[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 9, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 62979]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-25457]



[[Page 62979]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Kneeland 
Prairie Penny-Cress (Thlaspi californicum), for Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the 
availability for public review of the Draft Recovery Plan for the 
Kneeland Prairie Penny-cress (Thlaspi californicum). The draft plan 
includes specific recovery criteria and measures to be taken in order 
to delist the Kneeland Prairie penny-cress. We solicit review and 
comment from local, State, and Federal agencies, and the public on this 
draft recovery plan.

DATE:S Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or 
before December 9, 2002, to receive consideration by us.

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, Arcata Fish and 
Wildlife Office, 1655 Heindon Road, Arcata, California 95521 (phone: 
707-822-7201). Requests for copies of the draft recovery plan, and 
written comments and materials regarding this plan should be addressed 
to Bruce Halstead, Project Leader, at the above Arcata address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Imper, Fish and Wildlife 
Ecologist, at the above Arcata 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 our endangered species program. To help 
guide the recovery effort, we are 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 in 1988 (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 requires that public 
notice and an opportunity for public review and comment be provided 
during recovery plan development. We 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. Individual responses to 
comments will not be provided.
    Kneeland Prairie penny-cress (Thlaspi californicum; penny-cress) is 
a perennial member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), restricted to 
outcrops of serpentine substrate located in Kneeland Prairie, Humboldt 
County, California. Historical loss of the serpentine habitat, combined 
with the potential for future loss of habitat is the primary current 
threat to the species.
    The draft recovery plan includes conservation measures designed to 
ensure that a self-sustaining population of penny-cress will continue 
to exist, distributed throughout its extant and historic range. 
Specific recovery actions focus on protection of the serpentine 
outcrops and surrounding oak woodland and grasslands. The draft plan 
also seeks to re-establish multiple sexually reproducing colonies of 
the penny-cress within the native serpentine plant community present in 
Kneeland Prairie. The ultimate objective of this recovery plan is to 
delist penny-cress through implementation of a variety of recovery 
measures including: (1) Protection of the extant population and its 
habitat, involving acquisition or other legal protective mechanisms, 
monitoring, and coordination with the landowners; (2) research on the 
species biology and habitat requirements; (3) augmentation of existing 
colonies and establishment of new colonies; and (4) ex-situ 
conservation measures including artificial rearing and seed banking.

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

    Dated: August 26, 2002.
Steve Thompson,
Manager, California/Nevada Operations Office, Region 1, Fish and 
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 02-25457 Filed 10-8-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P