Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 189 / Tuesday, September 30, 1997 / Notices 51125

appointment, during normal business

hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Chris Nagano at the above address and

telephone number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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 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. They establish criteria for

the recovery levels necessary for

downlisting or delisting the species.

They also provide an estimation of time

and cost of implementing the recovery

measures needed.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973,

as Amended (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, to

provide an opportunity for public

review and comment, be given during

plan development. The Service will

consider all significant information

presented during a public comment

period, prior to the approval of each

new or revised Recovery Plan. The

Service and other Federal agencies also

will take these comments into account

in the course of implementing approved

recovery plans.

The El Segundo blue butterfly has an

extremely limited distribution, and

there are only three known extant

populations. The animal is currently

known only from southwestern Los

Angeles County, California. The threats

to the species include habitat loss and

invasive exotic species. Protection and

management of its habitat and a captive

breeding program are the primary goals

of the recovery effort.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service solicits written comments

on the recovery plan described. All

significant comments received by the

date specified above will be considered

prior to the approval of the plan.

Authority

The authority for this action is section

4(f) of the Endangered Species Act of

1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1533(f)).

Dated: September 24, 1997.

Michael J. Spear,

Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.

[FR Doc. 97–25841 Filed 9–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan

for the Carbonate Endemic Plants for

Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service

announces the availability for public

review of a draft recovery plan for five

plant species endemic to carbonate

substrates in montane southern

California. Four of the plants,

Eriogonum ovalifolium var. vineum

(Cushenbury buckwheat), Astragalus

albens (Cushenbury milk-vetch),

Lesquerella kingii ssp. bernardina (San

Bernardino Mountains bladderpod), and

Oxytheca parishii var. goodmaniana

(Cushenbury oxytheca), is endangered,

and a fifth species, Erigeron parishii

(Parish’s daisy) is threatened. The five

species were listed on August 24, 1994

(59 Federal Register 48652). The

Service solicits review and comment

from the public on this plan.

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: Carlsbad Field

Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

2730 Loker Avenue West, Carlsbad,

California 92008. Telephone requests

may be made by calling 619/431–9440.

Comments and material received are

available for public inspection by

appointment, during normal business

hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Marjorie Nelson or Jon Avery at the

above address and telephone number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

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 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. Plans also establish criteria for

the recovery levels necessary for

downlisting or delisting the species.

They also provide an estimation of time

and cost of implementing the recovery

measures needed.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973,

as amended (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. Substantive technical

comments will result in changes to the

plans. Substantive comments regarding

recovery plan implementation may not

necessarily result in changes to the

recovery plans, 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.

Individualized responses to comments

will not be provided.

All five of the plant species addressed

in the draft recovery plan are endemic

to carbonate substrates of the San

Bernardino Mountains, San Bernardino

County, California. Erigeron parishii is

also found in the Little San Bernardino

Mountains, also in San Bernardino

County. The five species occur on

federal, state, and private lands. The

plants are perennials except Oxytheca

parishii var. goodmaniana, which is an

annual. The five species occur in the

understory of several plant

communities, including Jeffrey pinewestern juniper woodland, pinyonjuniper woodland, pinyon woodland,

and blackbush scrub. The primary threat

to the five species is limestone mining.

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 described. All

significant comments received by the

date specified above will be considered

prior to the approval of the plan.

Authority

The authority for this action is section

4(f) of the Endangered Species Act of

1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1533(f)).
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.