[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 96 (Friday, May 16, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28494-28495]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-10996]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R2-ES-2008-N0116; 21012-11130000-C2]


Draft Bexar County Karst Invertebrates Recovery Plan

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
availability of the Draft Bexar County Karst Invertebrates Recovery 
Plan. We are soliciting review and comment from the public on this 
draft recovery plan.

DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive comments by July 15, 
2008.

ADDRESSES: You may obtain copies of the draft recovery plan from Cyndee 
Watson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 
200, Austin, Texas, (512-490-0057 ext. 223) or download it 
from the internet at  http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Library/ (type 
``Bexar County'' in the document title search field).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adam Zerrenner, Field Supervisor, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, 10711 Burnet Road Suite 200, 
Austin, Texas 78758; telephone 512-490-0057 ext 249.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended (16 U.S.C. 
1531 et. seq.) 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, as amended in 1988, 
requires that public notice and an opportunity for public review and 
comment be provided during recovery plan development. The Service 
considers all information provided during a public comment period prior 
to approval of each new recovery plan. The Service and others take 
these comments into account in the course of implementing recovery 
plans.
    Nine Bexar County karst invertebrates were listed as endangered 
species on December 26, 2000 (65 FR 81419 81433). These invertebrates 
are troglobites, spending their entire lives

[[Page 28495]]

underground. They inhabit caves and mesocaverns (humanly impassable 
voids in karst limestone) in Bexar County, Texas. They are 
characterized by small or absent eyes and pale coloration. These 
species are Rhadine exilis, Rhadine infernalis, Batrisodes venyivi, 
Texella cokendolpheri, Neoleptoneta microps, Cicurina baroni, Cicurina 
madla, Cicurina venii, and Cicurina vespera.
    The draft recovery plan includes scientific information about the 
species and provides objectives and actions needed to recover the Bexar 
County karst invertebrates and to ultimately remove them from the list 
of threatened and endangered species. Recovery actions designed to 
achieve these objectives include reducing threats to the species by 
securing an adequate quantity and quality of habitat. This includes 
selecting caves or cave clusters that represent the range of the 
species and potential genetic diversity for the nine species, then 
preserving these karst habitats by preserving their drainage basins and 
surface communities upon which they rely. Because many aspects of the 
population dynamics and habitat requirements of the species are poorly 
understood, recovery is also dependant on incorporating research 
findings into adaptive management actions. Because four of these 
species are known to occur in only one cave, full recovery may not be 
possible for these species.

Public Comments

    To comment on the plan, please mail comments to the Field 
Supervisor, Attention Draft Bexar County Karst Invertebrate Recovery 
Plan, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Austin Ecological Services Field 
Office, 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 200, Austin, Texas 78758. You may also 
submit comments electronically to [email protected] or fax to 512-
490-0974.

Public Availability of Comments

    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying 
information, may be made publicly available at any time. While we will 
try to honor your written request to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

Authority

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

    Dated: April 24, 2008.
Christopher T. Jones,
Acting Regional Director, Region 2.
 [FR Doc. E8-10996 Filed 5-15-08; 8:45 am]
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