[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 217 (Thursday, November 12, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58245-58246]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-27314]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XS83


Endangered and Threatened Species: Recovery Plan Preparation for 
the Threatened Southern Distinct Population Segment of North American 
Green Sturgeon

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

ACTION:  Notice of intent to prepare a recovery plan; request for 
information.

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SUMMARY:  NMFS announces its intent to develop a recovery plan for the 
Southern Distinct Population Segment of North American green sturgeon 
(Acipenser medirostris; hereafter, ``sDPS green sturgeon'') and also 
requests information from the public. The sDPS green sturgeon is listed 
as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). NMFS is required 
by the ESA to develop and implement recovery plans for the conservation 
and survival of ESA-listed species. NMFS will be coordinating with 
state, Federal, tribal, and local entities in California, Oregon, 
Washington, Canada, and Alaska to develop the recovery plan.

DATES:  Information related to this notice will be accepted, and 
incorporated appropriately, at any time during the recovery planning 
process. However, the first meeting of the recovery team is scheduled 
for December 10-11, 2009, and therefore information must be received by 
December 8, 2009, to be included during that meeting. In order to best 
facilitate a smooth process, NMFS strongly encourages public 
participation as early as possible. An initial meeting with 
stakeholders is likely to occur in early 2010.

ADDRESSES:  You may submit information by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: Information may be submitted by e-mail to 
[email protected]. Include in the subject line of the e-
mail the following identifier: Information for sDPS green sturgeon 
recovery plan.
     Mail: David Woodbury, National Marine Fisheries Service, 
Southwest Region, 777 Sonoma Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95404-4731.
     Fax: (707) 578-3435, Attention: David Woodbury.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  David Woodbury, NMFS Southwest 
Region, at (707) 575-6088 or [email protected].

[[Page 58246]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ESA requires that the Secretary of 
Commerce develop and implement recovery plans for the conservation and 
survival of threatened and endangered species. Recovery is defined as 
an ``improvement in the status of listed species to the point at which 
listing is no longer appropriate'' (50 CFR 402.02). Recovery plans 
provide blueprints to determine priority recovery actions for funding 
and implementation. The ESA specifies that recovery plans must, to the 
maximum extent practicable, incorporate into each plan: (1) a 
description of site-specific management actions that may be necessary 
to achieve the plan's goals for the conservation and survival of the 
species; (2) objective, measurable criteria which, when met, would 
result in the species being removed from the list of threatened and 
endangered species; and (3) estimates of the time required and costs to 
achieve the plan's goal and to achieve intermediate steps toward that 
goal. NMFS has also developed interim recovery planning guidance that 
provides additional information to ensure consistency among recovery 
plans developed for all species managed by NMFS. This guidance 
emphasizes the importance of stakeholder involvement throughout the 
recovery planning process. In developing the draft recovery plan for 
the sDPS green sturgeon, NMFS will consider all of the information 
received in response to this notice and solicitation. In addition, NMFS 
will publish the draft recovery plan in the Federal Register for public 
comment.
    NMFS requests relevant information from the public that should be 
addressed during preparation of the draft recovery plan for the 
threatened sDPS green sturgeon. Such information should address: (a) 
biological and other criteria for removing the species from the list of 
threatened and endangered species; (b) factors that are presently 
limiting or threaten to limit the survival and conservation of the sDPS 
green sturgeon; (c) actions to address these limiting factors and 
threats; (d) estimates of the time and cost to implement recovery 
actions; and (e) research, monitoring, and evaluation needs.
    NMFS understands that stakeholder participation in the recovery 
planning process is critical to the success of implementing the 
recovery plan. As such, NMFS requests that stakeholders identify 
themselves in order to receive notices of upcoming meetings and to 
receive draft documents to provide comments. For those receiving this 
notice, please forward to those that may be either interested in 
participating directly or may have knowledge to lend that would benefit 
the plan, and thus green sturgeon.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.

    Dated: November 6, 2009.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. E9-27314 Filed 11-10-09; 8:45 am]
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