[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 44 (Friday, March 6, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11304-11306]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-5378]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability of a Technical/Agency Draft Multi-Species 
Recovery Plan for the Threatened and Endangered Species of South 
Florida

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability and public comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the 
availability for public review of Volume I of a two volume draft multi-
species recovery plan for the threatened and endangered species of 
South Florida and the ecosystems upon which they depend. Volume I 
contains information on the individual species as well as their 
recovery goals, criteria, and tasks. These species may occur only in 
South Florida, or throughout the state, southeastern United States, and 
the world. Volume II will focus on the ecosystems these species depend 
upon. The Service solicits review and comments from the public on 
Volume I of the draft recovery plan.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or 
before September 30, 1998, to ensure consideration by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft recovery plan can be obtained by 
contacting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Publications Unit, 
National Conservation Training Center, c/o Aramark, Rt. 1 Box 166, 
Shepherd Grade Rd., Shepherdstown, West Virginia 25443. The Service is 
encouraging that requests for copies be for the CD-ROM version as the 
hard copy encompasses approximately 1,100 pages. Written comments and 
materials regarding the plan should be addressed to Dawn Jennings, 
South Florida Field Office, 1360 U.S. Highway 1, Suite 5, Vero Beach, 
Florida 32960. Comments and materials received are available on request 
for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at 
the South Florida Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dawn Jennings at the South Florida 
Field Office (561) 562-3909 for information on the recovery plan; the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Publications Unit (304) 876-7203 for 
additional copies of the draft recovery plan.

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 Fish and Wildlife Service's 
threatened and endangered species program. To help guide the recovery 
effort, the Service prepares recovery plans for most of the listed 
species native to the United States. Recovery plans describe actions 
that may be necessary for conservation of these species, establish 
criteria for the recovery levels for reclassification from endangered 
to threatened status or removal from the list, and estimate the time 
and cost for implementing the needed recovery measures.
    The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended (16 U.S.C. 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 requires that public notice and an 
opportunity for public review and comment be provided during the 
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 
take these comments into account in the course of implementing approved 
recovery plans.
    The Multi-Species Recovery Plan identifies the recovery and 
restoration needs of 68 threatened and endangered species and their 
habitats in the South Florida Ecosystem--an area

[[Page 11305]]

encompassing 67,346 square kilometers covering the 19 southernmost 
counties in Florida, using an ecosystem-wide approach. The species 
addressed in this plan are found throughout South Florida. Some are 
endemic to this area, others range outside of South Florida, and some 
of the species included in this plan migrate through or winter in South 
Florida. These species use every vegetative, terrestrial, and aquatic 
community present in South Florida. The status of these species varies, 
although very few show an increasing trend. These species include:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Status               Species                 Scientific name      
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Mammals                                      
                                                                        
E................  Florida panther........  Puma (=Felis) concolor      
                                             coryi.                     
E................  Key deer...............  Odocoileus virginianus      
                                             clavium.                   
E................  Key Largo cotton mouse.  Peromyscus gossypinus       
                                             allapaticola.              
E................  Key Largo woodrat......  Neotoma floridana smalli.   
E................  Silver rice rat........  Oryzomys palustris natator  
                                             (=O. argentatus).          
E................  Lower Keys marsh rabbit  Sylvilagus palustris        
                                             hefneri.                   
T................  Southeastern beach       Peromyscus polionotus       
                    mouse.                   niveiventris.              
E................  West Indian manatee....  Trichechus manatus.         
                   Birds:                                               
T................  Audubon's crested        Polyborus plancus audubonii.
                    caracara.                                           
E................  Bachman's warbler......  Vermivora bachmanii.        
T................  Bald eagle.............  Haliaeetus leucocephalus.   
E................  Cape Sable seaside       Ammodramus (=Ammospiza)     
                    sparrow.                 maritimus mirabilis.       
E................  Snail kite.............  Rostrhamus sociabilis       
                                             plumbeus.                  
E................  Florida grasshopper      Ammodramus savannarum       
                    sparrow.                 floridanus.                
T................  Florida scrub-jay......  Aphelocoma coerulescens.    
E................  Ivory-billed woodpecker  Campephilus principalis.    
E................  Kirtland's warbler.....  Dendroica kirtlandii.       
T................  Piping plover..........  Charadrius melodus.         
E................  Red-cockaded woodpecker  Picoides (=Drendrocopos)    
                                             borealis.                  
T................  Roseate tern...........  Sterna dougallii dougallii. 
E................  Wood stork.............  Mycteria americana.         
                                                                        
                           Reptiles                                     
                                                                        
E................  American crocodile.....  Crocodylus acutus.          
T................  Atlantic salt marsh      Nerodia clarkii (=fasciata) 
                    snake.                   taeniata.                  
T................  Bluetail (blue-tailed)   Eumeces egregius lividus.   
                    mole skink.                                         
T................  Eastern indigo snake...  Drymarchon corais couperi.  
E................  Green sea turtle.......  Chelonia mydas.             
E................  Hawksbill sea turtle...  Eretmochelys imbricata.     
E................  Kemp's (Atlantic)        Lepidochelys kempii.        
                    ridley sea turtle.                                  
E................  Leatherback sea turtle.  Dermochelys coriacea.       
T................  Loggerhead sea turtle..  Caretta caretta.            
T................  Sand skink.............  Neoseps reynoldsi.          
                   Invertebrates:                                       
E................  Schaus swallowtail       Heraclides (=Papilio)       
                    butterfly.               aristodemus ponceanus.     
T................  Stock Island tree snail  Orthalicus reses.           
                                                                        
