[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 93 (Friday, May 12, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30604-30605]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-11947]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the 
California Red-legged Frog for Review and Comment

AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the 
availability of a draft recovery plan for the California red-legged 
frog for public review. This recovery plan includes the threatened 
California red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii). This subspecies of 
red-legged frog has been extirpated from 70 percent of its former range 
and is now found in coastal drainages of central California from Marin 
County, California, south to northern Baja California, Mexico. The 
Service solicits review and comment from local, State, and Federal 
agencies, and the public on this draft recovery plan.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or 
before August 10, 2000 to receive consideration by the Service.

ADDRESSES: The draft recovery plan is available for public inspection 
by appointment during normal business hours at the Service's Sacramento 
Fish

[[Page 30605]]

and Wildlife Office, 2800 Cottage Way, W-2605, Sacramento, California. 
Persons wishing to review the draft recovery plan may obtain a copy by 
contacting the Field Supervisor (attention Wayne S. White) at the above 
address or by calling (916) 414-6600. Comments and materials should be 
submitted to the above address, and are available on request for public 
inspection by appointment at the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Elam, Fish and Wildlife 
Biologist, at the above Sacramento address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Restoring endangered or threatened animals and plants to the point 
where they are again secure, self-sustaining members of their 
ecosystems is a primary goal of the Service's endangered species 
program. To help guide the recovery effort, the Service is working to 
prepare recovery plans for most of the listed species native to the 
United States. 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 recovery measures needed.
    The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act) (16 U.S.C. 
1531 et seq.), 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 as amended in 1988 requires 
that public notice and an opportunity for public review and comment be 
provided during recovery plan development. The Service will consider 
all information presented during the public comment period prior to 
approval of each new or revised recovery plan. Substantive technical 
comments will result in changes to the plan. Substantive comments 
regarding recovery plan implementation may not necessarily result in 
changes to the recovery plan, but will be forwarded to appropriate 
Federal or other entities so that they can take these comments into 
account during the course of implementing recovery actions. Individual 
responses to comments will not be provided.
    The California red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii) occurs from 
sea level to elevations of about 1,500 meters (5,000 feet) in its 
range. It has been extirpated from 70 percent of its former range. The 
California red-legged frog requires a variety of habitat elements with 
aquatic breeding areas embedded within a matrix of riparian and upland 
dispersal habitats. Breeding sites of the California red-legged frog 
are in aquatic habitats including pools and backwaters within streams 
and creeks, ponds, marshes, sag ponds, dune ponds, and lagoons. 
California red-legged frogs frequently breed in artificial impoundments 
such as stock ponds. Potential threats to the species include 
elimination or degradation of habitat from land development and land 
use activities, and habitat invasions by non-native aquatic species.
    The objective of this recovery plan is to delist the California 
red-legged frog through implementation of a variety of recovery 
measures including (1) Protection of known populations and 
reestablishment of populations; (2) protection of suitable habitat, 
corridors, and core areas; (3) habitat management; (4) development of 
land use guidelines; (5) research; (6) surveying and monitoring; and 
(7) public participation, outreach, and education.

Public Comments Solicited

    The Service solicits written comments on the draft recovery plan 
described. All comments received by the date specified above will be 
considered prior to approval of this plan.

Authority

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

Elizabeth H. Stevens,
Acting Manager, California/Nevada Operations Office, Region 1, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 00-11947 Filed 5-11-00; 8:45 am]
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