[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 50 (Wednesday, March 14, 2018)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 11162-11164]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-05146]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
[Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2016-0110; FXES11130900000 178 FF09E42000]
RIN 1018-BB79
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the
Black-Capped Vireo From the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife; Availability of Post-Delisting Monitoring Plan
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Proposed rule; availability of supplemental information.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
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availability of our draft post-delisting monitoring (PDM) plan for the
black-capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla). The draft PDM plan describes
the methods we propose to monitor the status of the vireo and its
habitat, in cooperation with the States of Texas and Oklahoma and other
conservation partners, for a 12-year period if we remove this species
from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. The draft
PDM plan also provides a strategy for identifying and responding to any
future population declines or habitat loss. We are accepting comments
on the draft PDM plan.
DATES: We will accept comments on the draft PDM plan for black-capped
vireo until April 13, 2018.
ADDRESSES: Document availability: The draft PDM plan is available for
review on the internet at www.regulations.gov in Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-
2016-0110 and at http://endangered.fws.gov and https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/ArlingtonTexas/. To request a copy of the draft PDM plan,
contact us at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arlington Ecological
Services Field Office, 2005 NE Green Oaks Blvd., Suite 140, Arlington,
TX 76006; telephone 817-277-1100; facsimile 817-277-1129;
ARLES@fws.gov. Supporting documentation we used in preparing the draft
PDM plan is available for public inspection, by appointment, during
normal business hours, at the above office.
Comment submission: You may submit comments on the draft PDM plan
by one of the following methods:
(1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS-R2-ES-2016-0110,
which is the docket number for this rulemaking. Then, click on the
Search button. You may submit a comment by clicking on ``Comment Now!''
(2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R2-ES-2016-0110, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, MS: BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
We request that you send comments only by the methods described
above. We will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. This
generally means that we will post any personal information you provide
us (see Request for Public Comments, below, for more information).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Debra Bills, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Arlington Ecological Services Field Office (see ADDRESSES). If
you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), call the
Federal Relay Service at 800/877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The black-capped vireo is an insectivorous songbird that breeds in
Oklahoma, Texas, and northern Mexico, and winters along the western
coastal states of Mexico. The vireo was listed as endangered under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.), in 1987, due primarily to nest parasitism by brown-headed
cowbirds (Molothrus ater) and loss of habitat from urbanization,
grazing, removal of vegetation for range improvement, and succession
(52 FR 37420, October 6, 1987).
On December 15, 2016, we published a proposed rule to remove the
black-capped vireo from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife (List) (81 FR 90762). Our proposed rule was based largely on
the Species Status Assessment (SSA) Report, which characterized the
overall species' viability in the future. In the SSA Report, the impact
of brown-headed cowbird parasitism on certain locations was expressed
in terms of sustainability and expansion of populations. Additionally,
the black-capped vireo was identified as ``conservation-reliant'' due
to successful recovery actions being implemented, largely cowbird
management. In this document, we provide clarification to the
information regarding cowbird management.
The Service believes cowbird management was a major factor leading
to the recovery of the species, and the importance of cowbird
management was discussed in the SSA Report. Particularly, the black-
capped vireo population in Oklahoma and localities in the eastern
portion of the Texas range may be reliant on cowbird management
periodically, or perpetually, to ensure minimal losses of current
population numbers. In this regard, we assume the species may be
``conservation reliant,'' due to efforts necessary to retain healthy
shrublands and reduce brown-headed cowbird parasitism under certain
conditions in portions of the range. Based on the comprehensive
information collected for the SSA Report, there is inherent uncertainty
in forecasting future threats and population status scenarios over a
50-year timeframe. To address this uncertainty and ensure that the
black-capped vireo continues to prosper, the SSA Report noted the
importance of continued management of known populations of the species.
To further this recommendation, the Service has obtained mutual
commitments with many of our partners in the form of cooperative
management agreements or other strategies to continue to manage known
populations of the black-capped vireo and implement the PDM plan. These
cooperative management agreements are included in the PDM plan, and
provide assurances that PDM will detect trends in the black-capped
vireo status and threats and the species' biological status will
continue to improve.
