[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 41 (Monday, March 3, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11816-11817]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-04586]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R8-ES-2014-N009; FXES1113080000-145-FF08E00000]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Recovery
Plan for Arctostaphylos Pallida (Pallid Manzanita)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the
availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for Arctostaphylos pallida
(pallid manzanita) for public review and comment. The recovery plan
includes recovery objectives and criteria, and specific actions
necessary to achieve removal of the species from the Federal Lists of
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants.
DATES: We must receive any comments on the draft recovery plan on or
before June 2, 2014.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of the recovery plan from our Web site
at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html.
Alternatively, you may contact the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, Suite W-2605,
Sacramento, CA 95825 (telephone 916-414-6700).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Norris, Field Supervisor, at
the above street address or telephone number (see ADDRESSES).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
[[Page 11817]]
Background
Recovery of endangered or threatened animals and plants to the
point where they are again secure, self-sustaining members of their
ecosystems is a primary goal of our endangered species program and the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.). Recovery means improvement of the status of listed species to
the point at which listing is no longer appropriate under the criteria
specified in section 4(a)(1) of the Act. The Act requires the
development of recovery plans for listed species, unless such a plan
would not promote the conservation of a particular species.
We listed Arctostaphylos pallida throughout its entire range on
April 22, 1998 (63 FR 19842). The species is endemic to the San
Francisco East Bay, and currently consists of two naturally occurring
populations and an out-planted population, totaling 1,353 mature
plants. Arctostaphylos pallida requires frequent summertime fog, and,
as a component of the maritime chaparral vegetation type, it occurs on
relatively cool, moist, and stable sites in close proximity to the San
Francisco Bay. It is highly shade intolerant and adapted to a
particular fire regime. The species requires fire for natural seed
germination; however, too frequent a fire regime, one that depletes the
soil seed bank before enough seeds have become deeply buried enough in
the soil to withstand fire, represents a significant threat to the
species. Approximately one-third of all plants occur within the
backyards of homeowners, and almost all individuals occur in close
proximity to human-built structures. These plants represent an extreme
wildfire hazard to human-built structures, and have been targeted for
removal to reduce the threat of wildfire. Finally, an incurable and
virulent nonnative pathogen, Phytophthora cinnamomi, has been
identified as killing A. pallida plants at two locations.
Recovery Plan Goals
The purpose of a recovery plan is to provide a framework for the
recovery of species so that protection under the Act is no longer
necessary. A recovery plan includes scientific information about the
species and provides criteria that enable us to gauge whether
downlisting or delisting the species is warranted. Furthermore,
recovery plans help guide our recovery efforts by describing actions we
consider necessary for each species' conservation and by estimating
time and costs for implementing needed recovery measures.
The ultimate goal of this recovery plan is to recover
Arctostaphylos pallida so that it can be delisted. To meet the recovery
goal, the following objectives have been identified:
1. Minimize the spread of Phytophthora cinnamomi.
2. Treat stands infected with Phytophthora cinnamomi.
3. Manage native and nonnative vegetation that shades
Arctostaphylos pallida.
4. Expand existing stands.
5. Establish additional stands.
6. Ensure stands are protected from incompatible uses and
incompatible wildfire fuels-reduction activities.
As Arctostaphylos pallida meets reclassification and recovery
criteria, we will review its status and consider it for removal from
the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants.
Public Comments Solicited
We solicit written comments on the draft revised recovery plan
described in this notice. All comments received by the date specified
above will be considered in development of a final recovery plan for
Arctostaphylos pallida. You may submit written comments and information
by mail or in person to the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office at the
above address (see ADDRESSES).
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, email 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 you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Authority
We developed our recovery plan under the authority of section 4(f)
of the Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f). We publish this notice under section
4(f) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531
et seq.).
Dated: February 25, 2014.
Alexandra Pitts,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2014-04586 Filed 2-28-14; 8:45 am]
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