[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 167 (Thursday, August 28, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51793-51794]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-22000]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Recovery Plan for Fritillaria gentneri (Gentner's Fritillary)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (``we''), announce the 
availability of the final Recovery Plan for Fritillaria gentneri 
(Gentner's fritillary). This plan includes specific criteria and 
measures to be taken in order to effectively recover the species to the 
point that delisting is warranted.

ADDRESSES: Copies of this final recovery plan are available by written 
request to the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon 
Fish and Wildlife Office, 2600 SE. 98th Avenue, Suite 100, Portland, 
Oregon 97266-1398. An electronic copy of this recovery plan is also 
available at: http://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/index.html#plans.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Andy Robinson, Fish and Wildlife 
Biologist, at the Portland address above (telephone: 503-231-6179).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Recovery of endangered or threatened animals and plants is a 
primary goal of our endangered species program and the Endangered 
Species Act (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Recovery means improvement 
of the status of listed species to the point at which listing is no 
longer appropriate under the criteria set out in section 4(a)(1) of the 
Act. 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 measures needed for recovery.
    The Act requires the development of recovery plans for listed 
species unless

[[Page 51794]]

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. The draft recovery plan for Fritillaria gentneri was 
available for public comment from November 22, 2002 through January 21, 
2003 (67 FR 70452). Information presented during the public comment 
period has been considered in the preparation of this final recovery 
plan, and is summarized in the appendix to the recovery plan. We will 
forward substantive comments regarding recovery plan implementation to 
the appropriate Federal or other entities so they can take these 
comments into account in the course of implementing recovery actions.
     Fritillaria gentneri, also known as Gentner's fritillary and/or 
Gentner's mission-bells, is a rare, red-flowered member of the lily 
family (Liliaceae). This species is found primarily in very small, 
scattered occurrences in Jackson and Josephine Counties in southwestern 
Oregon; one small additional population was recently discovered in 
northern California, near the Oregon border. Fritillaria gentneri is 
threatened by a variety of factors including habitat loss associated 
with rapidly expanding residential and agricultural development, 
alteration of habitat by invasive weeds and successional encroachment 
by trees and brush, habitat disturbance from timber harvest and 
recreational activities, and vulnerability associated with extremely 
small population sizes. Other potential threats to Fritillaria gentneri 
include bulb collecting for gardens, and herbivory by deer and 
livestock.
    Recovery of Fritillaria gentneri will be based on the conservation 
of the species through protected populations (``Fritillaria management 
areas'') distributed in natural densities across the historical range 
of the species in four designated recovery units. Recovery units are 
geographically bounded areas containing extant Fritillaria gentneri 
populations that are the focus of recovery actions. Recovery units 
include lands both essential and not essential to the long-term 
conservation of Fritillaria gentneri.
    The overall objective of this recovery plan is to reduce the 
threats to Fritillaria gentneri to the point where it can be 
reclassified (downlisted) to threatened, with the ultimate goal of 
being removed from the Act's protection entirely (delisted). The 
recovery measures identified include: (1) Establishing, managing, and 
maintaining a minimum number of Fritillaria management areas within the 
four designated recovery units, to be achieved through protection of 
existing populations, population augmentation, and reintroduction at 
historically occupied sites; (2) providing information to private 
landowners to assist with the identification of Fritillaria gentneri 
and management of its habitat; (3) conducting surveys and research 
essential to the conservation of the species; and (4) development of 
off-site germplasm banks to maintain reproductive materials.

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

    Dated: July 21, 2003.
David J. Wesley,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 03-22000 Filed 8-27-03; 8:45 am]
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