81216 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 241 / Tuesday, December 15, 2020 / Notices 

the survival and recovery of the species 

in the wild. 

No Action Alternative 

We have considered one alternative to 

the proposed action as part of this 

process: No Action. Under a No Action 

alternative, the Service would not issue 

the requested amended ITP, and 

applicant either would not continue 

with the construction, operation, and 

maintenance of Concordia University or 

would conduct those activities in a 

manner that avoids incidental take. 

Therefore, the applicant would not 

implement the conservation measures 

described in the HCP. 

Next Steps 

We will evaluate the EA, HCP, and 

comments we receive, to determine 

whether the ITP application meets the 

requirements of section 10(a) of the ESA 

(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). We will also 

evaluate whether issuance of an ESA 

section 10(a)(1)(B) permit would comply 

with section 7 of the ESA by conducting 

an intra-Service section 7 consultation. 

We will use the results of this 

consultation, in combination with the 

above findings, in our final analysis to 

determine whether to issue an ITP. If all 

necessary requirements are met, we will 

issue the ITP to the applicant. 

Public Availability of Comments 

Written comments we receive become 

part of the public record associated with 

this action. 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 request in your comment that 

we withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. All submissions from 

organizations or businesses, and from 

individuals identifying themselves as 

representatives or officials of 

organizations or businesses, will be 

made available for public disclosure in 

their entirety. 

Authority 

We provide this notice under section 

10(c) of the ESA and its implementing 

regulations (50 CFR 17.22 and 17.32) 

and the National Environmental Policy 

Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and its 

implementing regulations (40 CFR 

1506.6). 

Amy L. Lueders, 

Regional Director, Southwest Region, 

Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

[FR Doc. 2020–27582 Filed 12–14–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R2–ES–2020–N079; 

FXES11130200000–201–FF02ENEH00] 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

and Plants; Draft Recovery Plan for 

Texas Hornshell 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comment. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, announce the 

availability of our draft recovery plan 

for Texas hornshell, a medium sized 

freshwater mussel that is listed as 

endangered under the Endangered 

Species Act. This species is native to the 

Rio Grande drainage in Texas, New 

Mexico, and Mexico. We provide this 

notice to seek comments from the public 

and Federal, Tribal, State, and local 

governments. 

DATES: To ensure consideration, we 

must receive written comments on or 

before February 16, 2021. However, we 

will accept information about any 

species at any time. 

ADDRESSES: 

Reviewing document: You may obtain 

a copy of the draft recovery plan, the 

recovery implementation strategy, and 

the species status assessment by any one 

of the following methods: 

• Internet: Download a copy at 

https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/ 

speciesProfile?sId=919 or https://

www.fws.gov/southwest/es/ 

TexasCoastal/. 

• U.S. mail: Send a request to U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, Texas Coastal 

Ecological Services Field Office, 17629 

El Camino Real, #211, Houston, TX 

77058. 

• Telephone: 281–286–8282. 

Submitting comments: Submit your 

comments on the draft recovery plan in 

writing by any one of the following 

methods: 

• U.S. mail: Project Leader, at the 

above U.S. mail address; 

• Email: houstonesfo@fws.gov. 

For additional information about 

submitting comments, see Request for 

Public Comments and Public 

Availability of Comments under 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Chuck Ardizzone, Field Supervisor, at 

the above address and phone number, or 

by email at houstonesfo@fws.gov. 

Individuals who are hearing or speech 

impaired may call the Federal Relay 

Service at 1–800–877–8339 for TTY 

assistance. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

announce the availability of our draft 

recovery plan for Texas hornshell 

(Popenaias popeii), a freshwater mussel 

species listed as endangered under the 

Endangered Species Act, as amended 

(ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). We 

request review and comment on this 

plan from local, State, and Federal 

agencies; Tribes; and the public. We 

will also accept any new information on 

the status of Texas hornshell throughout 

the species’ range to assist in finalizing 

the recovery plan. 

Texas hornshell is a medium-sized 

freshwater mussel species native to the 

Rio Grande drainage in Texas, New 

Mexico, and Mexico. Currently, five 

known populations of Texas hornshell 

remain in the United States: Black River 

(Eddy County, New Mexico), Pecos 

River (Val Verde County, Texas), Devils 

River (Val Verde County, Texas), Lower 

Canyons of the Rio Grande (Brewster 

and Terrell Counties, Texas), and Lower 

Rio Grande near Laredo (Webb County, 

Texas). After the species was listed, a 

small population was discovered in the 

confluence of Rio San Diego in Mexico. 

The draft recovery plan includes 

specific recovery objectives and criteria 

that, when achieved, will enable us to 

consider removing the Texas hornshell 

from the Federal List of Endangered and 

Threatened Wildlife (List). 

Background 

Recovery of endangered or threatened 

animals and plants to the point at which 

they are again secure, self-sustaining 

members of their ecosystems is a 

primary goal of the ESA and our 

endangered species program. 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 ESA. The ESA requires the 

development of recovery plans for listed 

species, unless such a plan would not 

promote the conservation of a particular 

species. 

