[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 64 (Monday, April 5, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16478-16479]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8204]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Availability of Draft Revised Recovery Plan for MacFarlane's 
Four-O'Clock (Mirabilis macfarlanei) 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 
for public review of a draft revised recovery plan for MacFarlane's 
four-o'clock. (Mirabilis macfarlanei). This plant occurs in grassland 
habitats in Idaho County, Idaho, and Wallowa County, Oregon.

DATES: Comments received on the draft recovery plan by June 4, 1999 
will be considered by the Service.


[[Page 16479]]


ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft revised recovery plan are available for 
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the 
following locations: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1387 South Vinnell 
Way, Room 368, Boise, Idaho 83709 (phone: 208/378-5243). Requests for 
copies of the draft revised recovery plan and written comments and 
materials regarding this plan should be addressed to the Supervisor at 
the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edna Rey-Vizgirdas, botanist, at the 
above 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 the recovery 
levels for downlisting or delisting them, and estimate time frames and 
costs for implementing the recovery measures needed.
    The Endangered Species Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) 
(Act), requires the development of a recovery plan 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 plans. Substantive comments 
regarding recovery plan implementation may not necessarily result in 
changes to the recovery plans, 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.
    MacFarlane's four-o'clock (Mirabilis macfarlanei) is listed as 
threatened. A member of the four-o'clock family, this plant is found in 
low to mid-elevation canyon grassland habitats in west-central Idaho 
and northeastern Oregon. Plants are found on gravelly to loamy and 
sandy soils between approximately 300 and 900 meters (1,000 to 3,000 
feet) elevation. Grazing by domestic livestock and the invasion of 
exotic (nonnative) plants are the greatest threats to this species. 
Other threats include human trampling, off-road vehicle use, 
construction and maintenance of roads and trails, and herbicide 
spraying.
    The objective of this plan is to provide a framework for the 
recovery of MacFarlane's four-o'clock so that protection by the Act is 
no longer necessary. The recovery strategy for this species is focused 
on protecting habitat and maintaining self-sustaining populations of 
MacFarlane's four-o'clock throughout its range in Idaho and Oregon, and 
minimizing or eliminating threats to the populations.
    This plan describes an 8-part strategy with specific tasks 
necessary to maintain suitable grassland ecosystems that provide 
habitat for MacFarlane's four-o'clock. The tasks, when implemented, 
will stabilize and maintain populations throughout the range of 
MacFarlane's four-o'clock by protecting sufficient occupied and 
adjacent suitable habitat, implementing actions that may be necessary 
to eliminate or control threats, managing habitat to maintain or 
enhance viable populations of MacFarlane's four-o'clock, monitoring the 
status of populations and habitat conditions to ensure that recovery 
actions are successful, conducting research to determine the population 
dynamics and ecology of the species to guide management efforts and 
ensure the conservation of the species, and establishing a long-term 
seed storage facility for MacFarlane's four-o'clock.

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 30, 1999.
David L. McMullen,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 99-8204 Filed 4-2-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P