[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 186 (Thursday, September 25, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50397-50398]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-25421]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for Nelson's 
Checker-Mallow (Oregon and Washington) for Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability and public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the 
availability for public review of a draft recovery plan for the 
Nelson's checker-mallow (Sidalcea nelsoniana), listed as a threatened 
species on February 12, 1993 (58 FR 8242). The species occurs primarily 
as scattered populations in two distinct ecological regions--the 
northern Coast Range and the Willamette Valley of Oregon. Two outlying 
populations are located in the Puget Trough of Washington.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan received by November 24, 
1997 will be considered by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft recovery plan may obtain 
a copy by contacting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon State 
Office, 2600 S.E. 98th Ave., Suite 100, Portland, Oregon 97266-1398. 
Written comments and material regarding the plan should be addressed to 
the Field Supervisor at the above address. Comments and materials 
received are available for public inspection, by appointment, during 
normal business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Andrew F. Robinson Jr., Fish and 
Wildlife Biologist, at the above address or by phone at 503/231-6179.

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 the site specific management 
actions considered necessary for conservation and survival of the 
species, establish objectives and measurable 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, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.) (Act), 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, and 
other affected Federal agencies, will take these comments into account 
in the course of implementing approved recovery plans.
    Nelson's checker-mallow (Sidalcea nelsoniana) is a herbaceous 
perennial plant species in the mallow family (Malvaceae). Like many of 
the members of its genus, Nelson's checker-mallow produces mature 
plants that have either exclusively female flowers or perfect flowers. 
Nelson's checker-mallow is listed as threatened, with 59 known extant 
occurrences containing an estimated 27,000 individuals. The species 
typically occurs in or along the margins of seasonally moist, early 
successional valley bottom habitats of the Willamette Valley or in 
mountain meadows in the Oregon Coast Range.
    Populations in the Willamette Valley are threatened by agriculture 
and urban development that has resulted in severe habitat depletion and 
modification, and the fragmentation of its populations into mostly 
small, widely-scattered patches. Successional species, primarily 
resulting from suppression or elimination of natural disturbances such 
as periodic flooding and fires, are eliminating Nelson's checker-mallow 
from much of its remaining habitat. In addition to land use threats, 
Willamette Valley populations are subject to competitive exclusion by 
exotic species, seed predation by weevils prior to seed dispersal, and 
increased vulnerability to extirpation due to small population size and 
genetic isolation, and lack of genetic variation within and among 
populations.
    Land use threats are serious in the Oregon Coast Range, where the 
meadows occupied by Nelson's checker-mallow are isolated from 
agricultural and Urban development. The major land use threat in the 
Oregon Coast Range is inundation by a reservoir planned for Walker 
Creek, the site of the largest known population of the species. The 
habitat of several Oregon Coast Range populations is disturbed by 
recreational use of habitat by motorcyclists.
    The objective of this plan is to provide a framework for the 
recovery of Nelson's checker-mallow so that its protection by the Act 
is no longer necessary. The plan will be made final and approved 
following incorporation of comments and material received during this 
comment period.

Public Comments Solicited

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

[[Page 50398]]

Authority

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

    Dated: September 14, 1997.
William F. Shake,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 97-25421 Filed 9-24-97; 8:45 am]
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