55412 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 182 / Wednesday, September 21, 2005 / Notices 

Dated: September 15, 2005. 

Donna L. Eden, 

Director, Office of Policy and E-Government, 

Office of the Chief Information Officer. 

[FR Doc. 05–18745 Filed 9–20–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–72–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Notice of Availability of the Barton 

Springs Salamander Recovery Plan 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of document availability. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (Service) announces the 

availability of the approved Barton 

Springs Salamander Recovery Plan 

(Recovery Plan). The Barton Springs 

salamander (Eurycea sosorum) is known 

to occur near four spring outlets that 

collectively make up Barton Springs in 

Austin, Texas. Habitat loss and 

modification from water quality and 

water quantity degradation are the 

primary threats facing the species. The 

Recovery Plan outlines the necessary 

criteria, objectives, and tasks to reduce 

these threats and accomplish the goal of 

delisting the Barton Springs salamander. 

ADDRESSES: A copy of the Recovery Plan 

may be requested by contacting the U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, Austin 

Ecological Services Field Office, 10711 

Burnet Road, Suite 200, Austin, Texas, 

78758. The Recovery Plan may also be 

obtained from the Internet at: http:// 

www.fws.gov/endangered/recovery/. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Field Office Supervisor, Austin 

Ecological Services Field Office, at the 

above address; telephone (512) 490–

0057, facsimile (512) 490–0974. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The Barton Springs salamander 

(Eurycea sosorum) was listed as 

endangered on May 30, 1997, under 

authority of the Endangered Species Act 

of 1973, as amended (Act) (62 FR 

23377). The water that discharges from 

Barton Springs is essential to the 

survival of the salamander. It originates 

from the Barton Springs segment of the 

Edwards Aquifer, a karst limestone 

aquifer containing a complex system of 

caves, sinkholes, fractures, and faults. 

The Edwards Aquifer is particularly 

vulnerable to contamination and land 

use changes that degrade the quality of 

storm water runoff. The primary threat 

facing the survival and recovery of this 

species is the degradation of water 

quality and quantity of water that feeds 

Barton Springs, as a result of 

urbanization over the Barton Springs 

watershed (including roadway, 

residential, commercial, and industrial 

development). The Recovery Plan 

includes information about the species, 

its habitat, and current conservation 

efforts. Further, it provides recovery 

criteria that, when reached, will signify 

that the species has recovered to a point 

where it no longer warrants listing as 

endangered or threatened. Recovery 

actions are provided to guide recovery 

implementation and achieve recovery 

criteria. 

Reclassification from endangered to 

threatened (downlisting) will be 

considered when the following recovery 

criteria have been met: (1) Mechanisms 

(such as laws, rules, regulations, and 

cooperative agreements) are in place to 

ensure non-degradation of water quality 

in the Barton Springs watershed; (2) a 

plan to avoid, respond to, and remediate 

hazardous materials spills within the 

Barton Springs watershed is in place 

with high priority measures 

implemented to minimize risks to the 

Barton Springs salamander to a low 

level; (3) measures to ensure that 

continuous, natural springflows are 

maintained at all four spring outlets are 

in place and succesful; (4) a healthy, 

self-sustaining natural population of 

Barton Springs salamanders is 

maintained within its historical range; 

(5) measures to remove local threats to 

the Barton Springs ecosystem have been 

implemented; (6) captive populations of 

Barton Springs salamanders have been 

established in secure locations under 

the direction of a Captive Propagation 

and Contingency Plan. 

The Recovery Plan proposes delisting 

of the Barton Springs salamander when 

the downlisting criteria have been 

achieved and the following additional 

recovery criteria have been met: (1) 

Water quality protection mechanisms 

are shown to be effective and 

commitments are in place to continue 

protection; (2) measures to implement 

the catastrophic spill avoidance, 

response and remediation plans are 

ensured; (3) measures to maintain 

adequate springflows are shown to be 

effective; (4) the Barton Springs 

salamander population is shown to be 

viable and stable or increasing; (5) 

measures to remove local threats to the 

Barton Springs ecosystem are shown to 

be effective and a commitment is in 

place to continue the appropriate 

management of the surface habitat; (6) 

captive breeding is shown to be effective 

and reliable and commitments are in 

place to maintain adequate captive 

populations for any needed restoration 

work. 

