[Federal Register: June 17, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 117)]
[Notices]
[Page 34313-34314]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr17jn08-68]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-ES-2008-N0111]; [40120-1113-0000-C2]
Notice of Availability of a Technical Agency Draft Recovery Plan
for the Puerto Rican Parrot for Review and Comment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability and opening of public comment
period.
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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability
of the technical agency draft revised recovery plan for the Puerto
Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata). The technical agency draft revised
recovery plan includes specific recovery objectives and criteria to be
met in order to reclassify this species to threatened status and delist
it under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We
solicit review and comment on this technical agency draft recovery plan
from local, state, and Federal agencies, and the public.
DATES: In order to be considered, we must receive comments on the
technical agency draft recovery plan on or before August 18, 2008.
ADDRESSES: If you wish to review this technical agency revised draft
recovery plan, you may obtain a copy by contacting the Caribbean Field
Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 491, Boquer[oacute]n,
Puerto Rico 00622 (telephone (787) 851-7297 Ext. 231) or by visiting
our Web site at http://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/index.html#plans. If
you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by the following
methods:
1. You may submit written comments and materials to the Project
Leader, at the above address.
2. You may hand-deliver written comments to our Caribbean Field
Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 491, Boquer[oacute]n,
Puerto Rico 00622, or fax your comments to (787) 851-7440.
3. You may send comments by e-mail to Marelisa Rivera at marelisa_
rivera@fws.gov. For directions on how to submit electronic filing of
comments, see the ``Public Comments Solicited'' section.
Comments and materials received are available for public inspection
on request, by appointment, during normal business hours at the above
address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marelisa Rivera at the above address
(Telephone 787-851-7297, ext. 231).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Once abundant and widespread on the Puerto Rican archipelago, the
Puerto Rican parrot is considered one of the ten most endangered birds
in the world. Largely green with a red forehead and blue flight
feathers, the parrot is one of nine Amazona parrots occurring in the
West Indies. The species is one of the smallest in its genus, measuring
about 29 centimeters (11 inches) in length and weighing about 270 grams
(10 ounces). Presently, a minimum of 25 individuals survive in the wild
in the El Yunque National Forest (YNF) in eastern Puerto Rico and 10 in
the R[iacute]o Abajo Forest (RAF) in north central Puerto Rico. Two
captive population facilities hold more than 225 individuals: the
Iguaca Aviary and the Jos[eacute] L. Vivaldi Aviary in eastern and
west-central Puerto Rico, respectively.
The Puerto Rican parrot is a fruit-eating cavity nester seldom seen
far from forests. The decline of the parrot and its restricted
distribution are due to many factors, but mostly due to widespread
habitat loss (e.g., deforestation.) Due to its nesting requirements, it
depends on mature forests with large cavity-forming trees.
At present, in addition to low numbers and a limited distribution,
major threats to this species are nest competition and predation of
eggs and chicks by pearly-eyed thrashers (Margarops fuscatus),
predation of fledglings and adults by red-tailed hawks (Buteo
jamaicensis), predation by rats (Rattus rattus and R. norvegicus),
parasitism by warble flies (Philornis pici), and the impact of
hurricanes. Other threats include competition for cavities with
European and Africanized honeybees (Apis mellifera). Many of the
threats are being controlled through management strategies.
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 endangered species program. To help guide the
recovery effort, we are preparing recovery plans for most listed
species. Recovery plans describe actions considered necessary for
conservation of the species, establish criteria for downlisting or
delisting, and estimate time and cost for implementing recovery
measures.
The Act (16 U.S.C. 1533 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
requires us to provide a public notice and an opportunity for public
review and comment during recovery plan development. We will consider
all information presented during a public comment period prior to
approval of each new or revised recovery plan. We and other Federal
agencies will take these comments into account in the course of
implementing approved recovery plans.
The objective of this technical agency draft revised plan is to
provide a framework for the recovery of the Puerto Rican parrot, so
that protection under the Act is no longer necessary. As
reclassification and recovery criteria are met, the status of the
species will be reviewed and it will be considered for reclassification
or removal from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants.
Public Comments Solicited
We solicit written comments on the recovery plan described. We will
consider all comments received by the date specified above prior to
final approval of the revised recovery plan.
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
[[Page 34314]]
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: The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: April 24, 2008.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. E8-13580 Filed 6-16-08; 8:45 am]
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