57712 Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 186 / Monday, September 27, 2004 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Notice of Availability of a Technical 

Agency Draft Recovery Plan for the 

Endangered Catesbaea melanocarpa

for Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability 

and public comment period. 

SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife 

Service, announce the availability of the 

technical agency draft recovery plan for 

Catesbaea melanocarpa (no common 

name). Catesbaea melanocarpa is 

extremely rare and is known from 

Puerto Rico, St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin 

Islands (USVI), Barbuda, Antigua, and 

Guadeloupe. The technical agency draft 

recovery plan includes interim recovery 

objectives and criteria to be met in order 

to downlist Catesbaea melanocarpa to 

threatened under the Endangered 

Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). 

Given the limited information on the 

current number of individuals 

throughout the species range and the 

limited knowledge on biology, habitat 

requirements and genetic information, 

we recognize the need to generate 

scientific information to better address 

the threats and limiting factors to this 

species and to develop specific recovery 

criteria. Therefore, the interim goal of 

this recovery plan is to protect and 

enhance existing populations to the 

point that downlisting to threatened is 

warranted. We are soliciting review and 

comment on this technical agency draft 

recovery plan from local, State, 

Territorial, and Federal agencies, and 

the public.

DATES: In order to be considered, we 

must receive comments on the technical 

agency draft recovery plan on or before 

November 26, 2004.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to review this 

technical agency draft recovery plan, 

you may obtain a copy by contacting the 

Boquero ́n Field Office, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 491, 

Boquero ́n, Puerto Rico 00622 (telephone 

787–851–7297), or by visiting our 

recovery plan Web site at http://

endangered.fws.gov/recovery/

index.html#plans. If you wish to 

comment, you may submit your 

comments by one of the following 

methods: 

1. You may submit written comments 

and materials to the Field Supervisor, at 

the above address. 

2. You may hand-deliver written 

comments to our Boquero ́n Field Office, 

at the above address, or fax your 

comments to (787) 851–7440. 

Comments and materials received are 

available for public inspection on 

request, by appointment, during normal 

business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Marelisa Rivera at the above address 

(Telephone 787–851–7297, ext. 231).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

We listed Catesbaea melanocarpa as 

endangered on March 17, 1999, under 

the Act (64 FR 13116). Catesbaea 

melanocarpa is a small spiny shrub of 

the family Rubiacea. It belongs to a 

genus which consists of ten or more 

species of spiny shrubs. It is a branching 

shrub which may reach approximately 

9.8 feet (ft) (3.0 meters (m)) in height. 

Spines are borne at every internode 

(space between nodes) and are from 0.39 

to 0.78 inches (in) (1.00 to 2.00 

centimeters (cm)) long. Leaves are small, 

from 0.19 to 1.0 in (5.00 to 25.00 

millimeters (mm)) long, and 0.07 to 0.58 

in (2.00 to 15.00 mm) wide, often 

opposite. The flowers are white, solitary 

or paired, and almost lacking a stalk in 

the axils. The petals are united in the 

form of a funnel and measure from 0.31 

to 0.39 in (8.00 to 10.00 mm) long. The 

fruit is black, spherical, and 0.19 to 0.23 

in (5.00 to 6.00 mm) in diameter. The 

two-celled fruit contains five to seven 

seeds in each cell. 

Catesbaea melanocarpa is extremely 

rare. In the U.S. Caribbean, it is known 

from only one individual in Cabo Rojo, 

Puerto Rico and approximately 100 

individuals in one location in St. Croix, 

USVI. All known individuals in Puerto 

Rico and the USVI occur on privatelyowned lands. The species is also found 

on the islands of Barbuda, Antigua, and 

Guadeloupe; however, little is known of 

their status on these islands. 

Because so few individuals of 

Catesbaea melanocarpa are known to 

occur in limited areas, the risk of 

extinction is extremely high. Both 

known locations are privately-owned 

and subject to pressure for development. 

The location in Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, 

is currently proposed for a high density 

residential/tourist development. In St. 

Croix, the population is subject to 

impacts from intense grazing activities 

and the land is also subject to pressure 

for a golf course development. 

Catastrophic natural events, such as 

hurricanes, may dramatically affect 

forest species composition and 

structure, felling large trees and creating 

numerous canopy gaps. The population 

in St. Croix lost individuals following 

the passing of Hurricane Hugo in 1989. 

Deforestation for residential and tourist 

development may also pose imminent 

threats to the survival of the species. 

Fire may also be a threat to the known 

population on the island of St. Croix. 

Fire is not a natural component of 

subtropical dry forest in Puerto Rico and 

Virgin Islands. Species found in this 

type of forest are not fire adapted. 

Restoring an endangered or 

threatened animal or plant to the point 

where it is again a secure, selfsustaining member of its ecosystem is a 

primary goal of the endangered species 

program. To help guide this 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. We will consider all 

information presented during a public 

comment period prior to approval of 

each new or revised recovery plan. We 

and other Federal agencies will take 

these comments into account in the 

course of implementing approved 

recovery plans. 

Given the limited information on the 

current number of individuals 

throughout the species range and the 

limited knowledge on biology, habitat 

requirements and genetic information, 

we recognize the need to generate 

scientific information to better address 

the threats and limiting factors to this 

species and to develop specific recovery 

criteria. Therefore, the interim goal of 

this recovery plan is to protect and 

enhance existing populations to the 

point that downlisting to threatened is 

warranted. In order to achieve our 

interim recovery goal, we believe it will 

be necessary to protect and enhance 

habitat known to support existing 

populations through landowner 

conservation agreements or easements, 

enhance existing populations, establish 

new self-sustaining populations within 

known range of the species, and 

conduct research on key biological and 

genetic issues, including effective 

propagation techniques, necessary to 

define recovery criteria. As these 

interim recovery criteria are met, the 

status of the species will be reviewed 

and it will be considered for 

downlisting to threatened on the 

Federal List of Endangered and 

Federal Register / Vol. 69, No. 186 / Monday, September 27, 2004 / Notices 57713

Threatened Wildlife and Plants (50 CFR 

part 17). 

