[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 121 (Friday, June 24, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-15377]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: June 24, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

 

Availability of Draft Recovery Plans for Conradina glabra 
(Apalachicola Rosemary) and Conradina etonia (Etonia Rosemary) for 
Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the 
availability for public review of two draft recovery plans: the 
Conradina glabra (Apalachicola rosemary) Recovery Plan and the 
Conradina etonia (Etonia rosemary) Recovery Plan. Conradina glabra is 
restricted to an area of several square miles of gently undulating 
upland, originally with longleaf pine-wiregrass vegetation, dissected 
by ravines of the Sweetwater Creek system in northern Liberty County, 
Florida. Conradina etonia is only known to occur on private lands in 
Putnam County, Florida. It is restricted to very limited areas of scrub 
vegetation, including shrubby oaks and sand pines, on deep white-sand 
soils. The Service solicits review and comment from the public on these 
draft plans.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or 
before August 23, 1994 to receive consideration by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft recovery plans for 
Conradina glabra (Apalachicola rosemary) or Conradina etonia (Etonia 
rosemary) may obtain a copy by contacting David J. Wesley, State 
Administrator, Jacksonville Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 6620 Southpoint Drive, South, Suite 310, Jacksonville, Florida 
32216. Comments and material received are available upon request for 
public inspection, by appointment, and during normal business hours at 
the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information on the Recovery Plan 
for Conradina glabra (Apalachicola rosemary) or for Conradina etonia 
(Etonia rosemary) contact Linda Finger at the Jacksonville, Florida, 
address (Telephone: 904-232-2580, FAX 904-232-2404).

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 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 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. 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. The Service and other 
Federal agencies will take these comments into account in the course of 
implementing approved recovery plans.
    Conradina glabra was listed as an endangered species on July 12, 
1993. C. glabra is a narrowly distributed species that was originally 
restricted to a specialized habitat, the edges of steephead ravines and 
possibly also to upland longleaf pine-wiregrass vegetation. Steepheads 
are heads of ravines having slopes undermined by groundwater seeing 
into the ravine bottom, which causes the slopes to gradually slump, 
carrying the vegetation with it. The plant appears to require full 
sunlight or light shade. Planted pine trees are likely, by the time 
they mature, to produce dense shade that could kill this species. 
Another possible problem in planted pine stands is that sand pine 
(which is currently grown in the area) does not tolerate prescribed 
fire, which may help keep habitat open for C. glabra. At the present 
time, 7 natural populations of Conradina glabra are known, 6 of them on 
land owned by a forest products company and on public road rights-of-
way. The seventh, a protected population, was documented at Torreya 
State Park but has not been relocated. An additional population is 
being established a short distance (2.5 km) from 2 of the extant 
populations, on similar ravine edges, in the Apalachicola Bluffs and 
Ravines Preserve, owned by The Nature Conservancy. Since initiation of 
this project, 2 small, naturally occurring populations have been 
discovered on the Preserve. Specific recovery actions include possible 
habitat acquisition or conservation easements and developing prescribed 
fire and mowing regimes beneficial to the plant.
    Conradina etonia was discovered in 1990, described in 1991, and 
listed as an endangered species on July 12, 1993. It is known from only 
two sites near Etonia Creek in Putnam County, Florida, where it is 
restricted to very limited areas of scrub vegetation with scrubby 
evergreen oaks (Quercus spp.) and sand pines (Pinus clausa). This 
habitat is a northern extension of the deep scrub habitat of south 
Florida, where several plant species characteristic of Florida scrub 
reach their northeastern range limit. Development is the major threat 
as this species occurs only on private land already subdivided for 
residential development when it was discovered. Because of the very 
recent discovery of Conradina etonia, little is known about specific 
habitat requirements and limiting factors.

Public Comments Solicited

    The Service solicits written comments on the two recovery plans 
described. All comments received by the date specified will be 
considered prior to the approval of the plans.

    Authority: The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the 
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).

    Dated: June 16, 1994.
Don Palmer,
Acting Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Field Office.
[FR Doc. 94-15377 Filed 6-23-94; 8:45 am]
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