2440 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 7 / Tuesday, January 12, 2021 / Notices 

State and county Location and case 

No. 

Chief executive 

officer of community Community map repository Date of modification Community No. 

Virginia: Independent 

City (FEMA Docket No.: B–2052). 

City of Fairfax (20– 

03–0228P). 

Mr. Robert A. Stalzer, Manager, City of Fairfax, 10455 

Armstrong Street, Room 316, 

Fairfax, VA 22030. 

Public Works Department, 10455 Armstrong Street, Fairfax, VA 22030. Nov. 16, 2020 ................. 515524 

[FR Doc. 2021–00396 Filed 1–11–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–12–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R6–ES–2020–N101; 

FXES11130600000] 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

and Plants; Draft Recovery Plan for 

Jones Cycladenia 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of document availability 

for review and comment. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, announce the 

availability of a draft recovery plan for 

Jones cycladenia (Cycladenia humilis 

var. Jonesii), a plant listed as threatened 

under the Endangered Species Act. We 

are requesting review and comment 

from the public on this draft plan. The 

draft recovery plan includes objective, 

measurable criteria, and site-specific 

management actions as may be 

necessary to remove it from the Federal 

List of Endangered and Threatened 

Plants. 

DATES: We must receive any comments 

on the draft recovery plan on or before 

March 15, 2021. 

ADDRESSES: Document availability: 

Copies of the draft recovery plan are 

available at http://www.fws.gov/ 

endangered/species/recoveryplans.html. Alternatively, you may 

request a copy by U.S. mail from the 

Utah Ecological Services Field Office, 

2369 Orton Circle, Suite 50, West Valley 

City, Utah 84119, telephone: 801–975– 

3330. Persons who use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

may call the Federal Relay Service at 

800–877–8339. 

Submitting comments: If you wish to 

comment on the draft recovery plan, 

you may submit your comments in 

writing by email to yvette_converse@

fws.gov, or by U.S. mail to the Field 

Supervisor at the address above. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Yvette Converse, Field Supervisor, at 

the above U.S. mail address or 

telephone: 801–975–3330. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), 

announce the availability of a draft 

recovery plan for Jones cycladenia 

(Cycladenia humilis var. Jonesii), a plant 

listed as threatened under the 

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

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

We are requesting review and comment 

from the public on this draft recovery 

plan. 

Background 

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 Service’s 

endangered species program. Recovery 

means improving the status of a listed 

species to the point at which listing is 

no longer necessary according to the 

criteria specified under section 4(a)(1) of 

the Act. The Act requires recovery plans 

for listed species unless such a plan 

would not promote the conservation of 

a particular species. To help guide 

recovery efforts, we prepare recovery 

plans to promote the conservation of the 

species. 

The purpose of a recovery plan is to 

provide a recommended framework for 

the recovery of a species so that 

protection of the Act is no longer 

necessary. Pursuant to section 4(f) of the 

Act, a recovery plan must, to the 

maximum extent possible, include: (1) 

A description of site-specific 

management actions as may be 

necessary to achieve the plan’s goal for 

the conservation and survival of the 

species; (2) objective, measurable 

criteria which, when met, would 

support a determination under section 

4(a)(1) of the Act that the species should 

be removed from the List of Endangered 

and Threatened Species; and (3) 

estimates of time and costs required to 

carry out those measures needed to 

achieve the plan’s goal and to achieve 

intermediate steps toward that goal. 

We used our new recovery planning 

and implementation (RPI) process to 

develop the draft recovery plan for Jones 

cycladenia. The RPI process helps 

reduce the time needed to develop and 

implement recovery plans, increases the 

relevancy of the recovery plan over 

longer timeframes, and adds flexibility 

so that the recovery plan can be more 

easily adjusted to new information and 

circumstances. Under our RPI process, a 

recovery plan will include the three 

statutorily required elements for 

recovery plans—objective and 

measurable criteria, site-specific 

management actions, and estimates of 

time and cost—along with a concise 

introduction and our strategy for how 

we plan to achieve species recovery. 

