[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 180 (Monday, September 18, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48166-48167]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-23083]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Madison 
Cave Isopod 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 Madison Cave Isopod 
(Antrolana lira). The Madison Cave Isopod is a subterranean freshwater 
crustacean endemic to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. The species 
was listed as threatened in November 1982 due to its extremely limited 
distribution and threats to the quality of its deep karst habitat. The 
objective of the proposed Recovery Plan is to protect Madison Cave 
isopod populations by conserving its groundwater habitat, thereby 
enabling its removal from the Federal list of endangered and threatened 
wildlife and plants. To accomplish this, the draft Plan recommends 
recovery activities that should continue or be initiated. If the 
Recovery Plan is successfully implemented, full recovery may be 
achieved by 2005. The Service solicits review and comment from the 
public on this draft Plan.

dates: Comments on the draft Recovery Plan must be received December 
18, 1995 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, Chesapeake Bay Field 
Office, 177 Admiral Cochrane Drive, Annapolis, Maryland 21401, 
telephone 410/573-4537 and fax 410/269-0832. Comments should be sent to 
the same address, to the attention of G. Andrew Moser.

for further information contact: G. Andrew Moser at 410/573-4537 (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 Madison Cave Isopod 
(Antrolana lira) Recovery Plan. The Madison Cave isopod is a 
subterranean crustacean endemic to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. 
This monotypic genus is the only freshwater member of the family 
Cirolanidae found north of Texas. Until 1990, A. lira was known only 
from two sites, Madison Saltpetre 

[[Page 48167]]
Cave and a fissure near the cave; since June 1990, the isopod has been 
collected from five additional sites. Although specimens from all seven 
sites are morphologically identical, they probably represent more than 
one but less than seven genetic populations. Population size appears to 
be extremely small at five of the species' seven occurrence sites.
    The Madison Cave isopod was listed as a threatened species in 
November 1982. Urban and agricultural development threaten the quality 
of its groundwater habitat, and the small population size at most of 
its sites indicates that this species is highly sensitive to 
disturbance. The Madison Cave isopod, which is difficult to study and 
collect, is known only from areas where fissures descend to the 
groundwater table, thus allowing access to the surface of underground 
lakes, or deep karst aquifers. Little is known of the physical and 
chemical conditions of A. lira habitat. The temperature of the water 
ranges from 11-14  deg.C, as is typical of groundwater for the 
latitude, and the water is saturated with calcium carbonate, a 
condition also typical of groundwater in areas of limestone. The level 
of the karst aquifers can fluctuate for tens of meters at some sites. 
The extent of the recharge zone of the aquifer at any site is unknown.
    The objective of the draft Recovery Plan is to protect populations 
of Antrolana lira from potential threats to the quality of its deep 
karst aquifer habitat, thereby enabling the removal of this threatened 
species from the Federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife and 
plants. Delisting may be considered when: (1) Populations of Antrolana 
lira and groundwater quality at Front Royal Caverns, Linville Quarry 
Cave No. 3, and Madison Saltpetre Cave/Steger's Fissure are shown to be 
stable over a ten-year monitoring period; (2) the recharge zone of the 
deep karst aquifer at each of these population sites is protected from 
all significant contamination sources; and (3) sufficient population 
sites are protected to maintain the genetic diversity of the species.
    Recovery activities designed to achieve these objectives include: 
(1) Determining the number of genetic populations, (2) searching for 
additional populations, (3) identifying potential sources and entry 
points of contamination of the deep karst aquifer habitat, (4) 
protecting known populations and habitats from a watershed perspective, 
(5) collecting baseline ecological data for management and recovery, 
and (6) implementing a program to monitor recovery progress and future 
needs. Contingent on vigorous implementation of all recovery tasks, 
full recovery is anticipated by the year 2005.
    The draft Recovery Plan is being submitted for technical and 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 8, 1995.
Ralph C. Pisapia,
Acting Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 95-23083 Filed 9-15-95; 8:45 am]
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