River near Big Bend, Texas, as a
nonessential, experimental population under section 10(j) of the ESA
(December 8, 2008; 73 FR 74357).
Throughout much of its historic range, the decline of the Rio
Grande silvery minnow is attributed primarily to destruction and
modification of its habitat due to dewatering and diversion of water,
water impoundment, and modification of the river (channelization).
Competition and predation by introduced non-native species, water
quality degradation, and other factors also have contributed to its
decline.
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. Recovery plans help guide the recovery effort by
describing actions considered necessary for the conservation of the
species, establishing criteria for downlisting or delisting, and
estimating time and costs for implementing the recovery measures. The
recovery criteria form the basis from which to gauge the species'
recovery and subsequent risk of extinction.
The Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Recovery Plan includes updated
scientific information about the species and provides criteria and
actions needed to downlist and delist the species. We may consider
downlisting the Rio Grande silvery minnow from endangered to threatened
when three populations (including a stable middle Rio Grande population
and at least two additional populations that are self-sustaining) have
been established within the historical range of the species and have
been maintained for at least five years, as well as habitat sufficient
to support three such populations. We may consider delisting the
species when three self-sustaining populations have been established
within the historical range of the species and have been maintained for
at least 10 years, as well as habitat sufficient to support three such
populations. The revised recovery criteria provide objective measures
by which populations of silvery minnow is determined to be self-
sustaining.
The Rio Grande Silvery Minnow Recovery Plan also describes actions
needed to recover the Rio Grande silvery minnow. These include
developing a thorough knowledge of the Rio Grande silvery minnow's life
history, ecology, and behavior, and the current status of its habitat.
It is also necessary to restore, protect, and alter habitats as
necessary to alleviate threats to the Rio Grande silvery minnow, to
ensure the survival of the species in its current habitat, and to
reestablish the species in suitable habitats within its historical
range. By implementation and
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maintaining an adaptive management program, appropriate research and
management activities will be implemented in a timely manner to achieve
recovery of the Rio Grande silvery minnow. Lastly, recovery actions
also include designing and implementing public awareness and education
programs about this species.
Section 4(f) of the Act requires that we provide public notice and
an opportunity for public review and comment during recovery plan
development. In fulfillment of this requirement, we made the draft
revision of the recovery plan for Rio Grande silvery minnow available
for public comment from January 18, 2007, through April 18, 2007
(January 18, 2007; 72 FR 2301). We also conducted peer review at this
time. Revised recovery criteria were developed in response to public
and peer review comments on the original draft plan. We released these
revised criteria for a second round of public comment from April 9,
2009, through May 26, 2009 (April 9, 2009; 74 FR 16232). We also
conducted additional peer review. After consideration of comments
received during both public and peer review comment periods, the
recovery plan has been updated and finalized.
Authority: The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: January 15, 2010.
Benjamin N. Tuggle,
Regional Director, Region 2.
[FR Doc. 2010-3343 Filed 2-19-10; 8:45 am]
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