The RPI recovery plan is supported by 

a separate species biological report, 

which provides the scientific 

background information and threat 

assessment for Jones cycladenia, which 

are key to the development of the 

recovery plan. The species biological 

report is an interim approach taken as 

we transition to using a species status 

assessment (SSA) framework as the 

standard format to analyze species as we 

make decisions under the Act, and 

includes similar analyses of the species’ 

viability in terms of its resiliency, 

redundancy, and representation. A 

third, separate working document, 

called the recovery implementation 

strategy (RIS), steps down the more 

general descriptions of actions in the 

recovery plan to detail the specifics 

needed to implement the recovery plan, 

which improves the flexibility of the 

recovery plan. The RIS will be 

adaptable, with new information on 

actions incorporated, as needed, 

without requiring a concurrent revision 

to the recovery plan, unless changes to 

the three statutory elements are 

required. 

On May 5, 1986, we listed Jones 

cycladenia as a threatened plant (51 FR 

16526). We did not designate critical 

habitat. Detailed information regarding 

the plant’s biology and life history can 

be found in the species biological report 

for Jones cycladenia (Service 2020, 

entire). The species biological report is 

an in-depth but not exhaustive review of 

the taxon’s biology and threats, an 

evaluation of its biological status, and 

an assessment of the resources and 

conditions needed to maintain longterm viability. The species biological 

report provides the scientific 

background and threats assessment for 

our draft recovery plan. 

Peer Review 

In accordance with our policy, 

‘‘Notice of Interagency Cooperative 

Policy for Peer Review in Endangered 

Species Act Activities,’’ which was 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 7 / Tuesday, January 12, 2021 / Notices 2441 

published on July 1, 1994 (59 FR 

34270), and our August 22, 2016, 

Memorandum ‘‘Peer Review Process,’’ 

we will seek the expert opinion of at 

least three appropriate and independent 

specialists regarding scientific data and 

interpretations contained in the species 

biological report and the draft recovery 

plan. We will send copies of both 

documents to the peer reviewers 

immediately following publication of 

this notice in the Federal Register. We 

will ensure that the opinions of peer 

reviewers are objective and unbiased by 

following the guidelines set forth in the 

Director’s Memo, which updates and 

clarifies Service policy on peer review 

(U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2016). 

The purpose of such review is to ensure 

that our decisions are based on 

scientifically sound data, assumptions, 

and analysis. Accordingly, our final 

species biological report and recovery 

plan may differ from the draft 

documents. 

Request for Public Comments 

This notice opens the public review 

and comment period for our draft 

recovery plan for Jones cycladenia. 

Section 4(f) of the Act requires that we 

notify the public and provide an 

opportunity for public review and 

comment during the development of 

recovery plans. We will consider all 

information we receive during a public 

comment period when preparing the 

recovery plan for approval, and 

particularly look for comments that 

provide scientific rationale or factual 

background. The Service and other 

Federal agencies and partners will take 

these comments into consideration in 

the course of implementing an approved 

final recovery plan. 

All comments we receive by the date 

specified (see DATES) will be considered 

prior to approval of the recovery plan. 

Written comments and materials 

regarding the recovery plan should be 

sent via the means in the ADDRESSES

section. 

We are specifically seeking comments 

and suggestions on the following 

questions: 

• Understanding that the time and 

cost presented in the draft recovery plan 

will be fine-tuned when localized 

recovery implementation strategies are 

developed, are the estimated time and 

cost to recovery realistic? Is the estimate 

reflective of the time and cost of actions 

that may have already been 

implemented by Federal, State, county, 

or other agencies? Please provide 

suggestions or methods for determining 

a more accurate estimation. 

• Do the draft recovery criteria 

provide clear direction to partners on 

what is needed to recover Jones 

cycladenia? How could they be 

improved for clarity? 

• Are the draft recovery criteria both 

objective and measurable given the 

information available for Jones 

cycladenia now and into the future? 

Please provide suggestions. 

• Understanding that specific, 

detailed, and area-specific recovery 

actions will be developed in the RIS, do 

the draft recovery actions presented in 

the draft recovery plan generally cover 

the types of actions necessary to meet 

the recovery criteria? If not, what 

general actions are missing? Are any of 

the draft recovery actions unnecessary 

for achieving recovery? Have we 

prioritized the actions appropriately? 

Public Availability of Comments 

We will summarize and respond to 

the issues raised by the public in an 

appendix to the approved final recovery 

plan. 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. 

You may request at the top of your 

comment that we withhold this 

information from public review; 

however, we cannot guarantee that we 

will be able to do so. 

Species Information 

Jones cycladenia is a long-lived 

herbaceous perennial plant in the 

dogbane family. It is one of three 

varieties within the Sacramento waxy 

dogbane (Cycladenia humilis Benth.) 

species. The other two varieties occur in 

California (Cycladenia humilis var. 

humilis and var. venusta) (Burge et al. 