Public Comments Solicited 

We solicit written comments on the 

recovery plan described. We will 

consider all comments received by the 

date specified above prior to final 

approval of the draft recovery plan. 

Our practice is to make all comments, 

including names and home addresses of 

respondents, available for public review 

during regular business hours. 

Individual respondents may request that 

we withhold their home addresses from 

the record, which we will honor to the 

extent allowable by law. In some 

circumstances, we would withhold also 

from the rulemaking record a 

respondent’s identity, as allowable by 

law. If you wish for us to withhold your 

name and/or address, you must state 

this prominently at the beginning of 

your comments. However, we will not 

consider anonymous comments. We 

will make all submissions from 

organizations or businesses, and from 

individuals identifying themselves as 

representatives or officials of 

organizations or businesses, available 

for public inspection in their entirety.

Authority: The authority for this action is 

section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act of 

1973, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).

Dated: August 2, 2004. 

Sam D. Hamilton, 

Regional Director, Southeast Region.

[FR Doc. 04–21565 Filed 9–24–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management 

[CO–200–0777–XZ–241A] 

Notice of Meeting, Front Range 

Resource Advisory Council (Colorado)

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Public Meeting.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act (FLPMA) and the Federal Advisory 

Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S. 

Department of the Interior, Bureau of 

Land Management (BLM), Front Range 

Resource Advisory Council (RAC), will 

meet as indicated below.

DATES: The meeting will be held 

November 3, 2004, from 9:15 a.m. to 4 

p.m.

ADDRESSES: Holy Cross Abbey 

Community Center, 2951 E. Highway 

50, Canon City, Colorado 81212.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ken 

Smith, (719) 269–8500.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 15 

member Council advises the Secretary 

of the Interior, through the Bureau of 

Land Management, on a variety of 

planning and management issues 

associated with public land 

management in the Royal Gorge Field 

Office and San Luis Valley, Colorado. 

Planned agenda topics include: Manager 

updates on current land management 

issues; San Luis Valley and Arkansas 

River Travel Management Plan updates/

discussion and a discussion on the 

Simpson and McIntire Property. All 

meetings are open to the public. The 

public is encouraged to make oral 

comments to the Council at 9:15 a.m. or 

written statements may be submitted for 

the Councils consideration. Depending 

on the number of persons wishing to 

comment and time available, the time 

for individual oral comments may be 

limited. Summary minutes for the 

Council Meeting will be maintained in 

the Royal Gorge Field Office and will be 

available for public inspection and 

reproduction during regular business 

hours within thirty (30) days following 

the meeting. Meeting Minutes are also 

available at: http://www.blm.gov/rac/co/

frrac/co_fr.htm.

Dated: September 17, 2004. 

Linda McGlothlen, 

Acting Royal Gorge Field Manager.

[FR Doc. 04–21563 Filed 9–24–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–JB–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management 

[CA–310–0777–XG] 

Notice of Public Meeting: Northwest 

California Resource Advisory Council

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Public Meeting.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act of 1976 (FLPMA), and the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act of 1972 

(FACA), the U.S. Department of the 

Interior, Bureau of Land Management 

(BLM) Northwest California Resource 

Advisory Council will meet as indicated 

below.

DATES: The meeting will be held 

Thursday and Friday, Nov. 4 and 5, 

2004, at the Bureau of Land 

Management Ukiah Field Office, 2550 

North State St., Ukiah, Calif. On 

Thursday, the council will convene at 

10 a.m. and depart immediately for a 

field tour to the Hopland Experimental 

Station in Hopland, Calif. On Friday, 

the meeting begins at 8 a.m. in the 

Conference Room of the BLM Ukiah 

Field Office. Time for public comment 

has been set aside for 1 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rich 

Burns, Manager, BLM Ukiah Field 

Office, (707) 468–4000; or BLM Public 

Affairs Officer Joseph J. Fontana, (530) 

252–5332.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 12-

member council advises the Secretary of 

the Interior, through the BLM, on a 

variety of planning and management 

issues associated with public land 

management in Northwest California. At 

this meeting, agenda topics will include 

discussion of a new Resource 

Management Plan for the Ukiah Field 

Office, comments on the draft 

management plan/environmental 

impact statement for the California 

Coastal National Monument, discussion 

of the BLM recreation program in 

California, and an overview of T–21 

legislation. The RAC members will also 

hear status reports from the Arcata, 

Redding and Ukiah field office 

managers. All meetings are open to the 

public. Members of the public may 

present written comments to the 

council. Each formal council meeting 

will have time allocated for public 

comments. Depending on the number of 

persons wishing to speak, and the time 

available, the time for individual 

comments may be limited. Members of 

the public are welcome on field tours, 

but they must provide their own 

transportation and lunch. Individuals 

who plan to attend and need special 

assistance, such as sign language 

interpretation and other reasonable 

accommodations, should contact the 

BLM as provided above.

Dated: September 20, 2004. 

Joseph J. Fontana, 

Public Affairs Officer.

[FR Doc. 04–21607 Filed 9–24–04; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–40–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Minerals Management Service 

Notice and Agenda for Meeting of the 

Royalty Policy Committee

AGENCY: Minerals Management Service 

(MMS), Interior.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: At the first meeting of the 

newly chartered Royalty Policy 

Committee (RPC), a chairperson, vicechairperson, and parliamentarian will 

be elected and bylaws for meeting