[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 122 (Wednesday, June 25, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36087-36089]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-14812]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R2-ES-2013-N278; FXES11130200000C2-112-FF02ENEH00]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Texas Ayenia Draft
Recovery Plan
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of our draft recovery plan for the Texas ayenia (also
referred to as the Tamaulipan kidneypetal), which is listed as
endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act).
This plant species is currently found in southern Texas and in northern
Mexico. The draft recovery plan includes specific recovery objectives
and criteria to be met in order to enable us to remove this species
from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants. We
request review and comment on this plan from local, State, and Federal
agencies; Tribes; and the public. We will also accept any new
[[Page 36088]]
information on the status of the Texas ayenia throughout its range to
assist in finalizing the recovery plan.
DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive written comments on or
before August 25, 2014. However, we will accept information about any
species at any time.
ADDRESSES: If you wish to review the draft recovery plan, you may
obtain a copy by any one of the following methods:
Internet: Go to http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/ElectronicLibrary_ListDocs.cfm and download the following file: Texas Ayenia--Draft--
Recovery--Plan --Dec--2013.pdf;
U.S. mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 6300 Ocean Drive, USFWS
Unit 5837, Corpus Christi, TX 78412-5837; or
Telephone: (361) 994-9005.
If you wish to comment on the draft recovery plan, you may submit your
comments in writing by any one of the following methods:
U.S. mail: Field Supervisor, at the above address;
Hand-delivery: Texas Coastal Ecological Services Office,
at the above address;
Fax: (361) 994-8262; or
Email: chris_best@fws.gov.
For additional information about submitting comments, see the
``Request for Public Comments'' section below.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Best, State Botanist, at the
above address and phone number, or by email at chris_best@fws.gov.
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 and the
Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Recovery means improvement of the status
of listed species to the point at which listing is no longer
appropriate under the criteria set out in section 4(a)(1) of the Act.
The Act requires the development of recovery plans for listed species,
unless such a plan would not promote the conservation of a particular
species.
Species History
Texas ayenia (Ayenia limitaris), found in semi-arid, subtropical
Tamaulipan shrublands of south Texas and northeast Mexico, was
federally listed as endangered on August 24, 1994 (effective date
September 23, 1994). The plant was listed throughout its range,
including southern Texas and northeastern Mexico. However, Texas ayenia
is not listed under Mexican protected species regulations by the
Secretar[iacute]a de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT; the
Mexican government equivalent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).
The United States Federal listing established a Recovery Priority
Number (RPN) of 5, and did not designate critical habitat. The USFWS's
2010 5-year review for this plant revised the RPN to 8C and recommended
adopting ``Tamaulipan kidneypetal'' as a more appropriate common name.
Texas ayenia is a spineless sub-shrub that ranges from 0.3 meters
(1 foot) to 2 meters (6.6 feet) tall. Flowers are cream-colored with 5
petals; alternate leaves are soft and heart-shaped, with minute hairs
and toothed margins; and older, woody stems are reddish-brown, up to 2
centimeters (0.8 inches) thick, and dotted with small, cream-colored
bumps, or lenticels. Flowering follows a bimodal pattern (spring to
early summer and fall), which coincides with regional rainfall
patterns. Although the reproduction biology is unknown, Texas ayenia
probably requires outcrossing through insect pollination. The species
responds well to propagation, and a few pilot reintroductions have
become successfully established. Propagated plants that are isolated
from natural populations reproduce successfully, indicating that
pollination vectors are present.
Occupied habitats are isolated fragments of woodlands and
shrublands in the watersheds and deltas of rivers draining into the
Gulf of Mexico. Wild populations of Texas ayenia have been documented
in a wide range of alluvial soil types, from fine sandy loam to heavy
clay. The species grows under varying amounts of shade, in association
with other shrub species, but are most vigorous and reproduce more
successfully in sites that receive at least several hours of direct
sunlight daily. The species' range appears to be restricted by
increasing aridity further inland and by the prevalence of freezing
weather further north and at higher elevations in the mountain ranges
of northeast Mexico. However, the vegetation of the Tamaulipan region
in Texas and northeast Mexico has been altered by poor rangeland
management since the onset of European colonization in 1750. The
distribution and abundance of Texas ayenia may have been impacted by
increased woody plant cover and lack of wildfire, and its extant relict
habitats might not be optimal. Introduced invasive grasses,
particularly guineagrass, are abundant and highly competitive in the
remaining occupied habitats.
Within the United States, Texas ayenia has been documented only
within the three southernmost counties of Texas: Cameron, Hidalgo, and
Willacy. Between 1888 and 1963, Texas ayenia was observed at seven
sites in Cameron and Hidalgo Counties, Texas; however, the species has
not been observed in these locations for more than 40 years and is
presumed extirpated from these sites. Between 1992 and 2001, five
extant populations were discovered in Cameron, Hidalgo, and Willacy
Counties, Texas, and have been monitored periodically. Two of these
sites are located on well-managed private land, one site is on a
National Wildlife Refuge, one site is in a city park, and one site is
on a State Park managed by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Four of
these populations range from 100 to 200 individuals each, and the fifth
site has at least 1,000 individuals.
In 2005, 9 extant populations, totaling at least 4,000 individuals,
were documented and mapped in the municipio (similar to a county) of
Soto la Marina, Tamaulipas, Mexico. An additional unconfirmed
population of unknown size has been reported from the municipio of
Gonz[aacute]lez, Tamaulipas. One population reported from Coahuila,
Mexico, has apparently been extirpated. The species was also reported
from Topia, Durango, in 1985, but it has not been observed there since
then; its status is unknown, and it is also possible that the
identification or site location may be in error. Given that about 99
percent of the potential range of Texas ayenia occurs in Mexico, with
many of the known populations occurring on privately owned lands and
ejido (community-owned) lands, successful recovery of the species will
depend on significant voluntary involvement and collaboration of
private landowners and ejidos in Mexico.
