[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 98 (Wednesday, May 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29200-29201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11730]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R4-ES-2014-N05; FXES111300400000C2-145-FF04E00000]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of
Availability of the Final Recovery Plan for Golden Sedge (Carex Lutea)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability
of the final recovery plan for golden sedge (Carex lutea), a species
endemic to the coastal plain in North Carolina. The final recovery plan
includes specific recovery objectives and criteria to be met in order
to downlist this species to threatened status or delist it under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act).
ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of the recovery plan by contacting
Dale Suiter at the Raleigh Field Office, by U.S. mail at U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Raleigh Field Office, 551-F Pylon Drive, Raleigh,
North Carolina 27606; or by telephone at (919) 856-4520, extension 18;
or by visiting our recovery plan Web site at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale Suiter, at the above address or
by telephone at (919) 856-4520, ext. 18.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Introduction
We listed golden sedge as an endangered species under the Act (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), on January 23, 2002 (67 FR 3120), and designated
critical habitat for the species on March 1, 2011 (76 FR 11086). This
species is a rare perennial member of the sedge family (Cyperaceae)
endemic to the coastal plain of North Carolina. It is currently known
from only 21 occurrences (specific locations or sites) located within a
16 by 5 mile area in Pender and Onslow Counties. All eight populations
of this plant occur in the Northeast Cape Fear River watershed in North
Carolina.
Factors contributing to its endangered status are an extremely
limited range and loss of habitat. The primary threat is the loss or
alteration of habitat, from fire suppression; residential, commercial,
or industrial development; mining; livestock grazing; and woody or
invasive species encroachment.
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 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 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.
Recovery Plan Specifics
The objective of this plan is to provide a framework for the
recovery of golden sedge so that protection under the Act is no longer
necessary. The draft of this recovery plan was available for public
comment from June 18, 2013, through August 19, 2013 (78 FR 36566). We
considered the information received via public comments as well as from
peer reviewers in our preparation and approval of this final recovery
plan. We also edited some sections of the draft recovery plan to
reflect these comments; however, no substantial changes were made to
the draft recovery plan.
Criteria for Reclassification From Endangered to Threatened
Golden sedge will be considered for reclassification from
endangered to threatened status when all of the following criteria are
met:
1. There are 10 protected Carex lutea sites in the wild that are
distributed across the range of the species. [Note: Recovery sites will
be considered permanently protected when they are placed under a
conservation easement or other binding land agreement and a management
agreement, and are ranked as an A or B population by the North Carolina
Natural Heritage Program (NCNHP).]
2. On each of the 10 Carex lutea sites, for at least 5 years, any
non-native plant species that have the potential to displace Carex
lutea are maintained at or below 10 percent of total number of species
and at or below 10 percent cover (volume).
3. All 10 Carex lutea sites demonstrate stable or increasing
population trends for 5 consecutive years.
4. Habitat management plans are actively being implemented for at
least seven of the protected sites.
5. A prescribed fire regime has been developed and is being
conducted at all sites to mimic historical frequency and timing (the
frequency will be determined through recovery actions in this plan).
We define ``protected'' to mean the site has been fee-simple
acquired and put into long-term conservation by a local or State
agency, or that a conservation easement or other binding land agreement
has been placed on the site by a landowner that shows a commitment to
its conservation in perpetuity and Carex lutea from the site is
represented in a Center for Plant Conservation (CPC)-approved seed
bank. In addition, each site should have a management agreement/plan
developed. Prescribed fire should be
[[Page 29201]]
part of the agreement/plan and implemented regularly. These plans
should include monitoring, according to protocols developed
collaboratively by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), North
Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDACS),
North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation (NCDPR), and The Nature
Conservancy (TNC) and other interested parties; the monitoring should
occur annually at each protected site. Each site should contain an A or
B ranked occurrence. For downlisting to be considered, we would like to
have at least 7 of the 10 protected sites to be A-ranked occurrences.
The remaining three sites can be either A or B ranked occurrences.
Criteria for Delisting
Carex lutea will be considered for removal from the List of
Endangered and Threatened Species (delisting) when all of the following
criteria are met:
1. There are 15 protected sites in the wild that are distributed
across the range of the species. [Note: Recovery sites will be
considered permanently protected when they are placed under a
conservation easement or other binding land agreement and a management
agreement, and are ranked as an A or B population by the NCNHP.]
2. On each of the 15 Carex lutea sites, for at least 5 years, any
non-native plant species that have the potential to displace Carex
lutea are maintained at or below 10 percent of total number of species
and at or below 10 percent cover (volume).
3. All 15 Carex lutea sites demonstrate stable or increasing
population trends for 10 consecutive years.
4. Habitat management plans are actively being implemented for all
protected sites and are showing evidence that actions are proving
effective for this plant.
5. A prescribed fire regime is being conducted at all sites to
mimic historical frequency and timing (which will be determined through
recovery actions in this plan). The definition of ``protected'' is the
same as in the criteria for downlisting. For delisting to be
considered, at least 10 of the 15 protected sites should be A ranked
occurrences. The remaining five sites can be either A or B ranked
occurrences.
Next Steps
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 Plants.
Authority
The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: April 23, 2014.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
Regional Director, Southeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-11730 Filed 5-20-14; 8:45 am]
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