[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 1, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Page 15856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-8524]



[[Page 15856]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability of a Draft Updated Recovery Plan for the 
Northeastern Population of the Roseate Tern (Sterna dougallii 
dougallii) 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 announces the availability 
population of the roseate tern (Sterna dougallii dougallii). The 
roseate tern is a worldwide species that breeds in two discrete areas 
in the Western Hemisphere. One of those areas is the northeast where 
the species breeds on islands along the Atlantic Coast of the United 
States from New York to Maine and northward into adjacent portions of 
Canada. This population was listed as an endangered species in November 
1987, and the initial recovery plan was completed in March 1989. This 
species was listed due to its rarity and population decline, which lead 
to a restricted breeding range with most roseates nesting on just a few 
islands. The primary threat to the roseate tern is considered to be 
loss of nesting sites and predation. Additional factors that can effect 
nesting productivity and overall population status include food 
availability near the colonies and storm events. The recovery objective 
is to reclassify the roseate tern to threatened status. The Service 
solicits review and comment from the public on this draft Plan update.

DATES: Comments on the draft Recovery Plan must be received May 1, 1998 
to receive consideration by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft Recovery Plan can obtain 
a copy from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region 
Endangered Species Program, 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, 
Massachusetts 01035, telephone (413) 253-8628. Comments should be sent 
to Michael J. Bartlett, Field Supervisor, New England Field Office, 22 
Bridge Street, Concord, New Hampshire 03301.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michael Amaral (see above Address for New England Field Office, 
telephone 603/225-1411.)

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 U.S. Fish and Wildlife 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 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. 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 providing during the Recovery Plan 
development. The Service will consider all information presented during 
a public comment period prior to approval of each new, revised or, in 
this case, updated Recovery Plan. The Service and other federal 
agencies will also take these comments into account in the course of 
implementing Recovery Plans.
    The document submitted for review is the draft Roseate Tern (Sterna 
dougallii dougallii) Updated Recovery Plan. Currently, 85 percent of 
the birds are concentrated in three colonies, two in Massachusetts and 
one in New York.
    This temperate zone tern prefers to nest under or adjacent to 
objects that provide cover or shelter. These objects include clumps of 
vegetation, rocks, driftwood, or man-made objects. Roseate terns are 
exclusively marine, and usually breed on small islands, but 
occasionally on sand dunes at the end(s) of barrier beaches.
    Since the roseate tern was listed in 1987, the sites that support 
the largest colonies of terns, and most of those that support medium-
sized colonies, are owned by government agencies or private 
conservation organizations and are managed to protect the terns. Though 
most of the terrestrial habitat that the roseate tern occupies during 
the nesting season is ``protected'', threats such as predation, human 
disturbance, storm events, and habitat loss to erosion persist at most 
colonies.
    Due to the continued vulnerability of this population, delisting of 
the roseate tern is inadvisable at this time. The immediate recovery 
objective for this species is to reclassify the species to threatened 
status. To achieve this objective, three criteria need to be met: (1) 
increase the northeast nesting population (U.S. and Canada) to 5,000 
breeding pairs; (2) the 5,000 pairs occur among 6 or more large 
colonies with high productivity within the current geographic 
distribution; and (3) institute long-term agreements to assure 
protection and management sufficient to maintain the population targets 
and average productivity in each breeding colony. Delisting of the 
population will be considered if the nesting population reaches the 
historic, 1930's level of 8,500 pairs. The preceding recovery 
objectives are the same as those in the 1989 Recovery Plan.
    The draft Recovery Plan update is being submitted for agency and 
public review. After consideration of comments received during the 
review period, the revised Plan will be submitted for final approval.

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 the Plan.

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

    Dated: March 20, 1998.
Adam O'Hara,
Acting Regional Director, Region 5.
[FR Doc. 98-8524 Filed 3-31-98; 8:45 am]
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