[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 192 (Tuesday, October 4, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 61379]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-25483]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R2-ES-2011-N183; 21450-1113-0000-C2]


Final Recovery Plan, Bexar County Karst Invertebrates

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability 
of our final recovery plan, for the nine Bexar County Karst 
Invertebrates under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended 
(Act). These species occur in Bexar County, Texas.

ADDRESSES: You may download the recovery plan from the internet at 
http://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html, or you may 
obtain a copy from Cyndee Watson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 10711 
Burnet Road, Suite 200, Austin, TX (512-490-0057 ext. 223).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adam Zerrenner, at the above address; 
by phone at 512-490-0057, ext. 249; or by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    Recovering 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 and the 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Recovery means improvement of the status 
of listed species to the point at which listing is no longer 
appropriate under the criteria set out in section 4(a)(1) of the Act. 
The Act requires the development of recovery plans for listed species, 
unless such a plan would not promote the conservation of a particular 
species.

Species' History

    The following nine Bexar County karst invertebrates were listed as 
endangered species on December 26, 2000 (65 FR 81419): Rhadine exilis, 
R. infernalis, Batrisodes venyivi, Texella cokendolpheri, Neoleptoneta 
microps, Cicurina baronia, C. madla, C. venii, and C. vespera. These 
invertebrates are troglobites, spending their entire lives 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.

Final Recovery Plan

    The final 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. It also has incorporated public 
and peer review comments as applicable. 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, and then 
preserving these karst habitats, including their drainage basins and 
surface communities upon which they rely. Some of the changes from the 
draft recovery plan include changes in the acreage requirements for 
medium and high quality preserves as well as the configuration of the 
preserves required to meet the recovery criteria. 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 three of these 
species are known to occur in only one cave, full recovery may not be 
possible for these species.

Authority

    We developed our final recovery plan under the authority of section 
4(f) of the Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f). We publish this notice under 
section 4(f) Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 
et seq.).

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

    Dated: September 13, 2011.
Joy E. Nicholopoulos,
Acting Regional Director, Southwest Region, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-25483 Filed 10-3-11; 8:45 am]
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