25062 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 87 /Wednesday, May 6, 1998 / Notices

HOME SET-ASIDE FOR INDIAN TRIBES AND ALASKAN NATIVE VILLAGES; RECIPIENTS OF FUNDING DECISIONS—Continued

[Fiscal Year 1997]

Funding recipient

(name and address)

Amount

approved

Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe, P.O. Box 457, McDermitt, NV 89421 ............................................................................... 1,180,200

Cocopah Tribe of Arizona, Bin ‘‘G’’, Somerton, AZ 85350 ..................................................................................................................... 1,250,550

Zuni Tribe of New Mexico, P.O. Box 339, Zuni, NM 87327 ................................................................................................................... 968,980

Redding Rancheria, 2000 Rancheria Road, Redding, CA 96001 ........................................................................................................... 625,441

Northwest ONAP

Coeur d’Alene Tribe, P.O. Box 197, Plummer, ID 83851 ....................................................................................................................... 600,000

Shoshone Bannock Tribe of Fort Hall, P.O. Box 306, Fort Hall, ID 83203 ............................................................................................ 360,000

Alaska ONAP

Cook Inlet Tribal Council, P.O. Box 93330, Archorage, AK 99509 ........................................................................................................ 500,000

Orutsararmiut Native Council, P.O. Box 927, Bethel, AK 99559 ............................................................................................................ 1,175,450

[FR Doc. 98–11971 Filed 5–5–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4210–33–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for

the Arroyo Southwestern Toad for

Review and Comment

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 the Arroyo Southwestern Toad. This

toad occurs in coastal montane regions

from Monterey County, California, to

Baja California.

DATE: Comments received on the draft

recovery plan by August 4, 1998, will be

considered by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft recovery

plan are available for inspection, by

appointment, during normal business

hours at the following locations: U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, 2493 Portola

Road, Suite B, Ventura, California 93003

(phone: 805/644–1766); U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, 2730 Loker Avenue

West, Carlsbad, California 92008

(phone: 760/431–9440). Requests for

copies of the draft recovery plan and

written comments and materials

regarding this plan should be addressed

to the Field Supervisor, at the above

Ventura address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Grace S. McLaughlin, Herpetologist, at

the 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 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 the recovery levels for

downlisting or delisting them, and

estimate time and cost for implementing

the recovery measures needed.

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. 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.

This species is listed as endangered.

As of 1994, the arroyo southwestern

toad (Bufo microscaphus californicus)

(referred to as arroyo toad) was known

from 22 river basins with a total

estimated breeding population of fewer

than 3,000 individuals. The arroyo toad

is endemic to primarily the coastal plain

and mountains of central and southern

California and northwestern Baja

California. These toads breed in stream

channels and use stream terraces and

surrounding uplands for foraging and

wintering. Direct habitat loss due to

urbanization, agriculture, and dam

construction is the main cause for the

decline of arroyo toads. Other threats

include water diversions, road building,

livestock grazing, mining, recreational

activities, loss of habitat due to exotic

plants, and predation by introduced

species. Although the species evolved

and has survived in an environment

periodically impacted by fire, flood, and

drought, the interactions of such natural

events with human alterations of the

habitat may lead to the extirpation of

local populations.

The objective of this plan is to

provide a framework for the recovery of

the arroyo toad so that protection by the

Act is no longer necessary. The recovery

strategy for the arroyo toad is focused on

providing sufficient breeding and

upland habitat to maintain selfsustaining populations of arroyo toads

throughout the historic range of the

species in California, and minimizing or

eliminating impacts and threats to

arroyo toad populations. This plan

describes a five-part recovery strategy

with specific tasks necessary to

maintain healthy aquatic, riparian and

adjacent upland ecosystems that

provide habitat for arroyo toads. The

tasks, when implemented, will stabilize

and maintain populations throughout

the range of the arroyo toad in California

by protecting sufficient breeding and

nonbreeding habitat, monitor the status

of existing populations to ensure
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 87 /Wednesday, May 6, 1998 / Notices 25063

recovery actions are successful, identify

and secure additional suitable arroyo

toad habitat and populations, conduct

research to determine the population

dynamics and ecology of the species to

guide management efforts and

determine the best methods for reducing

threats, and develop and implement an

outreach program.

