[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 22 (Tuesday, February 3, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5567-5568]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2159]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Pawnee Montane 
Skipper (Hesperia leonardus montana) 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 announces the availability for 
public review of a draft recovery plan for the pawnee montane skipper 
(Hesperia leonardus montana). The pawnee montane skipper currently 
exists on 38 square miles in the South Platte River drainage system in 
Colorado. The Service solicits review and comment from the public on 
this draft recovery plan.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or 
before June 3, 1998 to ensure they receive consideration by the 
Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft recovery plan may obtain 
a copy by contacting the Partnerships Coordinator, Fish and Wildlife 
Service, P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado 80225. 
Written comments and materials regarding this plan should be sent to 
the above address. 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:
Bettina Proctor, Partnerships Coordinator (see ADDRESSES above), at 
(303) 236-8155, extension 259.

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 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 recovery levels for downlisting 
or delisting them, and estimate time and cost for implementing the 
recovery measure needed.
    The Endangered Species 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 pawnee montane skipper was listed as threatened on September 
25, 1987 (52 FR 36176). The skipper occurs only on the Pikes Peak 
Granite Formation in the South Platte River drainage system in Colorado 
involving portions of Jefferson, Douglas, Teller, and Park counties. 
The total known habitat within the range is estimated to be 37.9 square 
miles.
    At the time of listing, the skipper habitat was threatened with the 
construction of Two Forks Dam and Reservoir by the Denver Water 
Department, and associated development. In 1990, the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency did not approve the construction of the dam, removing 
the immediate principal threat to the skipper's habitat. In the long 
term, plans to develop a reservoir in the South Platte drainage which 
might negatively affect skipper habitat may resurface.
    Because of the limited habitat and range of the Pawnee montane 
skipper, unexpected environmental, random (stochastic) events could 
also have a major deleterious effect on the

[[Page 5568]]

population. Population biologists (Ehrlich and Murphy 1982) assert that 
random population changes due to stochastic events are more likely to 
cause the loss of small populations than are genetic changes.
    Recovery Objectives: To protect and maintain through proper 
vegetation management, all of the defined skipper habitat on public 
land in the South Platte River drainage so that fragmentation of 
habitat is avoided and skippers are distributed throughout the range.
    Recovery efforts will concentrate on creation of Memoranda of 
Understanding between land management agencies to provide for 
maintenance and enhancement of habitat; monitoring skipper presence; 
monitoring skipper habitat quality and trends, determination of 
management criteria for habitat maintenance; and education of private 
landowners and seeking opportunities for conservation agreements to 
allow enhancement of skipper habitat on private lands.

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: January 21, 1998.
Terry Terrell,
Deputy Regional Director, Denver, Colorado.
[FR Doc. 98-2159 Filed 2-2-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M