51126 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 189 / Tuesday, September 30, 1997 / Notices

Dated: September 24, 1997.

Michael J. Spear,

Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 97–25842 Filed 9–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for

the Morro Shoulderband Snail and

Four Plants From Western San Luis

Obispo County, California for Review

and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service (Service) announces the

availability for public review of the draft

Recovery Plan for the Morro

Shoulderband Snail and Four Plants

from Western San Luis Obispo County.

The snail and the four plants occur in

coastal habitats between Nipomo and

San Simeno Creek in Western San Luis

Obispo County, California. These taxa

were listed by the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service on December 15, 1994

(59 FR 64613).

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery

plan received by December 29, 1997,

will be considered by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review

the draft recovery plan may obtain a

copy by contacting the Field Supervisor

at the following address: U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, 2493 Portola Road,

Suite B, Ventura, California 93003

(phone: 805/644–1766). Comments and

material received are available for

public inspection, by appointment,

during normal business hours at the

above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Diane Steeck, Botanist, or Kim Touneh,

Invertebrate Zoologist, at the above

Ventura 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 plants 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 the recovery levels needed to

downlist or delist them, and estimate

time and cost for implementing the

necessary recovery measures.

The Endangered Species Act, as

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

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. The Service and other

Federal agencies will also take these

comments into account in the course of

implementing approved recovery plans.

Individualized responses to comments

will not be provided.

This recovery plan includes one snail

species that is listed as endangered,

three plant taxa that are listed as

endangered and one plant taxon that is

listed as threatened. All are endemic to

western San Luis Obispo County,

California. The currently known range

of the Morro shoulderband snail

(Helminthoglypta walkeriana) includes

the Morro Spit and those areas south of

Morro Bay, west of Los Osos Creek and

north of Hazard Canyon that still

support coastal dune and sage scrub

habitats. Morro manzanita

(Arctostaphylos morroeniss) is restricted

to Baywood fine sands to the south of

Morro Bay in stands of varying size

scattered over approximately 890 acres.

Five of the six known occurrences of

Indian Knob mountainbalm (Eriodictyon

altissimum) also occur south of Morro

Bay, typically at the margins of

chaparral and coastal sage scrub

communities; the sixth occurrence, for

which the species was named, is located

about 15 miles to the south, at Indian

Knob. Inland, Chorro Creek bog thistle

(Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense) is

known from nine locations between San

Simeon and Pismo Beach, where it is

restricted to serpentine seeps and

springs. Pismo clarkia (Clarkia speciosa

ssp. immaculata) is known from about

a dozen locations in the area between

Pismo Beach and Nipomo Mesa, where

it is restricted to grasslands.

The Morro shoulderband snail is

threatened principally by habitat

destruction and degradation due to

increasing development, invasion of

non-native plant species (i.e. veldt

grass), senescence of dune vegetation,

and recreational use (e.g. off-road

vehicle activity). Competition with the

brown garden snail (Helix aspersa),

molluscicides, and increased likelihood

of extinction due to the small size and

isolation of populations are potential

threats. Morro manzanita and Indian

Knob mountainbalm are threatened with

habitat destruction and degradation due

to development, and possibly by

invasion of non-native plant species,

and senescence resulting from alteration

in fire cycles. Threats to the Chorro

Creek bog thistle include water

diversion, road maintenance, excessive

cattle trampling and, potentially,

invasive non-native plants. The

principal threat to the Pismo clarkia is

habitat destruction and degradation due

to development. Road maintenance

activities, overgrazing, and competition

with non-native grasses may also be

threats.

This plan provides for the recovery of

the snail, Morro manzanita, and Indian

knob mountainbalm so that protection

by the Act is no longer necessary. It

provides for downlisting Chorro Creek

bog thistle and Pismo clarkia to

threatened status.

Protection and management of the

species’ habitat are the primary goals of

the recovery effort.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service solicits written comments

on the recovery plan. All comments

recovery by the data specified above

will be considered prior to revision and

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).

Dated: September 24, 1997.

Michael J. Spear,

Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.

[FR Doc. 97–25843 Filed 9–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–M

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for

the Seven Coastal Plants and the

Myrtle’s Silverspot Butterfly

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service announces the availability for

public review of a draft Recovery Plan

for Seven Coastal Plants and the

Myrtle’s Silverspot Butterfly. The seven

plants and the butterfly occur in coastal

habitats from Humboldt County to Santa

Barbara County.