[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 44 (Monday, March 8, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11035-11036]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5560]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for Gabbro Soil Plants of the 
Central Sierra Nevada Foothills 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 Gabbro 
Soil Plants of the Central Sierra Nevada

[[Page 11036]]

Foothills. This recovery plan includes six plant species, of which five 
species are federally listed as endangered or threatened. The draft 
plan includes recovery criteria and measures for the plants--Stebbin's 
morning-glory (Calystegia stebbensii), Pine Hill ceanothus (Ceanothus 
roderickii), Pine Hill flannelbush (Fremontodendron californicum ssp. 
decumbens), El Dorado bedstraw (Galium californicum ssp. sierrae), and 
Layne's butterweed (Senecio layneae), and an additional species of 
plan, El Dorado mule-ears (Wyethia reticulata), that is considered to 
be a species of concern.

DATEs: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or 
before June 7, 1999.

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) 979-2710); and U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, Regional Office, Ecological Services, 911 N.E. 11th Ave., 
Eastside Federal Complex, Portland Oregon 97232-4181 (telephone (503) 
231-6131). 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 six species of plants covered in the draft recovery plan are 
primarily restricted to gabbro soils habitat in the central Sierra 
Nevada foothills of California. Conversion of habitat to urban uses has 
extirpated the listed species and species of concern from a significant 
portion 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.
    The objectives of this recovery plan are two-fold: (1) to delist 
the plants Stebbin's morning-glory, Pine Hill ceanothus, Pine Hill 
flannelbush, El Dorado bedstraw, and Layne's butterweed by protecting, 
enhancing, restoring, and appropriately managing their habitat; and (2) 
to ensure the long-term conservation of the one species of concern, El 
Dorado mule-ears, that occurs in the same gabbro soils 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: March 2, 1999.
Michael J. Spear,
Manager, California/Nevada Operations Office.
[FR Doc. 99-5560 Filed 3-5-99; 8:45 am]
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