[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 27 (Monday, February 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7693-7694]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-02779]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R6-ES-2013-N137; FXES11130600000-145-FF06E00000]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Revised
Recovery Plan for Wyoming Toad
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability for review and comment.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the
availability of a draft revised recovery plan for the Wyoming toad
(Bufo hemiophrys baxteri now known as Anaxyrus baxteri). This species
is federally listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (Act). The Service solicits review and comment from
the public on this draft revised plan.
DATES: Comments on the draft revised recovery plan must be received on
or before April 11, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft revised recovery plan are available by
request from the Wyoming Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
5353 Yellowstone Road, Suite 308A, Cheyenne, WY 82009; telephone 307-
772-2374. Submit comments on the draft recovery plan to the Project
Leader at this same address. An electronic copy of the draft recovery
plan is available at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Project Leader, at the above address,
or telephone 307-772-2374 x231.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
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 prepares recovery plans for the
federally listed species native to the United States where a plan will
promote the conservation of the species. Recovery plans describe site-
specific actions necessary for the conservation of the species,
establish objective, measurable criteria which, when met, would result
in a determination that the species no longer needs the protection of
the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and provide estimates of the time and
cost for implementing the needed recovery measures.
The Act requires recovery plans for listed species unless such a
plan would not promote the conservation of a particular species. The
original plan for the species was approved in 1993. Section 4(f) of the
Act, as amended in 1988, requires that public notice and opportunity
for public review and comment be provided during recovery plan
development. The Service will consider all information received during
a public comment period when preparing each new or revised recovery
plan for approval. The Service and other Federal agencies also will
take these comments into consideration in the course of implementing
approved recovery plans. It is our policy to request peer review of
recovery plans. We will summarize and respond to the issues raised by
the public and peer reviewers in an appendix to the approved recovery
plan.
The Wyoming toad (Bufo hemiophrys baxteri now known as Anaxyrus
baxteri), a glacial relict species found only in Albany County,
Wyoming, was listed as an endangered species on January 17, 1984 (49 FR
1992). The Wyoming toad is considered one of the four most endangered
amphibian species in North America and is classified as ``extinct in
the wild'' (IUCN 2013). Approximately 500 individuals are in captivity.
Recovery of this species will require both sustained, long-term
conservation actions and repeated experimentation to determine the
optimal means to reestablish wild populations. The known historic
distribution of the Wyoming toad was restricted to approximately 5,000
hectares (50 sq. km) of habitat, consisting of flood plains, ponds, and
small seepage lakes in the short-grass communities of the Laramie Basin
in Albany County, Wyoming. Limiting factors include: (1) Land-use
alterations that affect connectivity and the natural form, function,
and hydrologic processes of the Laramie River; (2) limited
distribution; (3) habitat manipulation; (4) disease; and (5) small
population size. The recovery strategy for the Wyoming toad focuses on
acquisition of suitable habitat within or nearby the toad's historic
range to allow reintroduction into appropriate habitats. Recovery
actions are designed to protect the species' habitat and increase the
knowledge of the species' genetics, life history, and population
dynamics; the relationship of the Wyoming toad to its environment; and
its responses to identified threats.
[[Page 7694]]
Request for Public Comments
The Service solicits public comments on the draft revised recovery
plan. All comments received by the date specified in DATES will be
considered prior to approval of the plan. Written comments and
materials regarding the plan should be addressed to the Field
Supervisor (see ADDRESSES section). Comments and materials received
will be available, by appointment, for public inspection during normal
business hours at the above address. All public comment information
provided voluntarily by mail or by phone becomes part of the official
public record. If requested under the Freedom of Information Act by a
private citizen or organization, the Service may provide copies of such
information.
Authority
The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: January 16, 2014.
Matt Hogan,
Deputy Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.
[FR Doc. 2014-02779 Filed 2-7-14; 8:45 am]
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