                            Plants                                      
                                                                        
E................  Avon Park harebells....  Crotalaria avonensis.       
E................  Beach jacquemontia.....  Jacquemontia reclinata.     
E................  Beautiful pawpaw.......  Deeringothamnus pulchellus. 
E................  Britton's beargrass....  Nolina brittoniana.         
E................  Carter's mustard.......  Warea carteri.              
E................  Crenulate lead-plant...  Amorpha crenulata.          
E................  Deltoid spurge.........  Chamaesyce (=Euphorbia)     
                                             deltoidea.                 
T................  Florida bonamia........  Bonamia grandiflora.        
E................  Florida golden aster...  Chrysopsis (=Heterotheca)   
                                             floridana.                 
E................  Florida perforate        Cladonia perforata.         
                    cladonia.                                           
E................  Florida ziziphus.......  Ziziphus celata.            
E................  Four-petal pawpaw......  Asimina tetramera.          
E................  Fragrant prickly-apple.  Cereus eriophorus var.      
                                             fragrans.                  
T................  Garber's spurge........  Chamaesyce (=Euphorbia)     
                                             garberi.                   
E................  Garrett's mint.........  Dicerandra christmanii.     
E................  Highlands scrub          Hypericum cumulicola.       
                    hypericum.                                          
E................  Key tree-cactus........  Pilosocereus (=Cereus)      
                                             robinii.                   
E................  Lakela's mint..........  Dicerandra immaculata.      
E................  Lewton's polygala......  Polygala lewtonii.          
E................  Okeechobee gourd.......  Cucurbita okeechobeensis    
                                             ssp. okeechobeensis.       
T................  Papery whitlow-wort....  Paronychia chartacea        
                                             (=Nyachia pulvinata).      
T................  Pigeon wing............  Clitoria fragrans.          
E................  Pygmy fringe-tree......  Chionanthus pygmaeus.       
E................  Sandlace...............  Polygonella myriophylla.    
E................  Scrub blazing star.....  Liatris ohlingerae.         
T................  Scrub buckwheat........  Eriogonum longifolium var.  
                                             gnaphalifolium.            
E................  Scrub lupine...........  Lupinus aridorum.           
E................  Scrub mint.............  Dicerandra frutescens.      

[[Page 11306]]

                                                                        
E................  Scrub plum.............  Prunus geniculata.          
E................  Short-leaved rosemary..  Conradina brevifolia.       
E................  Small's milkpea........  Galactia smallii.           
E................  Snakeroot..............  Eryngium cuneifolium.       
E................  Tiny polygala..........  Polygala smallii.           
E................  Wide-leaf warea........  Warea amplexifolia.         
E................  Wireweed...............  Polygonella basiramia       
                                             (=ciliata var. b.).        
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Service has completed recovery plans for many of these species 
at various times between 1980 and 1996 to identify actions necessary to 
effect recovery. The ivory-billed woodpecker, Bachman's warbler, silver 
rice rat, Key Largo woodrat, and Key Largo cotton mouse do not have 
approved recovery plans. Since the approval of many of the recovery 
plans for South Florida species, identified tasks have been completed, 
and new information has become available on the biology, distribution, 
life history, and needs of these species. In addition, some species 
with a South Florida population had no tasks identified for recovery in 
this area. This plan updates some existing recovery plans, serves as 
the recovery plan for other species, or identifies South Florida's 
contribution to recovery. The plan also addresses new threats and needs 
for all the species identified within it. This plan is Volume I of a 
two volume effort to identify recovery needs of the species of South 
Florida and the ecosystems upon which they depend. The focus of Volume 
I is the individual species, while Volume II integrates the species 
needs with those of the vegetative communities in which they reside.
    Paper copies of the draft recovery plan are available for public 
inspection at the following locations:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, South Florida Field Office, U.S. 
Highway 1, Suite 5, Vero Beach, Florida 32960, 561-562-3909
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Merritt Island National Wildlife 
Refuge, 4 miles east of Titusville, State Road 402, Titusville, Florida 
32782, 407-861-0667
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, J.N. ``Ding'' Darling National Wildlife 
Refuge, 1 Wildlife Drive, Sanibel, Florida 33957, 813-472-1100
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Panther National Wildlife 
Refuge, 3860 Tollgate Boulevard, Suite 300, Naples, Florida 34114, 941-
353-8442
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Key Deer Refuge, Winn Dixie 
Shopping Plaza, Big Pine Key, Florida 33043-1510, 305-872-2239
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, 
10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach, Florida 33437-4796, 561-732-3684
University of Florida, Smathers Library West, Gainesville, Florida 
32611
University of Miami Library, 4600 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, Florida 
33149
University of Central Florida Library, 4000 Central Florida Blvd., 
Orlando, Florida 32816
Florida Atlantic University Library, 777 Glades Rd., Boca Raton, 
Florida 33431
Florida International University Library, FIU University Park, 11200 SW 
A St., Miami, Florida 33199
University of South Florida Library, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, 
Florida 33620
Florida Gulf Coast University Library, 19501 Ben Hill Griffin Parkway, 
Ft. Myers, Florida 33965-6565
Archbold Biological Station Library, P.O. Box 2057, Lake Placid, 
Florida 33852
Fairchild Tropical Garden Library, 11935 Old Cutler Road, Miami, 
Florida 33156
Big Pine Key Branch Library, 213 Key Deer Boulevard, Big Pine Key, 
Florida 33043.

Public Comments Solicited

    The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan 
described. All comments received by the date identified 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: February 23, 1998.
Stephen W. Forsythe,
Florida State Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 98-5378 Filed 3-5-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P