[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 172 (Friday, September 5, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47040-47041]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-23569]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Razorback Sucker 
(Xyrauchen texanus) for Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the 
availability for public review of a draft recovery plan for the 
razorback sucker (Xyrauchen texanus). The razorback sucker currently 
exists in small populations in the Colorado River in the States of 
Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. The Service solicits review 
and comment from the public on this draft recovery plan.


[[Page 47041]]


DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or 
before January 5, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft recovery plan may obtain 
a copy by contacting the Associate Manager Utah, Fish and Wildlife 
Service, P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225. 
Written comments and materials regarding this plan should be sent to 
the Associate Manager Utah at the Denver address given above. Comments 
and materials received are available on request for public inspection, 
by appointment, during normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Larry Shanks, Fish and Wildlife Associate Manager (see ADDRESSES 
above), at telephone (303) 236-8154.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: .

Background

    Restoring an endangered or threatened animal or plant to the point 
where it is again a secure, self-sustaining member of its ecosystem 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 conservation 
of the species, establish criteria for recovery levels for downlisting 
or delisting them, and estimate time and cost for implementing the 
recovery measures needed.
    The Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended (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 a public comment period prior 
to approval of each new or revised recovery plan. The Service and other 
Federal agencies also will take these comment into account in the 
course of implementing approved recovery plans.
    The razorback sucker was listed as endangered on October 23, 1991 
(56 FR 54957). A final rule designating critical habitat was published 
on March 21, 1994 (59 FR 13374). An endemic fish of mainstream rivers 
in the Colorado River basin, the razorback sucker was once abundant and 
widely distributed. It now occurs only in remnant populations in a few 
lakes and river reaches. The largest extant population occurs in Lake 
Mohave, Arizona, and the largest riverine population occurs in the 
Green and Yampa rivers, near Vernal, Utah.
    Razorback sucker populations have been declining for much of this 
century. This decline is a result of major alterations to the 
historical physical and biological environment. Extensive water 
development projects have depleted flow, altered flow regimes, changed 
water quality, and fragmented habitat. At the same time, the nature and 
composition of the fish community has been altered dramatically by the 
introduction of many nonnative fish species. Predation by nonnative 
fishes is a primary reason for the virtual failure of recruitment in 
razorback sucker populations.
    Recovery Objectives: Protection and expansion of three existing 
populations, and establishment of four new ones from remnant stocks or 
reintroductions.
    The goal of this recovery plan is to provide an adequate level of 
conservation for the species and its habitat so that there will be 
self-sustaining populations distributed throughout its extant range and 
to guide recovery actions to facilitate delisting of the species. 
Recovery efforts will focus on development and implementation of 
habitat restoration in selected lakes and river segments; develop and 
protect existing genomes in hatchery refugia; augment or reestablish 
populations of fish in its critical habitat; conducting biological and 
habitat management research; monitoring and surveys of known 
occurrences and potential habitat; and dissemination of educational 
information.

Public Comments Solicited

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

Authority

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

    Dated: August 28, 1997.
Terry N. Sexson,
Acting Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.
[FR Doc. 97-23569 Filed 9-4-97; 8:45 am]
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