Due to the Barton Springs 

salamander’s reliance on continuous 

flow of clean spring water, many of the 

high-priority recovery tasks outlined in 

the Recovery Plan are designed to 

ensure adequate water quality and 

quantity within the Barton Springs 

watershed, such as: (1) Developing and 

implementing catastrophic spill 

avoidance, response, and remediation 

plans; (2) implementing programs to 

protect sensitive environmental features 

important to salamander habitat or the 

effective recharge of clean water such as 

caves, sinkholes, fissures, springs, and 

riparian zones; (3) developing and 

implementing programs to identify and 

correct problems from point and nonpoint source pollution discharges; and 

(4) creating a regional management 

program that will be used to ensure the 

protection of aquifer level and 

springflows under normal and drought 

conditions. Other high-priority recovery 

actions include ensuring protection for 

existing spring habitats and establishing 

and maintaining adequate captive 

breeding populations. 

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 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 listed species, establish 

criteria for downlisting or delisting 

those species, and estimate time and 

cost for implementing the recovery 

measures needed. 

The 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 

considers all information presented 

during a public comment period prior to 

approval of each new or revised 

recovery plan. The Service and others 

also take these comments into account 

in the course of implementing recovery 

plans. 

Authority: This document is published 

under the authority of the Endangered 

Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 

1531 et seq.). 

Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 182 / Wednesday, September 21, 2005 / Notices 55413 

Dated: August 18, 2005. 

Larry G. Bell, 

Regional Director, Region 2, Fish and Wildlife 

Service. 

[FR Doc. 05–18789 Filed 9–20–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

Notice of Decision and Availability of 

the Record of Decision for the Final 

Comprehensive Conservation Plan and 

Final Environmental Impact Statement 

for Maine Coastal Islands National 

Wildlife Refuge 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of Decision and 

Availability of the Record of Decision 

for the Final Comprehensive 

Conservation Plan and Final 

Environmental Impact Statement for the 

Maine Coastal Islands National Wildlife 

Refuge, formerly known as Petit Manan 

National Wildlife Refuge Complex. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (Service) announces a Notice of 

Decision and Availability of the Record 

of Decision (ROD) for Maine Coastal 

Islands National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) 

Final Comprehensive Conservation Plan 

(CCP) and Final Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS). The refuge is located in 

the Gulf of Maine watershed, which 

extends along the entire coast of Maine. 

The Final EIS presents a thorough 

analysis of environmental, social, and 

economic considerations. The CCP and 

EIS were released to the public for 30 

days after the publication of a Notice of 

Availability in the Federal Register on 

July 15, 2005 (70 FR 135). The ROD 

documents the selection of Alternative 

B (the Service-preferred alternative) in 

the Final EIS, which is represented by 

the Final CCP for the refuge. The ROD 

was signed by the Regional Director, 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Northeast Region, on August 24, 2005. 

ADDRESSES: A copy of the ROD may be 

obtained from Charles Blair, Refuge 

Manager, Maine Coastal Islands 

National Wildlife Refuge, P.O. Box 279, 

Water Street, Milbridge, Maine 04658–

0279, or you may call Mr. Blair at 207–

546–2124. A copy of the final CCP and 

EIS is available at the following Web 

site: http://library.fws.gov/ccps.htm. 

