[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 42 (Monday, March 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12632-12633]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-04279]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2016-N112; FXES11130400000C2-167-FF04E00000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Technical/Agency 
Draft Recovery Plan for the Yellowcheek Darter

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
availability of the technical/agency draft recovery plan for the 
endangered yellowcheek darter, a fish. The draft recovery plan includes 
specific recovery objectives and criteria that must be met in order for 
us to reclassify this species to threatened status and ultimately 
delist it under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). 
We request review and comment on this draft recovery plan from local, 
State, and Federal agencies, and the public.

DATES: In order to be considered, comments on the draft recovery plan 
must be received on or before May 5, 2017.

ADDRESSES: Reviewing documents: If you wish to review this technical/
agency draft recovery plan, you may obtain a copy by contacting Melvin 
Tobin, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arkansas Ecological Services 
Field Office, 110 S. Amity Road, Suite 300, Conway, AR 72032; tel. 501-
513-4473; or by visiting the Service's Arkansas Field Office Web site 
at http://www.fws.gov/arkansas-es.
    Submitting comments: If you wish to comment, you may submit your 
comments by one of the following methods:
    1. You may submit written comments and materials to us, at the 
above address.
    2. You may hand-deliver written comments to our Arkansas Field 
Office, at the above address, or fax them to 501-513-4480.
    3. You may send comments by email to [email protected]. Please 
include ``Yellowcheek Darter Draft Recovery Plan Comments'' on the 
subject line.
    For additional information about submitting comments, see Request 
for Public Comments below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melvin Tobin (see ADDRESSES).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The Act requires the development of recovery plans for listed 
species, unless such a plan would not promote the conservation of a 
particular species. Recovery plans describe actions considered 
necessary for conservation of the species, establish criteria for 
reclassification to threatened or delisting, and estimate time and cost 
for implementing recovery measures. Section 4(f) of the Act requires us 
to provide public notice and an opportunity for public review and 
comment during recovery plan development. We will consider all 
information presented during a public comment period prior to approval 
of each new or revised recovery plan. We and other Federal agencies 
will take these comments into account in the course of implementing 
approved recovery plans.

About the Species

    We listed the yellowcheek darter (Etheostoma moorei) as endangered 
under the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) on August 9, 2011 (76 FR 48722). 
A total of 102 river miles (164 rkm) in four streams (Middle, South, 
Archey, and Devils forks of the Little Red River) in Cleburne, Searcy, 
Stone, and Van Buren Counties, Arkansas was designated as critical 
habitat on October 16, 2012 (77 FR 63604).
    The yellowcheek darter grows to 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) total length 
and is endemic to the Devils, Middle, South, and Archey forks of the 
Little Red River and the mainstem Little Red River in Arkansas. The 
species inhabits high-gradient headwater tributaries with clear water, 
permanent flow, moderate to strong riffles, and gravel, cobble, and 
boulder substrates (Robison and Buchanan 1988). Prey items consumed by 
the yellowcheek darter include blackfly larvae, stoneflies, mayflies, 
and other aquatic insects.

Threats

    The yellowcheek darter is threatened primarily by factors 
associated with the present destruction, modification, or curtailment 
of its habitat or range. Threats include impoundment, sedimentation, 
poor livestock grazing practices, improper timber harvest practices, 
nutrient enrichment, gravel mining, channelization/channel instability, 
and natural gas development. Climate change is also likely to have 
adverse effects on the species due to alteration of hydrologic cycles 
of headwater streams that support the yellowcheek darter, but the 
extent or magnitude of this threat has not been quantified at this 
time.
    We have assigned the yellowcheek darter a recovery priority number 
of 2C (48 FR 43098), which reflects a high degree of threat, and a high 
recovery potential.

Recovery Plan Components

    The ultimate goal of this recovery plan is to ensure the long-term 
viability of the yellowcheek darter in the wild to the point that it 
can be delisted from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened 
Wildlife (50 CFR 17.11). Initially, the goal is to reclassify the 
yellowcheek darter from endangered to threatened status based upon its 
improved status due to the implementation of recovery actions in this 
plan.

Recovery Criteria

    Reclassification from endangered to threatened status: The 
yellowcheek darter will be considered for reclassification to 
threatened when (1) water quality and quantity in the Middle, South, 
and either Archey or Devils Forks, as defined by the best available 
science (to be refined by recovery actions), supports the long-term 
survival of yellowcheek darter in its natural environment (based on 
Safe Harbor enrollment and private landowner conservation efforts); (2) 
streams where the yellowcheek darter occurs contain sufficient 
geomorphically stable channels with relatively silt-free, moderate to 
strong velocity riffles with gravel cobble and boulder substrates that 
support adequate macroinvertebrate prey items; (3) healthy, self-
sustaining (evident by multiple age classes of individuals, including 
naturally recruited juveniles and recruitment rates exceeding mortality 
rates) natural populations of yellowcheek darter are maintained in 
three of four tributaries (Middle, South, and either Archey or Devils 
Forks) at stable or increasing levels for 15 years

[[Page 12633]]

(based on surveys conducted every three years via standard protocol); 
and (4) a captive breeding propagation, augmentation and reintroduction 
plan has been established, and a contingency plan is in place to ensure 
the survival of the species should a catastrophic event affect portions 
of a wild population.
    Delisting: The yellowcheek darter will be considered for removal 
from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife when (1) the 
reclassification criteria have been realized and demonstrated as being 
effective via monitoring efforts; (2) yellowcheek darter populations in 
the Middle, South, and either Archey or Devils Forks continue to be 
self-sustaining, stable or increasing, as defined by the best available 
science (to be refined by recovery actions), for an additional 15 years 
beyond reclassification to threatened status; and (3) commitments are 
in place to maintain conservation measures and recovered status.

Request for Public Comments

    We request written comments on the draft recovery plan. We will 
consider all comments we receive by the date specified in DATES prior 
to final approval of the plan.

Public Availability of Comments

    Before including your address, phone number, email 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 you can 
ask us in your comment 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: January 24, 2017.
Mike Oetker,
Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2017-04279 Filed 3-3-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-55-P