[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 188 (Thursday, September 29, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-24067]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: September 29, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
 

Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Kanab Ambersnail 
(Oxyloma Haydeni kanabensis) for Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the 
availability for public review of a draft recovery plan for the Kanab 
ambersnail (Oxyloma haydeni kanabensis). Three populations of the 
species are known, two in southern Utah and the other within the Grand 
Canyon of Arizona. The Service solicits review and comment from the 
public on this draft plan.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or 
before November 28, 1994 to ensure they receive consideration by the 
Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft recovery plan may obtain 
a copy by contacting the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Lincoln Plaza, Suite 404, 145 East 1300 South, Salt Lake City, 
Utah 84115. Written comments and materials regarding this plan should 
be sent to the Field Supervisor at the Salt Lake City address given 
above. 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:
John L. England, Botanist (see ADDRESSES above), at telephone 801/524-
5001.

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 (Service) 
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 recovery levels for downlisting or delisting them, and 
estimate time and cost for implementing the recovery measures needed.
    The Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, 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 also will take these comments into account in the 
course of implementing approved recovery plans.
    The Kanab ambersnail is a terrestrial snail in the family 
Succineidae. The empty shell is a light amber color. The live snail has 
a mottled grayish-amber to yellowish-amber color. The species' shell is 
thin walled with a right handed, elevated spire and a broad expanded 
opening. Mature individuals are up to 19 mm (0.75 inch) long, 9 mm 
(0.33 inch) in diameter, with 3.25 to 3.75 whorls in a drawn out spire. 
Three populations of the species are known, two in southern Utah and 
the other within the Grand Canyon of Arizona. The two Utah populations 
are near the Utah-Arizona border in Kane County. The larger Utah 
population occurs in Three Lakes Canyon about 10 kilometers (6 miles) 
northwest of the town of Kanab, Utah. The smaller Utah population is 
adjacent to the main stem of Kanab Creek in Kanab Creek Canyon. The 
Arizona population occurs in a spring-fed wetland at Vasey's Paradise 
about 92 kilometers (57 miles) southeast of the two Utah populations.
    The Kanab ambersnail was listed as an endangered species under the 
authority of the Endangered Species Act (Act), as amended, on April 17, 
1993. Critical habitat was proposed on November 15, 1992, for the 
species' largest Utah population. This species was listed due to loss 
of historical populations and past and threatened destruction of its 
limited habitat. Initial recovery efforts will focus on protecting the 
species population and habitat from habitat destroying activities 
through the section 6, 7, and 9 prohibitions of the Act for animal 
species. Biological and ecological research of the species biology and 
its relationship and interaction with its environment is necessary to 
guide future management of the species population and habitat to ensure 
its continued survival and the preservation of the species ecosystem. 
Additional recovery efforts will focus on inventory of potential 
habitat and minimum viable population studies of its known populations. 
Given the species vulnerability and lack of suitable habitat, it is 
doubtful that recovery and delisting of the species can occur in the 
foreseeable future.

Public Comments Solicited

    The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan 
described above. All comments received by the date specified in the 
DATES section above will be considered prior to approval of the 
recovery plan.

Authority

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

    Dated: September 21, 1994.
Terry T. Terrell,
Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 94-24067 Filed 9-28-94; 8:45 am]
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