[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 44 (Friday, March 6, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 12146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-05192]
[[Page 12146]]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
RIN 0648-XC598
Endangered and Threatened Species; Availability of the Final
Recovery Plan for Staghorn and Elkhorn Corals
AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announces the
adoption of a Final Endangered Species Act recovery plan for elkhorn
coral and staghorn coral. The Final Recovery Plan (Plan) for Elkhorn
Coral (Acropora palmata) and Staghorn Coral (Acropora cervicornis) is
now available.
ADDRESSES: Electronic copies of the Plan are available on the NMFS Web
site at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/recovery/plans.htm and on the
Southeast Regional Office Web site at http://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/protected_resources/coral/.
A copy of the Plan can be obtained by writing to: Assistant
Regional Administrator for Protected Resources, NMFS, Southeast
Regional Office, 263 13th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, Attn:
Acropora Recovery Plan.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Alison Moulding (727-824-5312), email
[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA), as amended (16 U.S.C.
1531 et seq.) requires NMFS to develop and implement recovery plans for
the conservation and survival of threatened and endangered species,
unless it is determined that such plans would not result in the
conservation of the species. NMFS designated elkhorn and staghorn
corals as ``threatened'' under the ESA in May 2006. In September 2014,
NMFS published a final rule maintaining the status of elkhorn and
staghorn corals as threatened species. NMFS published a Notice of
Availability and requested public comments on the Draft Recovery Plan
for Elkhorn Coral and Staghorn Coral (Draft Plan) in the Federal
Register on September 5, 2014. We revised the Draft Plan based on the
comments received, and this final version now constitutes the Recovery
Plan for Elkhorn Coral (Acropora palmata) and Staghorn Coral (Acropora
cervicornis).
The Final Plan
Recovery plans describe actions beneficial for the conservation and
recovery of species listed under the ESA. Section 4(f)(1) of the ESA
requires that recovery plans incorporate, to the maximum extent
practicable: (1) Objective, measurable criteria which, when met, would
result in a determination that the species is no longer threatened or
endangered; (2) site-specific management actions necessary to achieve
the Plan's goals; and (3) estimates of the time required and costs to
implement recovery actions. The ESA requires the development of
recovery plans for each listed species unless a recovery plan would not
promote a species' conservation.
The purpose of the Plan is to rebuild and assure the long-term
viability of elkhorn and staghorn coral populations in the wild,
allowing ultimately for the species' removal from the federal list of
endangered and threatened species. The goal of the Plan is to increase
the abundance and to protect the genetic diversity of elkhorn and
staghorn coral populations throughout their geographical ranges while
sufficiently abating threats to warrant delisting of both species.
Elkhorn and staghorn coral populations should be large enough to
include numerous groups of successfully reproducing individuals,
including thickets, across the historical range of these species. These
groups should be large enough to protect genetic diversity and maintain
ecosystem function. The recovery approach includes research and
monitoring to identify, reduce, or eliminate threats so the recovery
objectives outlined in the Plan have the greatest likelihood of being
achieved. Because some threats to elkhorn and staghorn corals cannot be
directly managed (e.g., disease), the Plan pursues concurrent actions
to address both global and local threats. Population enhancement is
also an integral part of elkhorn and staghorn recovery through
restoration, restocking, and active management. Ecosystem-level actions
are identified to improve habitat quality and restore community
structure and ecological functions, such as herbivory, to sustain adult
colonies and enable successful recruitment in the wild over the long
term. The goal, objectives, and criteria of the Plan represent NMFS'
expectation of conditions to recover elkhorn and staghorn corals so
they no longer need the protective measures provided by the ESA.
The recovery criteria in the Plan are based on the current
literature and expert consensus. In some cases, the current best
available information is so limited that it is not practicable to
identify recovery criteria. Instead, interim criteria are identified to
gather and obtain the information necessary to establish final recovery
criteria. Recovery criteria can be viewed as targets, or values, by
which progress toward achievement of recovery objectives can be
measured. In the Plan we frame recovery criteria both in terms of
population parameters (Population-based Recovery Criteria) and the five
ESA listing factors (Threat-based Recovery Criteria). The Plan also
includes the projected timeframe to recover elkhorn and staghorn corals
and the cost of implementing actions.
Conclusion
NMFS has reviewed the Plan for compliance with the requirements of
ESA section 4(f), determined that it does incorporate the required
elements, and is therefore adopting it as the Final Recovery Plan for
elkhorn and staghorn corals.
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
Dated: March 3, 2015.
Angela Somma,
Chief, Endangered Species Conservation Division, Office of Protected
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2015-05192 Filed 3-5-15; 8:45 am]
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