[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 51 (Thursday, March 16, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13625-13626]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-3802]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for Silene 
spaldingii (Spalding's Catchfly)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability for review and comment.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the 
availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for Silene spaldingii 
(Spalding's Catchfly) for public review and comment. Silene spaldingii, 
a plant native to portions of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and 
British Columbia, Canada, was listed as a threatened species under the 
Endangered Species Act on October 10, 2001 (66 FR 51598).

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or 
before May 15, 2006.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft recovery plan are available for 
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the 
following locations: Snake River Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Suite 368, Boise, Idaho 
83709 (telephone: 208-378-5243; fax: 208-378-5262); Helena Office, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, 100 N. Park, Suite 320, Helena, Montana 
59601 (telephone: 406-449-5322; fax: 406-449-5339); La Grande Office, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 3502 Highway 30, La Grande, Oregon 
97850 (telephone: 541-962-8584; fax: 541-962-8581); and Upper Columbia 
Fish and Wildlife Office, 11103 East Montgomery Drive, Suite 2, 
Spokane, Washington 99206 (telephone: 509-665-3508; fax: 509-665-3509). 
Requests for copies of the document should be addressed to the Field 
Supervisor at the above offices. An electronic copy of the draft 
recovery plan is also available online at http://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/index.html#plans and at http://idahoes.fws.gov.
    For all comments submitted, a subject line must state ``Spalding's 
catchfly comments'' and include the name and address of the person 
submitting the comments. Comments may be submitted electronically at 
the following e-mail address: [email protected]. Written comments 
may be sent directly to the Field Supervisor at the above Boise address 
or by facsimile to 208-378-5262.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Duke, Division Chief, at the 
above Boise address (telephone: 208-387-5345; e-mail: [email protected]).

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. The 
Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) (ESA) 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.
    Section 4(f) of the ESA 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 may result in changes to the 
recovery 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.
    Silene spaldingii (Spalding's catchfly) is a long-lived perennial 
forb in the pink or carnation family (Caryophyllaceae) with four to 
seven pairs of lance-shaped leaves and small greenish-white flowers. 
The green portions of the plant are covered in sticky hairs that often 
catch debris and small insects, hence the common name of the plant, 
``Spalding's catchfly.'' Silene spaldingii is currently known from 85 
primarily small populations; only 7 of these have more than 500 
individuals, and an additional 20 populations have at least 100 
individuals. Occupied habitat includes five physiographic regions in 
Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Montana, and British Colombia. These regions 
are as follows: the Palouse Grasslands in west-central Idaho and 
southeastern Washington, the Channeled Scablands in eastern Washington, 
the Blue Mountain Basins in northeastern Oregon, the Canyon Grasslands 
of the Snake River and its tributaries in Washington and Idaho, and the 
Intermontane Valleys of northwestern Montana and southern British 
Columbia.
    Silene spaldingii is impacted by habitat loss due to human 
development, habitat degradation associated with domestic livestock and 
wildlife grazing, and invasions of aggressive nonnative plants. In 
addition, a loss of genetic fitness is a problem for many small, 
fragmented populations where genetic exchange is limited. Other impacts 
include changes in fire frequency and seasonality, off-road vehicle 
use, and herbicide spraying and drift.
    The objective of this recovery plan is to recover Silene spaldingii 
by protecting and maintaining reproducing, self-sustaining populations 
in identified key conservation areas in each of its five distinct 
physiographic regions. Under the draft recovery plan this would be 
accomplished by developing habitat management plans at those key 
conservation areas that provide a strategy for managing Silene 
spaldingii and effectively address the threats to the

[[Page 13626]]

species. Key conservation areas would need to support at least 500 
reproducing individuals of Silene spaldingii, be composed of at least 
80 percent native vegetation, have adjacent habitat to support 
pollinating insects, and are not small or fragmented (intact habitat, 
preferably at least 40 acres [16 hectares] in size). Delisting of 
Silene spaldingii would be considered when 26 populations occur 
rangewide at key conservation areas. Populations at these key 
conservation areas would have to demonstrate stable or increasing 
population trends for at least 20 years, nonnative plants would have to 
be successfully controlled, and prescribed burning must be conducted to 
mimic historical fire regimes and with care not to impact Silene 
spaldingii or to exacerbate invasive nonnative plant populations. Seed 
banking would have to also occur across the species' range, and a post-
delisting monitoring program would be developed and ready for 
implementation at the time of delisting.

Public Comments Solicited

    We solicit 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: October 20, 2005.
David J. Wesley,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
 [FR Doc. E6-3802 Filed 3-15-06; 8:45 am]
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