[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 124 (Monday, June 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35277-35278]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-17180]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability of a Revised Draft Recovery Plan for the 
Mobile River Basin Aquatic Ecosystem for Review and Comment

AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability and public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the 
availability for public review of a revised draft recovery plan for the 
Mobile River Basin aquatic ecosystem, a drainage basin encompassing 
much of south and central Alabama, with portions extending into east 
Mississippi, northwest Georgia, and southeast Tennessee. The revised 
draft plan addresses the recovery objectives, criteria, and tasks for 
15 freshwater species, including 3 fish, 11 mussels, and 1 aquatic 
snail, and complements recovery plans previously developed for another 
17 freshwater species within the Mobile River Basin, including 2 
turtles, 7 fish, 6 mussels, and 2 plants. The Service solicits review 
and comment from the public on this revised draft plan.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or 
before September 1, 1998 to receive consideration by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft recovery plan may obtain 
a copy by contacting the Jackson Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 6578 Dogwood View Parkway, Suite A, Jackson, Mississippi 
39213. Written comments and materials regarding the plan should be 
addressed to the Field Supervisor at the above address. 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: Paul Hartfield at the above address 
(601/965-4900, ext. 25).

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 
conservation of the species, establish criteria for the recovery levels 
for downlisting or delisting listed species, and estimate time and cost 
for implementing the recovery measures needed.
    The Endangered Species Act of 1973, 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 a public comment period prior 
to approval of each new or revised recovery plan. Substantive technical 
comments will result in changes to the plan. Substantive comments 
regarding recovery plan implementation may not necessarily result in 
changes to the recovery plan, 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.
    The draft Mobile River Basin Aquatic Ecosystem Recovery Plan was 
initially released for public review and comment on September 28, 1994. 
The current revised draft plan evolved from four years of information 
sharing, discussion, and review of aquatic resources and conflicts by a 
group of Mobile River Basin stakeholders that included private 
landowners, industry representatives, environmental organizations, and 
State and Federal agencies.
    The revised draft recovery plan provides recovery objectives and 
criteria for the goldline darter (Percina aurolineata), Cherokee darter 
(Etheostoma scotti), Etowah darter (Etheostoma etowahae), Alabama 
moccasinshell (Medionidus acutissimus), orange-nacre mucket (Lampsilis 
perovalis), fine-lined pocketbook (Lampsilis altilis), southern 
acornshell (Epioblasma othcaloogensis), upland combshell (Epioblasma 
metastriata), Coosa moccasinshell (Medionidus parvulus), ovate 
clubshell (Pleurobema perovatum), southern clubshell (Pleurobema 
decisum), dark pigtoe (Pleurobema furvum), southern pigtoe (Pleurobema 
georgianum), triangular kidneyshell (Ptychobranchus greeni), and the 
tulotoma snail (Tulotoma magnifica). The goldline darter was listed as 
threatened in 1992 due to a suspected decline in historic range, 
population fragmentation and isolation, and existing threats to extant 
populations due to water quality degradation. The threatened Cherokee 
darter and endangered Etowah darter were listed in 1994 because of 
nonpoint source pollution threats to limited stream populations. In 
1993, eight of the 11 mussels were listed as endangered, and three as 
threatened due to habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from

[[Page 35278]]

impoundment and their vulnerability to nonpoint source pollution and 
other threats. The tulotoma snail was listed as endangered in 1991 due 
to the loss of more than 90 percent of its historic habitat, and the 
isolation and vulnerability of surviving populations.
    The recovery objectives of the revised draft plan are to protect 
the Basin's native aquatic fauna and flora by achieving higher levels 
of innovative land and water stewardship; reclassify and delist the 
tulotoma snail; delist the goldline, Etowah, and Cherokee darters; and 
prevent the extinction of the eight endangered mussels and the 
continued decline of the three threatened mussels. Actions needed to 
achieve these objectives include protection of fluvial habitats and 
water quality, development of mitigation strategies for in stream 
habitats, community based watershed stewardship planning and action, 
concerted public education efforts, and basic research on freshwater 
species endemic to the basin.
    This revised plan is being submitted for technical/agency review. 
After consideration of comments received during the review period, it 
will be submitted for final approval.

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: June 22, 1998.
Robert Bowker,
Field Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 98-17180 Filed 6-26-98; 8:45 am]
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