The single greatest threat to Texas ayenia is the loss of habitat
to agricultural and urban development. In the Rio Grande delta of Texas
and Tamaulipas, as little as 1 percent of the original habitat remains
intact (USFWS 2010; Jarsdoerfer and Leslie, Jr. 1988). Fragmentation
and isolation of remaining suitable areas may prevent gene flow among
populations and lead to a depletion of genetic diversity. Introduced
invasive grasses, particularly guineagrass, compete directly with Texas
ayenia, severely limiting its growth and reproduction, and may
contribute to the extirpation of populations. Oil and gas exploration
[[Page 36089]]
and extraction continues at a rapid pace throughout much of south Texas
and northeast Mexico, and an ever-increasing proportion of the land has
or will be cleared for drilling platforms, pipelines, access roads, and
related infrastructure. In addition to the direct loss of populations
and habitat through land clearing, these operations will increase the
fragmentation of habitat and will create new colonization pathways for
invasive grasses. Texas ayenia populations on private lands are
particularly vulnerable, since the Act does not protect endangered
plants on private lands unless there is another form of prevailing
Federal nexus, such as a federally funded program or regulated action.
Texas ayenia is restricted to warm regions of higher rainfall within
its range along the Gulf of Mexico, indicating that it is susceptible
to sub-zero temperatures and drought. At this time, we do not know how
past climate changes have affected Texas ayenia populations and
distribution, nor can we predict how future climate changes, forecast
by a range of models, will affect the ecology of the species and its
habitat. For example, a reduced amount or frequency of rainfall could
reduce the species' range, while a decreased incidence of freezing
could expand its range. However, it is possible that threats induced by
climate changes may arise in the future.
The strategy for recovery of Texas ayenia consists of: Protection,
conservation, monitoring, and improved management of extant populations
in the United States and Mexico; coordination and collaboration with
government agencies, academic institutions, and nongovernmental
conservation organizations in both the United States and Mexico;
outreach, collaboration, and support for conservation-minded private
landowners and ejidos in the United States and in Mexico; and habitat
restoration and population augmentation and reintroduction to attain
the number and size of populations necessary to assure the continued
survival of the species, and to establish ecological corridors
necessary for gene flow between and among populations.
Recovery Plan Goals
The objective of an agency recovery plan is to provide a framework
for the recovery of a species so that protection under the Act is no
longer necessary. A recovery plan includes scientific information about
the species and provides criteria and actions necessary for us to be
able to reclassify the species to threatened status or remove it from
the List. Recovery plans help guide our recovery efforts by describing
actions we consider necessary for the species' conservation, and by
estimating time and costs for implementing needed recovery measures. To
achieve its goals, this draft recovery plan identifies the following
objectives:
Mitigate habitat loss and degradation, invasive species
competition, poor rangeland management, and other threats to the
continued survival of Texas ayenia, based on partnerships, outreach,
and application of scientific investigations and adaptive management.
Conserve, restore, and manage appropriately the quantity
and quality of habitat needed for the continued survival of Texas
ayenia, including native vegetation restoration and creation of
functioning ecological corridors.
Conserve, protect, and restore populations of Texas ayenia
needed for its continued survival. Monitored populations must be self-
sustaining, of sufficient size to endure climatic variation and
stochastic events, and of sufficient number to endure catastrophic
losses, and must represent the full range of the species' geographic
and genetic variability.
The draft recovery plan contains recovery criteria based on
maintaining and increasing population numbers and habitat quality and
quantity and mitigating significant threats to the species. The draft
recovery plan focuses on protecting populations, managing threats,
maintaining habitat, monitoring progress, and building partnerships to
facilitate recovery. When the recovery of Texas ayenia approaches these
criteria, we will review the species' status and consider downlisting,
and, ultimately, removal from the list of federally threatened and
endangered species.
Request for Public Comments
Section 4(f) of the Act requires us to provide public notice and an
opportunity for public review and comment during recovery plan
development. It is also our policy to request peer review of recovery
plans (July 1, 1994; 59 FR 34270). In an appendix to the approved
recovery plan, we will summarize and respond to the issues raised by
the public and peer reviewers. Substantive comments may or may not
result in changes to the recovery plan; comments regarding recovery
plan implementation will be forwarded as appropriate to Federal or
other entities so that they can be taken into account during the course
of implementing recovery actions. Responses to individual commenters
will not be provided, but we will provide a summary of how we addressed
substantive comments in an appendix to the approved recovery plan.
We invite written comments on the draft recovery plan. In
particular, we are interested in additional information regarding the
current threats to the species and the costs associated with
implementing the recommended recovery actions.
Before we approve our final recovery plan, we will consider all
comments we receive by the date specified in DATES above. Methods of
submitting comments are in the ADDRESSES section above.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your 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.
Comments and materials we receive will be available, by
appointment, for public inspection during normal business hours at our
office (see ADDRESSES).
References Cited
A complete list of all references cited herein is available upon
request from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Branch of Recovery
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section).
Authority
We developed our draft recovery plan under the authority of section
4(f) of the Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f). We publish this notice under
section 4(f) Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531
et seq.).
Dated: June 13, 2014.
Joy E. Nicholopoulos,
Acting Regional Director, Southwest Region, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-14812 Filed 6-24-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P