[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 14 (Monday, January 23, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3524-3525]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-696]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Recovery Plan for the Tidewater Goby (Eucyclogobius newberryi)

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 of the Recovery Plan for the Tidewater Goby (Eucyclogobius 
newberryi). The tidewater goby is a small fish that inhabits coastal 
brackish water habitats entirely within California, ranging from Tillas 
Slough

[[Page 3525]]

(mouth of the Smith River, Del Norte County) near the Oregon border 
south to Agua Hedionda Lagoon (northern San Diego County).

ADDRESSES: Printed copies of this recovery plan will be available in 4 
to 6 weeks by request from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ventura 
Fish and Wildlife Office, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura, 
California 93003 (telephone: 805-644-1766). An electronic copy of the 
recovery plan is now available on the World Wide Web at http://pacific.fws.gov/ecoservices/endangered/recovery/plans.html and http://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/index.html#plans.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Dellith, Fish and Wildlife 
Biologist, at the above Ventura 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 Endangered Species Act (ESA) and 
our endangered species program. The ESA (16 U.S.C. 1533(f)) requires 
the development of recovery plans for listed species unless such a plan 
would not promote the conservation of a particular species. Recovery 
plans help guide the recovery effort by describing actions considered 
necessary for the conservation of the species, establishing criteria 
for downlisting or delisting listed species, and estimating time and 
cost for implementing the measures needed for recovery (16 U.S.C. 
1533(f)).
    Section 4(f) of the ESA also requires that public notice, and an 
opportunity for public review and comment, be provided during recovery 
plan development. The Draft Recovery Plan for the Tidewater Goby was 
available for public comment from November 18, 2004, through January 
18, 2005 (69 FR 67602). Information presented during the public comment 
period has been considered in the preparation of this final recovery 
plan, and is summarized in an appendix of the recovery plan. We will 
forward comments regarding recovery plan implementation to appropriate 
Federal or other entities so they can take these comments into account 
in the course of implementing recovery actions.
    This recovery plan was developed by the Tidewater Goby Recovery 
Team. We coordinated with the California Department of Fish and Game 
and a team of stakeholders, which included landowners and managers, 
agency representatives, and non-government organizations.
    The tidewater goby was listed as an endangered species on March 7, 
1994 (59 FR 5494). The tidewater goby is threatened primarily by 
modification and loss of habitat as a result of coastal development, 
channelization of habitat, diversions of water flows, groundwater 
overdrafting, and alteration of water flows.
    This recovery plan describes the status, current management, 
recovery objectives and criteria, and specific actions needed to 
provide a framework for the recovery of the tidewater goby so that 
protection by the ESA is no longer necessary. Actions needed to recover 
the tidewater goby include: (1) Monitor, protect, and enhance currently 
occupied tidewater goby habitat; (2) conduct biological research to 
enhance the ability to integrate land use practices with tidewater goby 
recovery and revise recovery tasks as pertinent new information becomes 
available; (3) evaluate and implement translocation where appropriate; 
and (4) increase public awareness about tidewater gobies.

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

    Dated: December 8, 2005.
Ken McDermond,
Acting Manager, California/Nevada Operations Office, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E6-696 Filed 1-20-06; 8:45 am]
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