We used a streamlined approach to 

recovery planning and implementation 

by first conducting a species status 

assessment (SSA) of Texas hornshell 

(Service 2018). An SSA is a 

Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 241 / Tuesday, December 15, 2020 / Notices 81217 

comprehensive analysis of the species’ 

needs, current condition, threats, and 

future viability. The information in the 

SSA provides the biological 

background, a threats assessment, and a 

basis for a strategy for recovery of Texas 

hornshell. We then used this 

information to prepare an abbreviated 

draft recovery plan for Texas hornshell 

that includes prioritized recovery 

actions, criteria for reclassifying the 

species from endangered to threatened, 

criteria for removing the species from 

the List, and the estimated time and cost 

to recovery. 

Summary of Species Information 

We published the final rule to list the 

Texas hornshell as endangered (83 FR 

5720) under the ESA on February 9, 

2018. The Texas hornshell historically 

ranged throughout the Rio Grande 

drainage in the United States (New 

Mexico and Texas) and Mexico. Overall 

distribution has declined significantly, 

with the species currently occupying 

approximately 15 percent of its 

historical range in the United States. 

The resulting remnant stream 

populations occupy relatively shorter 

reaches compared to presumed 

historical stream populations, and they 

are isolated from one another primarily 

by reservoirs and unsuitable water 

quality (i.e., saline waters). There are 

five known populations within the 

species’ historical range in the United 

States (Black River, Lower Pecos River, 

Rio Grande—Lower Canyons, Rio 

Grande—Laredo, and Devils River), and 

one in Mexico (Rio San Diego). 

Texas hornshell need seams of fine 

sediment in crevices, undercut 

riverbanks, travertine shelves, and large 

boulders in riverine ecosystems with 

flowing water and periodic cleansing 

flows to keep the substrate free of excess 

fine sediment accumulation. They need 

water quality parameters to be within a 

suitable range (Randklev et al. 2017, p. 

5) (i.e., dissolved oxygen above 3 

milligrams/liter (mg/L), salinity below 

0.9 parts per thousand, and ammonia 

below 0.7 mg/L (Sparks and Strayer 

1998, p. 132; Augspurger et al. 2003, p. 

2574; Augspurger et al. 2007, p. 2025; 

Carman 2007, p. 6)), and phytoplankton 

and bacteria as food. Finally, Texas 

hornshell need host fishes to be present 

during times of spawning. 

The factors influencing the current 

and future health of populations include 

increased fine sediment, changes in 

water quality, loss of flowing water, and 

barriers to fish movement. These 

influences pose the largest risks to the 

future viability of this species and are 

primarily related to habitat changes 

such as the accretion of fine sediments, 

low water flows, and poor water quality. 

Furthermore, each of these factors is 

exacerbated by changing climatic 

conditions. 

Recovery Plan Goals 

The objective of a recovery plan is to 

provide a framework for the recovery of 

a species so that protection under the 

ESA 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. 

The recovery strategy for the Texas 

hornshell involves stemming any 

further range contraction in extant 

stream populations, restoring and 

managing watersheds and stream habitat 

to support additional resilient stream 

populations, and increasing redundancy 

and representation within those stream 

populations. The recovery strategy 

primarily focuses on habitat restoration 

and preservation, and is based on an 

increased understanding of the 

relationship of Texas hornshell life 

history requirements within the 

physical, chemical, and ecological 

conditions of their environments. 

Information on this species and its 

habitats (e.g. population dynamics, 

alterations in stream flow, and/or 

responses to identified threats) is 

important for providing for future 

science-based management decisions 

and conservation actions. 

Implementation of the recovery plan 

will necessitate adaptive management 

strategies to use the most up-to-date 

information as it becomes available. 

Texas hornshell recovery will involve 

cooperation among Federal, State, and 

local agencies, private landowners, 

academia, and other stakeholders. 

Therefore, the success of the recovery 

strategy presented below will rely 

heavily on the implementation of 

recovery actions conducted by, and 

through coordination with, our 

conservation partners in Texas, New 

Mexico, and Mexico. 

The recovery objectives of this plan 

are to ensure long-term viability of the 

Texas hornshell by stabilizing and 

protecting existing and new Texas 

hornshell stream populations, host fish 

populations, and stream population and 

habitat connectivity, and restoring and 

enhancing the habitats and watersheds 

necessary to support resilient Texas 

hornshell stream populations. 

The criteria for removing the species 

from the List are based on the following: 

• Protect and expand existing 

populations and establish at least one 

additional population so that there are 

at least seven stream populations (four 

with high resiliency and three with 

moderate to high resiliency). 

• Each of these populations should 

exhibit evidence of recruitment, 

persistence, and positive or stable 

population trends over six generations 

(90 years). 

• Ensure there are adequate stream 

flows and habitat features supporting 

both the Texas hornshell and its host 

fishes, within each of the populations. 

• Ensure surface and ground water 

quality through compliance with water 

quality standards and implementation 

of water quality controls within each of 

the populations. 

• Increase connectivity by 

incorporating fish passages and removal 

of anthropogenic barriers within each 

population to allow for the free 

movement of all life stages of Texas 

hornshell host fishes. 

