[Federal Register: April 5, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 64)]
[Notices]
[Page 16478-16479]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05ap99-102]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Availability of Draft Revised Recovery Plan for MacFarlane's
Four-O'Clock (Mirabilis macfarlanei) for Review and Comment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the availability
for public review of a draft revised recovery plan for MacFarlane's
four-o'clock. (Mirabilis macfarlanei). This plant occurs in grassland
habitats in Idaho County, Idaho, and Wallowa County, Oregon.
DATES: Comments received on the draft recovery plan by June 4, 1999
will be considered by the Service.
[[Page 16479]]
ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft revised recovery plan are available for
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the
following locations: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1387 South Vinnell
Way, Room 368, Boise, Idaho 83709 (phone: 208/378-5243). Requests for
copies of the draft revised recovery plan and written comments and
materials regarding this plan should be addressed to the Supervisor at
the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edna Rey-Vizgirdas, botanist, at the
above address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Restoring 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 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
the conservation of the species, establish criteria for the recovery
levels for downlisting or delisting them, and estimate time frames and
costs for implementing the recovery measures needed.
The Endangered Species Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
(Act), requires the development of a recovery plan 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 will consider
all information presented during the public comment period prior to
approval of each new or revised recovery plan. Substantive technical
comments will result in changes to the plans. Substantive comments
regarding recovery plan implementation may not necessarily result in
changes to the recovery plans, 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.
Individualized responses to comments will not be provided.
MacFarlane's four-o'clock (Mirabilis macfarlanei) is listed as
threatened. A member of the four-o'clock family, this plant is found in
low to mid-elevation canyon grassland habitats in west-central Idaho
and northeastern Oregon. Plants are found on gravelly to loamy and
sandy soils between approximately 300 and 900 meters (1,000 to 3,000
feet) elevation. Grazing by domestic livestock and the invasion of
exotic (nonnative) plants are the greatest threats to this species.
Other threats include human trampling, off-road vehicle use,
construction and maintenance of roads and trails, and herbicide
spraying.
The objective of this plan is to provide a framework for the
recovery of MacFarlane's four-o'clock so that protection by the Act is
no longer necessary. The recovery strategy for this species is focused
on protecting habitat and maintaining self-sustaining populations of
MacFarlane's four-o'clock throughout its range in Idaho and Oregon, and
minimizing or eliminating threats to the populations.
This plan describes an 8-part strategy with specific tasks
necessary to maintain suitable grassland ecosystems that provide
habitat for MacFarlane's four-o'clock. The tasks, when implemented,
will stabilize and maintain populations throughout the range of
MacFarlane's four-o'clock by protecting sufficient occupied and
adjacent suitable habitat, implementing actions that may be necessary
to eliminate or control threats, managing habitat to maintain or
enhance viable populations of MacFarlane's four-o'clock, monitoring the
status of populations and habitat conditions to ensure that recovery
actions are successful, conducting research to determine the population
dynamics and ecology of the species to guide management efforts and
ensure the conservation of the species, and establishing a long-term
seed storage facility for MacFarlane's four-o'clock.
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 this plan.
Authority: The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: March 30, 1999.
David L. McMullen,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 99-8204 Filed 4-2-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P