[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 212 (Thursday, November 2, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 64512]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-18505]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

[I.D. 092006B]


Endangered and Threatened Species; Recovery Plan for White 
Abalone

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of Availability; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces the 
availability of the draft White Abalone Recovery Plan (Plan) for public 
review. NMFS is soliciting review and comment from the public and all 
interested parties on the Plan, and will consider all substantive 
comments received during the review period before submitting the Plan 
for final approval.

DATES: Comments on the draft Plan must be received by close of business 
on December 18, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     E-Mail: [email protected].
     Fax: 1-562-980-4027, Attention: Melissa Neuman.
     Mail: Submit written information to Chief, Protected 
Resources Division, Southwest Region, National Marine Fisheries 
Service, 501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802 4213.
    The draft Plan can be obtained via the Internet at: http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov or by submitting a request to the Assistant Regional 
Administrator, Protected Resources Division, Southwest Region, NMFS, 
501 West Ocean Blvd., Suite 4200, Long Beach, CA 90802-4213.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Neuman, NMFS, Southwest Region 
(562) 980-4115.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: White abalone (Haliotis sorenseni) was 
listed as the first federally endangered marine invertebrate under the 
United States Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) in May 2001. The ESA 
(15 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) requires that NOAA's National Marine Fisheries 
Service (NMFS) develop and implement recovery plans for the 
conservation and survival of threatened and endangered species under 
its jurisdiction, unless it is determined that such plans would not 
promote the conservation of the species. Accordingly, during the summer 
of 2002, NMFS appointed a recovery team comprised of experts in the 
fields of abalone biology and ecology, conservation biology, genetics, 
population dynamics and modeling, pathology, aquaculture, and marine 
policy to develop a recovery plan as mandated by the ESA.
    The purposes of this Recovery Plan are to: (1) delineate those 
aspects of white abalone biology, life history, and threats that are 
pertinent to its endangerment and recovery; (2) outline and justify a 
strategy to achieve recovery; (3) identify the actions necessary to 
achieve recovery; (4) identify goals and criteria by which to measure 
the achievement of recovery; (5) serve as an outreach tool by 
articulating the reasons for white abalone's endangerment, and by 
explaining why the particular suite of recovery actions described is 
the most effective and efficient approach to achieving recovery; (6) 
help potential cooperators and partners understand the rationale behind 
the recovery actions identified, and assist them in identifying how 
they can facilitate recovery; (7) serve as a tool for monitoring 
recovery activities; and (8) be used to obtain funding for NMFS and its 
partners by identifying necessary recovery actions and their relative 
priority in the recovery process. NMFS' ultimate goal is to increase 
white abalone abundance to viable and self-sustaining levels such that 
the species can be downlisted to threatened status and eventually 
removed from the Endangered Species List.
    NMFS sought a scientific review of the draft Plan by 12 experts in 
October 2005. NMFS requested that the scientific reviewers consider: 
(1) issues and assumptions relating to the biological and ecological 
information of the draft Plan, and (2) scientific data relating to the 
tasks in the proposed recovery program. Four reviewers responded to 
NMFS' request. The recovery team reconvened in June 2006 to consider 
the reviewer's comments and incorporate changes to the draft Plan 
accordingly. NMFS will consider all substantive comments and 
information presented during the public comment period in the course of 
finalizing this Plan.

    Dated: October 27, 2006.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E6-18505 Filed 11-1-06; 8:45 am]
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