49990 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 185 / Wednesday, September 24, 1997 / Notices

Recovery plans describe actions

considered necessary for conservation of

the species, establish them, and estimate

time and cost for implementing the

recovery measures needed.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973

(Act), 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 and

other Federal agencies will also take

these comments into account in the

course of implementing approved

recovery plans.

This Technical/Agency Draft is for

Gesneria pauciflora (no common name),

a small gregarious shrub which is

currently known from only three

populations in the western mountains of

Puerto Rico. These occur in the

municipalities of Maricao and Sabana

Grande. Population estimates are

difficult due to the plant’s habit of

growing in dense mats. At all known

localities the species is found growing

in rocky stream beds on wet serpentine

rock, where water is constantly seeping.

The species is threatened by the

occurrence of natural disasters and the

modification of its highly restricted

habitat. The largest population is

located in an area of steep unstable

slopes and may be threatened by

landslides and flood damage. Forest

management practices such as trail

maintenance may also adversely affect

the species. This plan will describe

measures necessary to recover the

species, including studies of its

reproductive biology and propagation.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service solicits written comments

on the recovery plan described. All

comments received by the date specified

above will be considered prior to

approval of the plan.

Authority

The authority for this action is

Section 4(f) of the Endangered Species

Act, 16 U.S.C. 1531.

Dated: September 17, 1997.

Susan R. Silander,

Acting Field Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 97–25335 Filed 9–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Availability of a Technical/

Agency Draft Recovery Plan for

Mitracarpus Maxwelliae, Mitracarpus

Polycladus, and Eugenia

Woodburyana for Review and

Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service announces availability for

public review of a technical/agency

draft recovery plan for Mitracarpus

maxwelliae, Mitracarpus polycladus,

and Eugenia woodburyana. M.

maxwelliae, a small shrub, and E.

woodburyana, a small tree, are endemic

to southwestern Puerto Rico. M.

polycladus, a small shrub, is found in

southwestern Puerto Rico as well, but is

also known from the island of Saba, in

the Lesser Antilles. These species are

threatened by road construction,

recreational activities, wildfires, and

land clearing associated with

development for agriculture and other

purposes. The Service solicits review

and comments from the public on this

draft plan.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery

plan must be received on or before

November 24, 1997 to receive

consideration by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review

the draft recovery plan may obtain a

copy by contacting Ms. Susan Silander,

Boquero ́n Field Office, P.O. Box 491,

Boquero ́n, Puerto Rico 00622.

Comments and materials received are

available upon request for public

inspection, by appointment, during

normal business hours at the above

address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Susan Silander, Boquero ́n Field Office,

P.O. Box 491, Boquero ́n, Puerto Rico

00622, Telephone: 809/851–7297.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Restoring an endangered or

threatened species or plant to the point

where it is again a secure, selfsustaining member of its ecosystem is a

primary goal of the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife 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 them, and estimate

time and cost for implementing the

recovery measures needed.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973

(Act), 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 and

other Federal agencies will also take

these comments into account in the

course of implementing approved

recovery plans.

This Technical/Agency Draft is for

Mitracarpus maxwelliae, Mitracarpus

polycladus, and Eugenia woodburyana

(no common names), three species that

are known from the southwestern

portion of Puerto Rico. Mitracarpus

maxwelliae is a low densely-branching,

mound-like shrub known only from one

locality in the Gua ́nica Commonwealth

Forest of arid southwestern Puerto Rico.

M. polycladus, also a small perennial

shrub, is known in Puerto Rico from

only two locations in the Gua ́nica

Commonwealth Forest, where it grows

in crevices and soil pockets of coastal

rocks. It is also known from the island

of Saba in the Lesser Antilles. Eugenia

woodburyana, a small evergreen tree

reaching 6 feet in height, is endemic to

Puerto Rico and is known only from the

municipalities of Lajas, Cabo Rojo, and

Gua ́nica in southwestern Puerto Rico. It

is known from the Gua ́nica

Commonwealth Forest and the Cabo

Rojo National Wildlife Refuge, publicly

owned land, as well as privately-owned

land. These three species are threatened

by road construction, recreational

activities, wildfires, and land clearing

associated with urban, rural, tourist and

agricultural development. This plan will

describe measures necessary to recover

the species, including studies of its

reproductive biology and propagation.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service solicits written comments

on the recovery plan described. All

comments received by the date specified

above will be considered prior to

approval of the plan.

Authority

The authority for this action is

Section 4(f) of the Endangered Species

Act, 16 U.S.C. 1531.

Dated: September 17, 1997.

Susan R. Silander,

Acting Field Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 97–25336 Filed 9–23–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P