[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 189 (Tuesday, September 30, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 51126]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-25843]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Morro Shoulderband 
Snail and Four Plants From Western San Luis Obispo County, California 
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 the draft Recovery Plan for the Morro 
Shoulderband Snail and Four Plants from Western San Luis Obispo County. 
The snail and the four plants occur in coastal habitats between Nipomo 
and San Simeno Creek in Western San Luis Obispo County, California. 
These taxa were listed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on 
December 15, 1994 (59 FR 64613).

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan received by December 29, 
1997, will be considered by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft recovery plan may obtain 
a copy by contacting the Field Supervisor at the following address: 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura, 
California 93003 (phone: 805/644-1766). Comments and material received 
are available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal 
business hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Steeck, Botanist, or Kim Touneh, 
Invertebrate Zoologist, at the above Ventura address.

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 plants for most of the listed species native to the 
United States. Recovery plans describe actions considered necessary for 
the conservation of the species, establish criteria for the recovery 
levels needed to downlist or delist them, and estimate time and cost 
for implementing the necessary recovery measures.
    The Endangered Species Act, 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 will consider 
all information presented during the 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 approved recovery plans. Individualized 
responses to comments will not be provided.
    This recovery plan includes one snail species that is listed as 
endangered, three plant taxa that are listed as endangered and one 
plant taxon that is listed as threatened. All are endemic to western 
San Luis Obispo County, California. The currently known range of the 
Morro shoulderband snail (Helminthoglypta walkeriana) includes the 
Morro Spit and those areas south of Morro Bay, west of Los Osos Creek 
and north of Hazard Canyon that still support coastal dune and sage 
scrub habitats. Morro manzanita (Arctostaphylos morroeniss) is 
restricted to Baywood fine sands to the south of Morro Bay in stands of 
varying size scattered over approximately 890 acres. Five of the six 
known occurrences of Indian Knob mountainbalm (Eriodictyon altissimum) 
also occur south of Morro Bay, typically at the margins of chaparral 
and coastal sage scrub communities; the sixth occurrence, for which the 
species was named, is located about 15 miles to the south, at Indian 
Knob. Inland, Chorro Creek bog thistle (Cirsium fontinale var. 
obispoense) is known from nine locations between San Simeon and Pismo 
Beach, where it is restricted to serpentine seeps and springs. Pismo 
clarkia (Clarkia speciosa ssp. immaculata) is known from about a dozen 
locations in the area between Pismo Beach and Nipomo Mesa, where it is 
restricted to grasslands.
    The Morro shoulderband snail is threatened principally by habitat 
destruction and degradation due to increasing development, invasion of 
non-native plant species (i.e. veldt grass), senescence of dune 
vegetation, and recreational use (e.g. off-road vehicle activity). 
Competition with the brown garden snail (Helix aspersa), molluscicides, 
and increased likelihood of extinction due to the small size and 
isolation of populations are potential threats. Morro manzanita and 
Indian Knob mountainbalm are threatened with habitat destruction and 
degradation due to development, and possibly by invasion of non-native 
plant species, and senescence resulting from alteration in fire cycles. 
Threats to the Chorro Creek bog thistle include water diversion, road 
maintenance, excessive cattle trampling and, potentially, invasive non-
native plants. The principal threat to the Pismo clarkia is habitat 
destruction and degradation due to development. Road maintenance 
activities, overgrazing, and competition with non-native grasses may 
also be threats.
    This plan provides for the recovery of the snail, Morro manzanita, 
and Indian knob mountainbalm so that protection by the Act is no longer 
necessary. It provides for downlisting Chorro Creek bog thistle and 
Pismo clarkia to threatened status.
    Protection and management of the species' habitat are the primary 
goals of the recovery effort.

Public Comments Solicited

    The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan. All 
comments recovery by the data specified above will be considered prior 
to revision and approval of this plan.

Authority

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

    Dated: September 24, 1997.
Michael J. Spear,
Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 97-25843 Filed 9-29-97; 8:45 am]
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