[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 90 (Tuesday, May 11, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25362-25363]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-11775]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice To Extend the Public Comment Period for the Draft Recovery 
Plan for Gabbro Soil Plants of the Central Sierra Nevada Foothills, CA

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gives notice that the 
comment period announced in the March 8, 1999, notice of availability 
of the Draft Recovery Plan for Gabbro Soil Plants of the Central Sierra 
Nevada Foothills, California, will be extended an additional 30 days 
until July 7, 1999. Substantial public interest in the draft plan led 
the Service to distribute additional copies and to provide additional 
opportunities for the public to comment on the plan. This recovery plan 
includes six plant species, of which five are federally listed as 
endangered or threatened. The draft plan includes recovery criteria and 
measures for the plants--Stebbin's morning-glory (Calystegia 
stebbinsii), 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, El Dorado mule-ears 
(Wyethia reticulata), that is considered to be a species of concern. 
The Service extends the current 90-day comment period and solicits 
review and comment from the public on this draft plan.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan received by July 7, 1999, 
will be considered by the Service.

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 NE 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: Diane Elam, 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

[[Page 25363]]

endangered species program. To help guide recovery efforts, 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 draft 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: May 5, 1999.
Elizabeth H. Stevens,
Acting Manager, California/Nevada Operations Office, Sacramento, 
California.
[FR Doc. 99-11775 Filed 5-10-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P