2016, p. 28). Jones cycladenia is 

endemic to the Colorado Plateau in Utah 

and Arizona. It occurs between 4,000 to 

6,660 feet (ft) (1,220 to 2,030 meters (m)) 

in elevation and typically grows on 

steep slopes in soils that are easily 

degraded, highly erodible, and difficult 

to rehabilitate after disturbances. It is 

found in sparsely vegetated plant 

communities of mixed desert scrub with 

less than five percent vegetative cover 

(JGMS 2012, pp. 21–24; JGMS 2014, 

Appendix; Sipes et al. 1994, p. 16; 

Spence and Palmquist 2007, p. 5). Jones 

cycladenia reproduces by seeds 

(sexually) and by clonal growth 

(asexually). 

We do not know the historical 

distribution of Jones cycladenia. At the 

time of listing in 1986, it was known 

from four populations in Emery, Grand, 

and Garfield counties, Utah (51 FR 

16526, May 5, 1986). It is now known 

to occur at 60 sites, which we have 

grouped into 20 populations in Emery, 

Grand, Garfield, San Juan, and Kane 

Counties of Utah and Mohave County, 

Arizona. We further group these 

populations into four recovery units 

(San Rafael Swell, Greater Circle Cliffs, 

Moab, and Pipe Spring). 

The primary threats to Jones 

cycladenia at the time of listing were 

oil, natural gas, and mineral 

development. These remain the primary 

threats to the taxon. A large percentage 

of the total population occurs on lands 

open to future energy and mineral 

development. Without additional 

protections, we anticipate an increase in 

the magnitude of this threat affecting the 

taxon’s future resiliency, redundancy 

and representation. Small populations, 

lack of pollinators, and sexual 

reproduction limitations may exacerbate 

the threat. 

Conservation partners conducted 

additional surveys after Jones 

cycladenia was listed. This resulted in 

the discovery of 16 additional 

populations. Consequently, Jones 

cycladenia is now known from more 

sites and has a larger range than we 

estimated at the time of listing. The total 

population was estimated to be 7,500 

stems when the taxon was listed; the 

most recent estimate is 79,196 stems 

(Service 2020, pp. 14–18). 

The recovery units have not yet met 

the proposed delisting criteria in this 

draft recovery plan. Therefore, we 

anticipate that recovery will take a 

minimum of 10 years––recovery criteria 

include a requirement for stable to 

increasing populations in each of the 

four recovery units over a 10-year 

period. We have estimated recovery 

costs for a 15-year period for added 

flexibility during implementation of the 

recovery plan, when finalized. 

Recovery Strategy 

Below, we summarize components 

from our draft recovery plan. Please 

reference the draft recovery plan for full 

details (see ADDRESSES above). 

The draft recovery plan describes the 

recovery goal as the conservation and 

survival of Jones cycladenia. For 

recovery, the taxon needs at least four 

(redundant) and persistent (resilient) 

recovery units across the taxon’s range, 

where recruitment over time equals or 

exceeds loss of individuals and 

ecological and genetic diversity are 

maintained (representation). These 

conditions provide sufficient 

representation and redundancy across 

the taxon’s range. 

Recovery criteria in the draft plan 

include: (1) Maintaining stable or 

increasing population growth rates and 


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
2442 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 7 / Tuesday, January 12, 2021 / Notices 

evidence of viable seed production over 

a consecutive 10-year period for each of 

the 4 recovery units; (2) maintaining a 

range-wide total population of at least 

3,500 individuals (approximately 77,700 

stems (ramets) for at least 5 consecutive 

years; (3) each of the four recovery units 

have regulatory mechanisms or 

conservation plans in place that address 

habitat loss and degradation from 

energy and mineral development, thus 

helping meet population trend and 

abundance targets identified in the first 

two criteria; and (4) each of the four 

recovery units are represented in an offsite seed or tissue collection to preserve 

the genetic diversity of Jones cycladenia 

and provide added protection from 

potential stochastic events. Collections 

should represent at least 75 percent of 

the genetic diversity, as measured by the 

number of unique alleles, represented in 

each recovery unit. To help meet these 

criteria, the draft recovery plan 

identifies recovery actions for each 

criteria. 

Authority 

The authority for this action is section 

4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16 

U.S.C. 1533(f). 

Noreen Walsh, 

Regional Director, Lakewood, Colorado. 