In addition, we have corrected errors in Table 14 of the SSA Report
(page 105). This table presented the results of forecast scenarios
under short- and long-term managed and unmanaged conditions from Table
13, which is correct. Among the corrections to Table 14 was the
shifting of one ``likely resilient locality'' in the short-term worst-
case scenario between recovery units, and identifying one less
``manageable locality'' in the long-term worst-case scenario. These
corrections do not change the results of the SSA analysis. The SSA with
the corrected table is included in the docket (FWS-R2-ES-2016-0110) for
the proposed rule on www.regulations.gov and can also be accessed at
https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/ArlingtonTexas/.
For more background information on the black-capped vireo, refer to
our Black-capped Vireo Species Status Assessment (SSA) Report available
in the docket (FWS-R2-ES-2016-0110) for the proposed rule on
www.regulations.gov and also at https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/ArlingtonTexas/.
The Act, section 4(g)(1), requires us to implement a system, in
cooperation with the States, to effectively monitor the status of each
species we remove from the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife and Plants due to recovery. The monitoring must occur for at
least 5 years. The PDM's purpose is to verify that a species we delist
due to recovery remains secure from risk of extinction after we remove
the Act's protections.
To fulfill the PDM requirement, we drafted a black-capped vireo
monitoring plan in cooperation with the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department, Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Fort Hood and
Fort Sill Military Installations, and The Nature Conservancy of Texas.
Over a 12-year period, we propose to monitor abundance trends at
managed localities with known populations of greater than 30 adult male
vireos, estimate population trends at 4 major localities, and monitor
the residual threats of brown-headed cowbird parasitism, land
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use changes, and densities of livestock and deer.
Abundance monitoring would focus on known black-capped vireo
localities under some form of management and for which the SSA Report
forecasted future persistence. Through monitoring these localities, we
can track abundance trends and compare those to the SSA Report
forecasts. Additionally, four major localities with several years of
population trend data will continue to be monitored to detect changes
in trends over the 12-year period. In conjunction with abundance
monitoring, a subset of vireo nests will be monitored to determine
brown-headed cowbird parasitism rates at these localities. The PDM plan
defines monitoring thresholds which, if reached, may result in
additional actions. The monitoring thresholds are based on maintaining
resiliency, redundancy, and representation, as described in the black-
capped vireo SSA Report. Land use trends, livestock, and deer within
the vireo's range will also be monitored to ensure we detect changes
that may affect the species.
The draft PDM plan includes both interim and final reporting
requirements. If PDM results in a concern regarding the vireo's status
or increasing threats, possible responses may include an extended or
intensified monitoring effort, additional research, or an increased
effort to improve habitat and reduce the threat. If future information
collected from the PDM, or any other reliable source, indicates an
increased likelihood that the species may become in danger of
extinction, we will initiate a black-capped vireo status review and
determine if re-listing the species is warranted.
In addition to public review of the draft PDM plan, we are
requesting independent expert peer review from knowledgeable
individuals with scientific expertise that includes knowledge of song
bird ecology and conservation biology principles. Draft PDM plan peer
review is in accordance with our policy ``Notice of Interagency
Cooperative Policy for Peer Review in Endangered Species Act
Activities,'' published on July 1, 1994 (59 FR 34270).
Viewing Documents
Comments and materials we receive from the public and peer
reviewers, as well as supporting documentation we used in preparing the
draft PDM plan, will be available for public inspection by appointment,
during normal business hours at the Arlington Ecological Services Field
Office (see ADDRESSES) and on the internet at www.regulations.gov in
Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2016-0110. Once approved, the final black-capped
vireo PDM plan and any future PDM plan revisions will be available at
www.regulations.gov and on our web page (http://endangered.fws.gov) and
the Arlington Ecological Services Field Office web page (https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/ArlingtonTexas/).
Request for Public Comments
We intend for our final PDM plan to be as accurate and as effective
as possible. Therefore, we request comments or suggestions on this
black-capped vireo draft PDM plan from the public, concerned
governmental agencies, the scientific community, industry, or any other
interested party. We will take into consideration substantive comments
we receive by the comment due date (see DATES). These comments, and any
additional information we receive, may lead us to develop a final PDM
plan that differs from this draft PDM plan. If you have already
submitted a comment in response to the proposed rule, the comment has
been incorporated into the record for the rulemaking, is being
considered, and does not need to be submitted again.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire document--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you may
request at the top of your document that we withhold this information
from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Authors
The primary authors of this document are staff at the Arlington
Ecological Services Field Office (see ADDRESSES).
Authority
The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 1973
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: February 7, 2018.
James W. Kurth.
Deputy Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Exercising the
Authority of the Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2018-05146 Filed 3-13-18; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P