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 this plan.

Authority

The authority for this action is section

4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16

U.S.C. 1533(f).

Michael J. Spear,

Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.

[FR Doc. 98–11972 Filed 5–5–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–U

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Availability of a Draft

Recovery Plan for the Least Bell’s

vireo (Vireo bellii pusillus) for Review

and Comment

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 the least Bell’s vireo (Vireo bellii

pusillus). The breeding distribution of

the least Bell’s vireo is limited to eight

counties in southern California and

portions of northern Baja California,

Mexico. Historically, this species was

widespread throughout riparian

woodlands in the Central Valley and

low elevation riverine valleys of

California and northern Baja California.

Least Bell’s vireos winter in southern

Baja California, Mexico. The Service

solicits review and comment from the

public on this draft plan.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery

plan must be received on or before July

6, 1998, to be considered by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review

the draft recovery plan may receive a

copy by contacting the Carlsbad Field

Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

2730 Loker Avenue West, Carlsbad,

California 92008. Written comments and

material regarding the plan should also

be addressed to the same address above.

Comments and material received are

available on request for public

inspection, by appointment, during

normal business hours at the same

address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jon

Avery, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

(see ADDRESSES) at 760/431–9440).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Restoring an endangered or

threatened animal or plant to the point

where it is again secure, self-sustaining

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 criteria for the

recovery levels for reclassifying them

from endangered to threatened or

removing them from the list, and

estimate the time and cost for

implementing the needed recovery

measures.

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.

Secion 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 will take these

comments into account in the course of

implementing approved recovery plans.

The least Bell’s vireo was listed as

endangered on May 2, 1986. Critical

habitat for the species was designated

on February 2, 1994. The least Bell’s

vireo is an obligate riparian species

during the breeding season, preferring

early successional habitat. This species

typically inhabits structurally diverse

woodlands along watercourses.

Extensive breeding habitat loss and

degradation and brood parasitism by the

brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater)

have resulted in a rangewide decline of

the least Bell’s vireo. The objective of

this plan is the reclassification of the

least Bell’s vireo to threatened and

ultimately, delisting through recovery.

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. 1533(F).

Dated: March 30, 1998.

Michael J. Spear,

Regional Director, Region 1.

[FR Doc. 98–11973 Filed 5–5–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–U

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Reclamation

Bay-Delta Advisory Council’s

Ecosystem Roundtable Meeting

AGENCY: Bureau of Reclamation,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: The Bay-Delta Advisory

Council’s (BDAC) Ecosystem

Roundtable will meet to discuss several

issues including: status of the May 1998

Proposal Solicitation Package, the

development of the other programs for

FY 98 funding, revised planning

process, funding coordination, CVPIA

FY 98 budget and other issues. This

meeting is open to the public. Interested

persons may make oral statements to the

Ecosystem Roundtable or may file

written statements for consideration.

DATES: The BDAC Ecosystem

Roundtable meeting will be held from

9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Friday, May

15, 1998.

ADDRESSES: The Ecosystem Roundtable

will meet at the Resources Building,

1416 Ninth Street, Room 1131,

Sacramento, CA 95814.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Cindy Darling, CALFED Bay-Delta

Program, at (916) 657–2666. If

reasonable accommodation is needed

due to a disability, please contact the

Equal Employment Opportunity Office

at (916) 653–6952 or TDD (916) 653–

6934 at least one week prior to the

meeting.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The San

Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin

Delta Estuary (Bay-Delta system) is a

critically important part of California’s

natural environment and economy. In

recognition of the serious problems

facing the region and the complex

resource management decisions that

must be made, the state of California

and the Federal government are working

together to stabilize, protect, restore,

and enhance the Bay-Delta system. The