[Federal Register: October 9, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 196)]
[Notices]
[Page 58355-58356]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09oc03-96]
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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 Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep
AGENCY: U.S. 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, announce a re-opening
of the comment period for public review of the Draft Recovery Plan for
the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis californiana) for an
additional 60 days. The original comment period closed on September 29,
2003. We are re-opening the comment period in response to specific
requests from the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra
Nevada Bighorn Sheep Foundation to allow additional time for public
review of this draft recovery plan. This draft recovery plan includes
recovery criteria and measures for the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep.
DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or
before December 8, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft recovery plan are available for
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the
following location: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ventura Fish and
Wildlife Office, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura, California 93003
(telephone 805-644-1766). Requests for copies of the draft recovery
plan and written comments and materials regarding the plan should be
addressed to the Field Supervisor at the above address. An electronic
copy of this draft recovery plan is also available at http://www.r1.fws.gov/ecoservices/endangered/recovery/default.htm
.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carl Benz, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, at the above address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
On July 30, 2003, we published a Notice of Availability of the
Draft Recovery Plan for the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep, opening a 60-
day public comment period that is scheduled to end on September 29,
2003. We have received requests from the Natural Resources Defense
Council, the Wilderness Society, and the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep
Foundation to extend the comment period so that they might more
thoroughly review the plan. Based on these requests, we determined to
re-open the comment period for public review of this draft recovery
plan.
Recovery of endangered or threatened animals and plants is a
primary goal of our endangered species program and the Endangered
Species Act (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 set out in section 4(a)(1) of the
Act. Recovery plans describe actions considered necessary for the
conservation of the species, establish criteria for downlisting or
delisting listed species, and estimate time and cost for implementing
the measures needed for recovery.
The Act 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 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. Substantive technical comments may result in
changes to the plan. Substantive comments regarding recovery plan
implementation may not necessarily result in changes to the recovery
plan, but will be forwarded to appropriate Federal or other entities so
that they can take these comments into account during the course of
implementing recovery actions.
This draft recovery plan was developed by the Sierra Nevada Bighorn
Sheep Recovery Team. We coordinated with the California Department of
Fish and Game, and a team of stakeholders, which included ranchers,
landowners and managers, agency representatives, and non-government
organizations.
The population of bighorn sheep in the Sierra Nevada of California
was listed as an endangered species on January 3, 2000, (65 FR 20)
following emergency listing on April 20, 1999, (64 FR 19300). At the
time of listing, the bighorn sheep population was very small, with only
about 125 adults known to exist among 5 geographic areas, with little
probability of interchange among those areas. The bighorn sheep is
threatened primarily by transmission of disease from domestic sheep and
goats, and predation by mountain lions. Key elements for immediate
action are: (1) Predator management; (2) augmentation of small herds
with sheep from larger ones; and (3) elimination of the threat of a
pneumonia epizootic resulting from contact with domestic sheep or
goats. Actions needed to recover the bighorn
[[Page 58356]]
sheep include: (1) Protection of bighorn sheep habitat; (2) increase
population growth by enhancing survivorship and reproductive output of
bighorn sheep; (3) increase the numbers of herds, and thereby the
number of bighorn sheep; (4) develop and implement a genetic management
plan to maintain genetic diversity; (5) monitor status and trends of
bighorn sheep herds and their habitat; (6) research; and (7) providing
information to the public.
Public Comments Solicited
We solicit written comments on the draft recovery plan described.
All comments received by the date specified above will be considered in
developing a final 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 24, 2003.
Steve Thompson,
Manager, California/Nevada Operations Office, Region 1, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 03-25576 Filed 10-8-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P