Recovery of these species through 

implementation of recovery actions is 

estimated to occur in 2110; total costs 

for all partners are estimated at 

approximately $783 million over the 

next 90 years. 

Request for Public Comments 

Section 4(f) of the ESA 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 final recovery plan, we 

will summarize and respond to the 

issues raised by the public and peer 

reviewers. 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 implementation of 

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 final recovery plan. 

We invite written comments on this 

draft recovery plan. In particular, we are 

interested in additional information 

regarding the current threats to the 

species, ongoing beneficial management 

efforts, and the costs associated with 

implementing the recommended 

recovery actions. The species status 

assessment and recovery 

implementation strategy are accessible 

81218 Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 241 / Tuesday, December 15, 2020 / Notices 

as supporting documents for the draft 

recovery plan, but we are not seeking 

comments on those documents. 

Public Availability of Comments 

All comments received, including 

names and addresses, will become part 

of the administrative record and will be 

available to the public. 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—will be 

publicly available. If you submit a hard 

copy comment that includes personal 

identifying information, you may 

request at the top of your document that 

we withhold this information from 

public review. However, 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). 

Authority 

We developed our draft recovery plan 

and publish this notice under the 

authority of section 4(f) of the 

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). 

Amy L. Lueders, 

Regional Director, Southwest Region, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. 2020–27542 Filed 12–14–20; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R7–SM–2020–N098; 

FXRS12610700000 FF07J00000 201] 

Alaska Subsistence Regional Advisory 

Council Meetings for 2021 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of meetings. 

SUMMARY: The Federal Subsistence 

Board (Board) announces the public 

meetings of the 10 Alaska Subsistence 

Regional Advisory Councils (hereafter, 

Councils or RACs) for the winter and 

fall cycles of 2021. The 10 Councils 

each meet approximately twice a year to 

provide advice and recommendations to 

the Federal Subsistence Board about 

subsistence hunting and fishing issues 

on Federal public lands in Alaska. 

DATES: 

Winter 2021 Meetings: The Alaska 

Subsistence RACs will meet between 

February 9, 2021, and March 18, 2021, 

as shown in Table 1. All meetings will 

commence at 9:00 a.m. A teleconference 

may substitute for an in-person meeting 

if public health or safety restrictions are 

in effect. 

TABLE 1—WINTER 2021 MEETINGS OF THE ALASKA SUBSISTENCE RACS

Regional Advisory Council Dates Location 

Southeast AK—Region 1 ........................................................................ March 16–18 .................................. Juneau. 

Southcentral AK—Region 2 .................................................................... February 24–25 ............................. Cordova. 

Kodiak/Aleutians—Region 3 .................................................................... March 9–10 .................................... Kodiak. 

Bristol Bay—Region 4 ............................................................................. February 9–10 ............................... Naknek. 

Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta—Region 5 ....................................................... March 3–4 ...................................... Bethel. 

Western Interior—Region 6 ..................................................................... February 17–18 ............................. Fairbanks. 

Seward Peninsula—Region 7 ................................................................. March 11–12 .................................. Nome. 

Northwest Arctic—Region 8 .................................................................... February 18–19 ............................. Kotzebue. 

Eastern Interior—Region 9 ...................................................................... March 4–5 ...................................... Fairbanks. 

North Slope—Region 10 ......................................................................... February 22–23 ............................. Utqiagvik. 

Fall 2021 Meetings: The Alaska 

Subsistence RACs will meet between 

September 27, 2021, and November 4, 

2021, as shown in Table 2. All meetings 

will commence at 9:00 a.m. 

TABLE 2—FALL 2021 MEETINGS OF THE ALASKA SUBSISTENCE RACS

Regional Advisory Council Dates Location 

Southeast AK—Region 1 ........................................................................ October 19–21 ............................... Craig. 

Southcentral AK—Region 2 .................................................................... October 13–14 ............................... Anchorage. 

Kodiak/Aleutians—Region 3 .................................................................... September 27–28 .......................... Unalaska. 

Bristol Bay—Region 4 ............................................................................. October 27–28 ............................... Dillingham. 

Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta—Region 5 ....................................................... October 6–7 ................................... Bethel. 

Western Interior—Region 6 ..................................................................... October 13–14 ............................... Anchorage. 

Seward Peninsula—Region 7 ................................................................. October 26–27 ............................... Nome. 

Northwest Arctic—Region 8 .................................................................... November 1–2 ............................... Kotzebue. 

Eastern Interior—Region 9 ...................................................................... October 7–8 ................................... Fairbanks. 

North Slope—Region 10 ......................................................................... November 3–4 ............................... Utqiagvik. 

The meetings are open to the public. 

For more information see FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT, below. 

ADDRESSES: See DATES above. Specific 

information about meeting locations and 

the final agendas can be found on the 

Federal Subsistence Program website at: 

https://www.doi.gov/subsistence/ 

regions. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Chair, Federal Subsistence Board, c/o 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Attention: Sue Detwiler, Assistant 

Regional Director, Office of Subsistence