[Federal Register: February 13, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 30)]
[Notices]
[Page 8345-8346]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13fe08-114]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Recovery Plan for the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep (Ovis
canadensis californiana)
AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of the recovery plan for the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep
(Ovis canadensis californiana). The Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep occurs
primarily on lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service (Inyo and
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forests) and the National Park Service
(Yosemite National Park) in the Sierra Nevada in western Inyo and Mono
Counties, California. This recovery plan describes the status, current
management, recovery objectives and criteria, and specific actions
needed to reclassify the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep from endangered to
threatened, and to ultimately delist it.
ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of the plan by either of the following
methods:
Internet: Download a copy at http://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/index.html#plans
, or U.S. mail: Send a request to U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office, 2493 Portola Road,
Suite B, Ventura, CA 93003. Printed copies of the recovery plan will be
available for distribution in 4 to 6 weeks.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian Croft, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, at the above address (telephone 951-697-5365).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
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. To help
guide the recovery effort, we are working to prepare recovery plans for
most listed species native to the United States. 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 recovery
measures needed.
The Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531, et seq.) (Act) requires
us to develop 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 public notice and an opportunity
for public review and comment during recovery plan development. We made
the draft recovery plan for the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep available
for public comment from July 30, 2003, through September 29, 2003 (68
FR 44808), and again from October 9, 2003, through December 8, 2003 (68
FR 58355). We considered information we received during these public
comment periods and information from peer reviewers in our preparation
of this final recovery plan, and also summarized that information in
Appendix J of the
[[Page 8346]]
recovery plan. We will forward substantive comments regarding recovery
plan implementation to appropriate Federal and State agencies or other
entities so they can consider these comments during the course of
implementing recovery actions. We developed this recovery plan with
input from the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Recovery Team, including a
science team and a stakeholder team. We also coordinated with the
California Department of Fish and Game.
We listed the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep as an endangered distinct
population segment (DPS) on January 3, 2000 (65 FR 20), following
initial emergency listing on April 20, 1999 (64 FR 19300). At the time
of listing, the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep population consisted of
about 125 adults, known to exist among 5 geographic areas, with little
probability of interchange among those areas. In 2000, on the basis of
concurrence between genetic and morphometric data, Wehausen and Ramey
(2000) reassigned populations of California bighorn outside of the
Sierra Nevada to other subspecies, leaving bighorn sheep in the Sierra
Nevada as their own subspecies. By the rules of zoological
nomenclature, they again assume Grinnell's (1912) subspecies name
sierrae (Wehausen et al. 2005). With that nomenclature change, the
California bighorn subspecies was terminated. Concurrent with the
proposed designation of critical habitat for Sierra Nevada bighorn, on
July 25, 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service formally proposed a
taxonomic revision to amend the final listing rule from DPS to
subspecies, Ovis canadensis sierrae.
The Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep is threatened primarily by mountain
lion predation, small population size, and the potential for disease
transmission due to contact with domestic sheep and goats. 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 sheep include:
(1) Protection, maintenance, and enhancement of bighorn sheep habitat;
(2) enhancing survivorship and reproductive output of bighorn sheep in
order to the increase population; (3) increasing the use of low-
elevation winter ranges; (4) increasing the numbers of herds, and
thereby the number of bighorn sheep; (5) developing and implementing a
genetic management plan to maintain genetic diversity; (6) developing
sources of translocation stock; (7) developing and implementing a
captive breeding program, if necessary; (8) monitoring status and
trends of bighorn sheep herds and their habitat; (9) research; and (10)
providing information to and working with the public.
Authority: The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: February 6, 2008.
Ken McDermond,
Acting Regional Director, Region 8, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E8-2627 Filed 2-12-08; 8:45 am]
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