[FR Doc. 2021–00375 Filed 1–11–21; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R6–ES–2020–N113; 

FXES11130600000–201–FF06E00000] 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

and Plants; Initiation of 5-Year Status 

Reviews of 7 Species in the MountainPrairie Region 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of initiation of reviews; 

request for information. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, are initiating 5-year 

status reviews of 7 species under the 

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

amended. A 5-year status review is 

based on the best scientific and 

commercial data available at the time of 

the review; therefore, we are requesting 

submission of any new information on 

these species that has become available 

since the last review of the species. 

DATES: To ensure consideration in our 

reviews, we are requesting submission 

of new information no later than March 

15, 2021. However, we will continue to 

accept new information about any listed 

species at any time. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

general information, contact Craig 

Hansen, Regional Recovery Coordinator, 

by phone at 303–236–4748 or by email 

at craig_hansen@fws.gov. Individuals 

who are hearing impaired or speech 

impaired may call the Federal Relay 

Service at 800–877–8339 for TTY 

assistance. For information on a 

particular species, contact the 

appropriate person or office listed in the 

table in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

section. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Why do we conduct 5-year status 

reviews? 

Under the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), 

we maintain Lists of Endangered and 

Threatened Wildlife and Plants (which 

we collectively refer to as the List) in 

the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 

50 CFR 17.11 (for animals) and 17.12 

(for plants). Section 4(c)(2)(A) of the Act 

requires us to review each listed 

species’ status at least once every 5 

years. Our regulations at 50 CFR 424.21 

require that we publish a notice in the 

Federal Register announcing those 

species under active review. For 

additional information about 5-year 

status reviews, go to http://

www.fws.gov/endangered/what-we-do/ 

recovery-overview.html, scroll down to 

‘‘Learn More about 5-Year Status 

Reviews,’’ and click on our factsheet. 

What information do we consider in 

our review? 

A 5-year status review considers all 

new information available at the time of 

the review. In conducting these reviews, 

we consider the best scientific and 

commercial data that have become 

available since the listing determination 

or most recent status review, such as: 

(A) Species biology, including but not 

limited to population trends, 

distribution, abundance, demographics, 

and genetics; 

(B) Habitat conditions, including but 

not limited to amount, distribution, and 

suitability; 

(C) Conservation measures that have 

been implemented that benefit the 

species; 

(D) Threat status and trends in 

relation to the five listing factors (as 

defined in section 4(a)(1) of the Act); 

and 

(E) Other new information, data, or 

corrections, including but not limited to 

taxonomic or nomenclatural changes, 

identification of erroneous information 

contained in the List, and improved 

analytical methods. 

Any new information will be 

considered during the 5-year status 

review and will also be useful in 

evaluating the ongoing recovery 

programs for the species. 

Which species are under review? 

This notice announces our active 

review of the seven species listed in the 

table below. 

Common name Scientific name Listing status Historical 

range 

Final listing rule 

(Federal Register 

citation and 

publication date) 

Contact person, phone, 

email 

Contact person’s U.S. mail 

address 

Barneby reed-mustard Schoenocrambe 

barnebyi.

Endangered ... Utah ............... 57 FR 1398; 1/14/ 

1992.

Yvette Converse, Project 

Leader, 801–975–3330; 

yvette_converse@

fws.gov.

Ecological Services, Utah 

Field Office, 2369 W 

Orton Circle, #50, West 

Valley City, UT 84119. 

Barneby ridge-cress .... Lepidium 

barnebyanum.

Endangered ... Utah ............... 55 FR 39860; 9/28/ 

1990.

Yvette Converse (information above).

Dwarf bear-poppy ........ Arctomecon humilis ... Endangered ... Utah ............... 44 FR 64250; 11/6/ 

1979.

Yvette Converse (information above).

Welsh’s milkweed ........ Asclepias welshii ....... Threatened .... Utah, Arizona 52 FR 41435; 10/28/ 

1987.

Yvette Converse (information above).

Colorado hookless cactus.Sclerocactus glaucus Threatened .... Colorado ........ 44 FR 58868; 10/11/ 

1979.

Ann Timberman, Colorado 

Field Office, 970–628– 

7181; ann_timberman@

fws.gov.

Ecological Services, Western Colorado Field Office, 445 W Gunnison 

Ave., #240, Grand Junction, CO 81501–5711. 

DeBeque phacelia ....... Phacelia submutica ... Threatened .... Colorado ........ 76 FR 45054; 7/27/ 

2011.

Ann Timberman (information above).


khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES