[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 128 (Wednesday, July 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 40104]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-15965]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XC744


Endangered and Threatened Species; Notice of Intent To Prepare a 
Recovery Plan for Pacific Eulachon

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is announcing its 
intent to prepare a recovery plan for Pacific eulachon (Thaleichthys 
pacificus) (eulachon) and requests information from the public. NMFS is 
required by the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), as amended to 
develop plans for the conservation and survival of federally listed 
species, i.e., recovery plans.

DATES: To allow adequate time to conduct a review of information 
submitted, all information must be received no later than August 2, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: Information may be submitted by any of the following 
methods:
     Via email: [email protected] (No files larger 
than 5MB can be accepted).
     Via U.S. mail: Robert Anderson, National Marine Fisheries 
Service, 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97232 ATTN: 
Eulachon Recovery Coordinator.
     Hand delivered: National Marine Fisheries Service, 1201 NE 
Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97232 ATTN: Eulachon Recovery 
Coordinator. Business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays.
     Via fax: 503-230-5441. Please include the following on the 
cover page of the fax ``ATTN: Eulachon Recovery Coordinator.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Anderson, Eulachon Recovery 
Coordinator, (503) 231-2226.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    NMFS is charged with the recovery of eulachon, a species listed 
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Recovery means that 
listed species and their ecosystems are restored, and their future 
secured, so that the protections of the ESA are no longer necessary. 
The ESA specifies that recovery plans must include: (1) A description 
of management actions 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; and (3) estimates of the time and costs required to 
achieve the plan's goal and the intermediate steps towards that goal. 
Section 4(f) of the ESA, as amended in 1988, requires that public 
notice and an opportunity for public review and comment be provided 
during recovery plan development. We are soliciting relevant 
information on eulachon and their freshwater/marine habitats.
    Such information should address the following ESA listing factors: 
(1) Destruction or modification of habitat; (2) overutilization for 
commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes; (3) 
disease or predation; (4) inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; 
or (5) other natural or human factors; and information on (a) 
strategies and/or actions to address limiting factors and threats; (b) 
estimates of the time and cost to implement recovery actions; (c) 
critical knowledge gaps and/or uncertainties that need to be resolved 
to better inform recovery efforts; and (d) research, monitoring and 
evaluation needs to address knowledge gaps and uncertainties, or to 
assess the species' status, limiting factors and threats relative to 
recovery goals. Upon completion, the proposed Recovery Plan will be 
available for public review and comment through the publication of a 
Federal Register Notice.

Preliminary Conservation Strategy

    We have developed a Recovery Outline for eulachon as a preliminary 
conservation strategy that will guide recovery actions in a systematic, 
cohesive way until a recovery plan is available. The Recovery Outline 
may be accessed at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/protected_species/other/eulachon_columbia_river_smelt/pacific_eulachon.html.

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

    Dated: June 28, 2013.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, 
National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-15965 Filed 7-2-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P