[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 248 (Tuesday, December 28, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77770-77771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-28380]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Recovery Plan for Deinandra conjugens (Otay tarplant)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (we) announces the 
availability of the Recovery Plan for Deinandra [= Hemizonia] conjugens 
(Otay tarplant). This plant species is found in southwestern San Diego 
County, California, and northwestern Baja California, Mexico.

ADDRESSES: Printed copies of this recovery plan are available by 
request from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Carlsbad Fish and 
Wildlife Office, 6010 Hidden Valley Road, Carlsbad, California 92009 
(telephone: 760-431-9440). An electronic copy of the recovery plan is 
available on the World Wide Web at: http://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/index.html#plans.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Field Supervisor, at the above 
Carlsbad address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Recovery of endangered or threatened animals and plants is a 
primary goal of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.) and our endangered species program. Recovery means improvement of 
the status of listed species to the point at which listing is no longer 
required under the criteria set out in section 4(a)(1) of the Act. 
Recovery plans describe actions considered necessary for the 
conservation of the species, establish criteria for downlisting or 
delisting listed species, and estimate time and cost for implementing 
the measures needed for recovery.
    The ESA requires the development of a recovery plan for endangered 
or threatened species unless such a plan would not promote the 
conservation of the species. Section 4(f) of the ESA requires that 
public notice, and an opportunity for public review and comment, be 
provided during recovery plan development. The Draft Recovery Plan for 
Deinandra conjugens was available for public comment from December 18, 
2003, to March 2, 2004 (68 FR 70526). Information presented during the 
public comment period has been considered in the preparation of this 
final recovery plan.
    We listed Deinandra conjugens as a federally threatened species on 
October 13, 1998 (63 FR 54938); we designated critical habitat on 
December 10, 2002 (67 FR 76030). Deinandra conjugens is annual plant 
typically found on clay soils in grasslands, open coastal sage scrub, 
and maritime succulent scrub. It is restricted to southwestern San 
Diego County, California, and northwestern Baja California, Mexico; its 
status in Mexico is unclear.
    Urban development and agricultural activities, invasion of 
nonnative species, and habitat fragmentation and degradation have 
resulted in the loss of suitable habitat across the Deinandra 
conjugens' range. The species annual habit and self-incompatible 
breeding system potentially create additional threats from population 
fluctuations, reduced populations of pollinators, and a decline in 
genetic variation. Maintenance of the genetic variability within the 
species, through cross-pollination, may be critical to long-term 
survival. The extensive fragmentation of remaining populations may 
exacerbate these threats by reducing connectivity between populations 
and potentially limiting suitable pollinators, and hence gene flow 
between populations. Deinandra conjugens is a species that receives 
benefit from multi-species preservation and management under the 
Multiple Species Conservation Program, a regional habitat conservation 
program in southwestern San Diego County, California.
    The objective of this plan is to provide a framework for the 
recovery of Deinandra conjugens so that protection by the ESA is no 
longer necessary. Actions necessary to accomplish this objective 
include: (1) Stabilize and protect habitat supporting known 
populations; (2) assess the status of all known populations; (3) 
conduct surveys to search for new populations and implement actions to 
protect populations outside of established reserves when necessary; (4) 
adaptively manage and monitor conserved areas; (5) identify research 
needs and conduct studies on the biology and ecology of Deinandra 
conjugens; and (6) develop and implement a community outreach program.

Authority

    The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered 
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).


[[Page 77771]]


    Dated: December 3, 2004.
Steve Thompson,
Manager, California/Nevada Operations Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
[FR Doc. 04-28380 Filed 12-27-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P