[Federal Register: April 12, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 70)]
[Notices]
[Page 18767]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12ap06-92]
[[Page 18767]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for the
Chiricahua Leopard Frog
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the
availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for the Chiricahua Leopard Frog
(Draft Recovery Plan) for public review. The species occurs in montane
and river valley cienegas, springs, pools, cattle tanks, reservoirs,
streams, and rivers in central and southeastern Arizona, west-central
and southwestern New Mexico, and the sky islands and Sierra Madre
Occidental of northeastern Sonora and western Chihuahua, Mexico, at
elevations of approximately 3,000-9,000 feet. The Draft Recovery Plan
recommends actions to lessen and alleviate threats to the species, and
presents objective and measurable delisting criteria. The Service
solicits review and comment from the public on this Draft Recovery
Plan.
DATES: The comment period for this Draft Recovery Plan closes June 12,
2006. Comments on the Draft Recovery Plan must be received by the
closing date to assure consideration.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the Draft Recovery Plan can obtain
a copy from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Ecological
Services Field Office, 2321 W. Royal Palm Road, Suite 103, Phoenix,
Arizona 85021. The Draft Recovery Plan may also be obtained from the
Internet at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://www.fws.gov/endangered (type ``Chiricahua leopard
frog'' in the Species search field). Comments and materials concerning
this Draft Recovery Plan may be mailed to ``Field Supervisor'' at the
address above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Rorabaugh, Arizona Ecological
Services Field Office, at the above address; telephone (602) 242-0210,
facsimile (602) 242-2513.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Chiricahua leopard frog (Rana chiricahuensis) was listed as
threatened on June 13, 2002, under authority of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, as amended (67 FR 40790). The range of the Chiricahua
leopard frog (Rana chiricahuensis) is divided into two parts,
including--(1) A southern group of populations (the majority of the
species' range) located in mountains and valleys south of the Gila
River in southeastern Arizona, extreme southwestern New Mexico, and
Mexico; and (2) northern montane populations in west central New Mexico
and along the Mogollon Rim in central and eastern Arizona. The
distribution and status of the species in Mexico is not well
understood. The threats facing the survival and recovery of this
species include predation by non-native fish, amphibians, and crayfish;
the fungal disease chytridiomycosis; climatic extremes (e.g., drought,
floods); degradation and loss of habitat as a result of water
diversions, groundwater pumping, catastrophic fire, mining, and some
livestock management; disruption of metapopulation dynamics; increased
chance of extinction resulting from small populations; and possibly
environmental contamination.
The delisting criteria proposed in the Draft Plan recommend that
the Chiricahua leopard frog should be considered for delisting when:
(1) At least two metapopulations located in different drainages plus at
least one isolated and robust population in each of eight recovery
units exhibit long-term persistence and stability; (2) aquatic breeding
habitats are protected; (3) additional habitat needed for population
connectivity, recolonization, and dispersal is protected and managed;
and (4) threats and causes of decline have been reduced or eliminated,
and commitments of long-term management are in place in each recovery
unit. High-priority recovery tasks to lessen and alleviate these
threats include actions to protect remaining populations and habitat;
restore unoccupied habitats and create new habitat; establish new
populations and augment existing populations; monitor; and develop
conservation efforts on private, public, and tribal land, and in
Mexico.
Restoring an endangered or threatened animal or plant 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 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. The Service
considers all information presented during a public comment period
prior to approval of each new or revised recovery plan. The Service and
others also take these comments into account in the course of
implementing recovery plans.
The Chiricahua Leopard Frog Draft Recovery Plan is being submitted
for review to all interested parties, including independent peer
review. After consideration of comments received during the review
period, the recovery plan will be submitted for final approval.
Public Comments Solicited
The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan
described. All comments received by the date specified above will be
considered prior to approval of the recovery plan.
Authority
The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: March 15, 2006.
Benjamin N. Tuggle,
Acting Regional Director, Southwest Region, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E6-5354 Filed 4-11-06; 8:45 am]
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