[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 175 (Thursday, September 10, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48518-48519]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-24325]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Extension of Comment Period for 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 extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the 
extension of the public comment period for Volume II of the draft 
multi-species recovery plan for the threatened and endangered species 
of South Florida. A notice announcing the availability of Volume II was 
published in the Federal Register on July 13, 1998 (63 FR 37584).

DATES: The comment period, which originally closed on September 30, 
1998, is now extended until October 31, 1998 for Volume II only. The 
comment period for Volume I (63 FR 11304) still closes on September 30, 
1998. Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or before 
these dates 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 of Volume II encompasses approximately 900 pages. 
Additionally, the entire document may be viewed or downloaded from the 
Service's South Florida Ecological Service's Field Office website at: 
http://www.fws.gov/r4eao/wildlife/esvb.html.
    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

[[Page 48519]]

species and their habitats in the South Florida Ecosystem, an area 
encompassing 67,346 square kilometers covering the 19 southernmost 
counties in Florida, using an ecosystem-wide approach. This plan is 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 ecological communities in which they reside.
    Paper copies of both volumes 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, Old State Road 8, 
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: September 3, 1998.
James J. Slack,
Project Leader.
[FR Doc. 98-24325 Filed 9-9-98; 8:45 am]
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