[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 186 (Tuesday, September 27, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-23809]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: September 27, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

 

Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the American Chaffseed 
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 announces the availability 
for public review of a draft Recovery Plan for the American chaffseed 
(Schwalbea americana). The American chaffseed, which historically 
occurred in all the coastal states from Massachusetts to Louisiana as 
well as the inland states of Kentucky and Tennessee, is now limited to 
New Jersey, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. The 
species was listed as endangered in 1992 due to its extirpation from 
over half of its historical range and a decline in known occurrences. 
Although the number of known populations has increased substantially 
since the time of its listing, threats to the survival of the American 
chaffseed remain, primarily due to fire suppression and concomitant 
vegetational succession of the fire-maintained ecosystems where the 
species occurs. The recovery objective for this species is to be able 
to reclassify it to threatened status by protecting at least 50 
distinct, self-sustaining American chaffseed populations. The Service 
solicits review and comment from the public on this draft Plan.

DATES: Comments on the draft Recovery Plan must be received December 
27, 1994, to receive consideration by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft Recovery Plan can obtain 
a copy from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, New Jersey Field 
Office, 927 North Main Street, Building D-1, Pleasantville, New Jersey 
08232, telephone 609-646-0620. Comments should be sent to this address, 
to the attention of Dana Peters.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dana Peters (see Addresses).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Restoring an endangered or threatened animal or plant to the point 
where it is again a 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 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 also take these comments into account in the 
course of implementing Recovery Plans.
    The document submitted for review is the draft American Chaffseed 
(Schwalbea americana) Recovery Plan. This perennial member of the 
figwort family, a montypic genus, is primarily a coastal plain species 
of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The few inland exceptions to its 
coastal distribution are historic records. Although the number of known 
extant occurrences of the American chaffseed has increased three-fold 
since the species' listing in 1992 (due mainly to intensive searches in 
South Carolina), its range has undergone a significant contraction 
since the species was first recognized in 1935: where it used to be 
found in 13 states from Massachusetts in the North to Texas in the 
South, it now occurs in 5 states, from New Jersey to Florida.
    Its decline is attributed primarily to development and succession 
of its habitat, and these threats to the species' survival persist. 
Sandy pineland communities where the species exists have proven to be 
especially vulnerable to development because soils are level, deep, and 
suitable for building sites. Remaining American chaffseed sites are 
threatened primarily by activities or management practices that result 
in restriction or suppression of fire, which is apparently needed to 
maintain the open subclimax ecosystem inhabited by the species. Other 
continuing threats to American chaffseed include inadvertent 
disturbance to plants, discontinuation of game management and the 
consequent cessation of burning, conversion of the fire-maintained 
flatwoods and savannas to commercial pine plantations, commercial pine 
straw raking, and the increasing restrictions on prescribed burning of 
forest tracts.
    Reclassification of the American chaffseed is the primary objective 
of the draft Recovery Plan. Reclassification to threatened status will 
be considered when at least 50 geographically distinct American 
chaffseed populations are permanently protected and managed as needed 
to ensure long-range viability, and the species is established or found 
at four additional sites in the northern portion of its range. A 
delisting objective is not being defined at this time.
    Recovery of the American chaffseed will be achieved through a 
combination of habitat protection and management, reintroduction of the 
species in portions of its former range, research aimed at better 
understanding the species' biology in order to predict viability of 
populations, and research to determine the best techniques to maintain 
the species and its habitat.
    The draft Recovery Plan is being submitted for agency review. After 
consideration of comments received during the review period, the Plan 
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: September 20, 1994.
Ronald E. Lambertson,
Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 94-23809 Filed 9-26-94; 8:45 am]
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