FOR FURTHER CONTACT INFORMATION: 

Charles Blair, Refuge Manager, Maine 

Coastal Islands National Wildlife 

Refuge, P.O. Box 279, Water Street, 

Milbridge, Maine 04658–0279, 207–

546–2124 (telephone), 207–546–7805 

(FAX). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

following is a summary of the ROD, 

which selects Final EIS Alternative B, 

represented by the Final CCP, for the 

Maine Coastal Islands NWR. The CCP 

provides management guidance that 

conserves refuge resources and 

facilitates compatible wildlifedependent public use activities during 

the next 15 years. 

The CCP addresses key issues and 

conflicts identified during the planning 

process, and will best achieve the 

purposes and goals for each of the five 

refuges in this complex, as well as the 

mission of the National Wildlife Refuge 

System (NWRS). The decision includes 

the management goals, objectives, and 

strategies identified in CCP chapter 4, 

‘‘Management Direction,’’ and in the 

compatibility determinations (Appendix 

C). The implementation of the CCP will 

occur over the next 15 years, depending 

on future staffing levels, funding, and 

willing sellers of the lands proposed for 

acquisition. 

Factors Considered in Making the 

Decision: 

The decision was based on a thorough 

analysis of environmental, social, and 

economic considerations. The Service 

reviewed and considered the impacts 

identified in chapter 4 of the Draft and 

Final EIS; the results of various studies 

and surveys conducted, or technical 

expert advice received in conjunction 

with the Draft and Final EIS and CCP; 

relevant issues, concerns, and 

opportunities; comments on the draft 

and final planning documents; and 

other relevant factors, including the 

purposes for which the refuges were 

established and statutory and regulatory 

guidance. The Final EIS and CCP 

address a variety of needs, including 

fish and wildlife conservation, habitat 

restoration and protection, National 

Wilderness Preservation System 

designation, refuge expansion, and the 

six priority public uses of the National 

Wildlife Refuge System Improvement 

Act of 1997. The unique combination of 

those components contributes 

significantly to achieving refuge 

purposes and goals. The CCP also 

strengthens the monitoring of fish, 

wildlife, habitat, and public uses on 

refuge lands to provide the means to 

better respond to changing conditions in 

the surrounding landscape. 

The Final CCP, was selected for 

implementation because it provides the 

greatest number of opportunities for the 

NWRS to contribute to fish, wildlife, 

and habitat conservation needs along 

the Maine coast. 

Dated: August 24, 2005. 

Richard O. Bennett, 

Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Hadley, Massachusetts. 

[FR Doc. 05–18787 Filed 9–20–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[NV–058–04–1610–DR–241E] 

Notice of Availability of the Record of 

Decision and Resource Management 

Plan for the Red Rock Canyon National 

Conservation Area 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability of the 

Record of Decision (ROD) and Resource 

Management Plan (RMP). 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act 

(NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act (FLPMA), the Bureau 

of Land Management (BLM) 

management policies, and the Red Rock 

Canyon National Conservation Area 

Establishment Act, the BLM announces 

the availability of the ROD/RMP for Red 

Rock Canyon National Conservation 

Area (RRCNCA). The Nevada State 

Director will sign the ROD/RMP, which 

becomes effective immediately. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD/RMP are 

available upon request from the Red 

Rock Canyon National Conservation 

Area Manager, Timothy P. O’Brien, Las 

Vegas Field Office, Bureau of Land 

Management, 4701 N. Torrey Pines Ave, 

Las Vegas, NV 89130 or via the Internet 

at: http://www.nv.blm.gov/vegas. Copies 

can also be requested by calling (702) 

515–5000. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Timothy P. O’Brien, Red Rock Canyon 

National Conservation Area Manager, 

4701 N. Torrey Pines, Las Vegas, NV 

89130, or by telephone at (702) 515–

5058, email Timothy_O’Brien@blm.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The RMP 

describes the actions to conserve, 

protect, and enhance the endangered 

species, wilderness characteristics, 

unique geological, archeological, 

ecological, cultural, and recreation 

resources that are encompassed within 

the RRCNCA for the benefit and 

enjoyment of present and future 

generations. The RRCNCA ROD/RMP