[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 226 (Monday, November 24, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69880-69881]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-27757]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-ES-2015-N208; FXES11130000-xxx-FF08E00000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Recovery 
Plan for the Santa Ana Sucker (Catostomus santaanae)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the 
availability of the draft recovery plan for the Santa Ana sucker for 
public review and comment. The draft recovery plan includes recovery 
objectives and criteria, and specific actions necessary to achieve 
recovery and removal of the species from the Federal List of Endangered 
and Threatened Wildlife. We request review and comment on this draft 
recovery plan from local, State, and Federal agencies, and the public.

DATES: We must receive any comments on the draft recovery plan on or 
before January 23, 2015.

ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of the draft recovery plan from our 
Web site at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html. 
Alternatively, you may contact the Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2177 Salk Avenue, Suite 250, Carlsbad, 
CA 92008 (telephone 760-431-9440).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mendel Stewart, Field Supervisor, at 
the above street address or telephone number (see ADDRESSES).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

[[Page 69881]]

Background

    Recovery of 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 our endangered species program and the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.). Recovery means improvement of the status of listed species to 
the point at which listing is no longer appropriate under the criteria 
specified in section 4(a)(1) of the Act. The Act requires the 
development of recovery plans for listed species, unless such a plan 
would not promote the conservation of a particular species.
    We listed Santa Ana sucker (Catostomus santaanae) throughout its 
entire range on April 12, 2000 (71 FR 19686). The species is endemic to 
the Los Angeles, San Gabriel, and Santa Ana River Basins in southern 
California. Santa Ana sucker is a small, short-lived member of the 
sucker family of fishes (Catostomidae), named so primarily because of 
the downward orientation and anatomy of its mouth parts, which allow it 
to consume algae, small invertebrates, and other organic matter with 
its fleshy, protrusible (extendable) lips.
    The primary threat to Santa Ana sucker is ongoing, rangewide 
hydrological modifications, which lead to degradation and loss of 
habitat. Additionally, isolation by impassable barriers or unsuitable 
habitat limits gene flow within the watersheds, thus increasing the 
vulnerability of small occurrences to a range of stochastic (random) 
factors.

Recovery Plan Goals

    The purpose of a recovery plan is to provide a framework for the 
recovery of species so that protection under the Act is no longer 
necessary. A recovery plan includes scientific information about the 
species and provides criteria that enable us to gauge whether 
downlisting or delisting the species is warranted. Furthermore, 
recovery plans help guide our recovery efforts by describing actions we 
consider necessary for each species' conservation and by estimating 
time and costs for implementing needed recovery measures.
    The ultimate goal of this recovery plan is to recover Santa Ana 
sucker so that it can be delisted. To meet the recovery goal, the 
following objectives have been identified:
    (1) Develop and implement a rangewide monitoring protocol to 
accurately and consistently document populations, occupied habitat, and 
threats.
    (2) Conduct research projects specifically designed to inform 
management actions and recovery.
    (3) Increase the abundance and develop a more even distribution of 
Santa Ana sucker within its current range by reducing threats to the 
species and its habitat.
    (4) Expand the range of the Santa Ana sucker by restoring habitat 
(if needed), and reestablishing occurrences within its historical 
range.
    As the Santa Ana sucker meets reclassification and recovery 
criteria, we will review its status and consider it for removal from 
the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife.

Request for Public Comments

    We request written comments on the draft revised recovery plan 
described in this notice. All comments received by the date specified 
in the DATES section will be considered in development of a final 
recovery plan for Santa Ana sucker. You may submit written comments and 
information by mail or in person to the Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife 
Office at the address in the ADDRESSES section.

Public Availability of Comments

    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

Authority

    We developed our recovery plan under the authority of section 4(f) 
of the Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f). We publish this notice under section 
4(f) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 
et seq.).

    Dated: November 18, 2014.
Paul B. McKim,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region, Sacramento, 
California.
[FR Doc. 2014-27757 Filed 11-21-14; 8:45 am]
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