[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 56 (Tuesday, March 24, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14129-14130]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-7575]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for Serpentine Soil Species 
of the San Francisco Bay Area, California, for Review and Comment

AGENCY: U.S. 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 
Serpentine Soil Species of the San Francisco Bay Area, California. This 
recovery plan includes 28 species, of which 14 species are federally 
listed as endangered or threatened. The draft plan includes recovery 
criteria and recommended management actions for the plants--San Mateo 
thornmint (Acanthomintha obovata ssp. duttonii), Tiburon mariposa lily 
(Calochortus tiburonensis), Tiburon paintbrush (Castilleja affinis ssp. 
neglecta), coyote thistle (Ceanothus ferrisae), fountain thistle 
(Cirsium fontinale var. fontinale), Presidio clarkia (Clarkia 
franciscana), Pennell's birds-beak (Cordylanthus tenuis ssp. 
capillaris), Santa Clara Valley dudleya (Dudleya setchellii), San Mateo 
woolly sunflower (Eriophyllum latilobum), Marin dwarf flax

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(Hesperolinon congestum), white-rayed pentachaeta (Pentachaeta 
bellidiflora), Metcalf canyon jewelflower (Streptanthus albidus ssp. 
albidus), Tiburon jewelflower (Streptanthus niger), and the bay 
checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha bayensis); and an additional 
six species of plants, one species of moth, and seven harvestman 
(spider) species that are considered to be species of concern are 
addressed in the draft recovery plan.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or 
before June 22, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft recovery plan are available for 
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the 
following location: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Sacramento Fish and 
Wildlife Office, 3310 El Camino Avenue, Suite 130, Sacramento, 
California (telephone (916) 979-2725). Requests for copies of the draft 
recovery plan and written comments and materials regarding this plan 
should be addressed to Wayne S. White, Field Supervisor, Ecological 
Services, at the above Sacramento address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Miller, Fish and Wildlife 
Biologist, at the above Sacramento 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 plans 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 downlisting or 
delisting listed species, 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 will consider 
all information presented during the public comment period prior to 
approval of each new or revised recovery plan. Substantive technical 
comments will result in changes to the plan. Substantive comments 
regarding recovery plan implementation may not necessarily result in 
changes to the recovery plan, but will be forwarded to appropriate 
Federal or other entities so that they can take these comments into 
account during the course of implementing recovery actions. 
Individualized responses to comments will not be provided.
    The 28 species of plants and animals covered in the draft recovery 
plan are primarily restricted to serpentine soils habitat in the San 
Francisco Bay area of California. Conversion of habitat to urban and 
industrial uses has extirpated the listed species and species of 
concern from the majority of their historic ranges. The remaining 
natural communities are highly fragmented, and many are marginal 
habitats in which these species may not persist during catastrophic 
events, such as fire or persistent drought. Natural communities also 
have been altered permanently by the introduction of aggressive, 
nonnative plants, which now dominate in many of the remaining 
undeveloped areas.
    The objectives of this recovery plan are two-fold: (1) to delist 
the plants San Mateo thornmint, Tiburon mariposa lily, Tiburon 
paintbrush, coyote thistle, fountain thistle, Presidio clarkia, 
Pennell's birds-beak, Santa Clara Valley dudleya, San Mateo woolly 
sunflower, Marin dwarf flax, white-rayed pentachaeta, Metcalf canyon 
jewelflower, Tiburon jewelflower, and the bay checkerspot butterfly by 
protecting, enhancing, restoring, and appropriately managing their 
habitat; and (2) to ensure the long-term conservation of the 14 species 
of concern that occur in the same serpentine habitats with the listed 
species.

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 this plan.

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

    Dated: February 13, 1998.
Don Weathers,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1.
[FR Doc. 98-7575 Filed 3-23-98; 8:45 am]
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