[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 131 (Monday, July 9, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31766-31767]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-14683]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2015-N040; FXES11130400000C2-156-FF04E00000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Recovery 
Plan for Coqu[iacute] Llanero

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for public comment.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the 
availability of the draft recovery plan for the endangered coqu[iacute] 
llanero, a frog endemic to Puerto Rico. The draft recovery plan 
includes specific recovery objectives and criteria that must be met in 
order for us to remove this species from listing under the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended. 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 September 7, 2018.

ADDRESSES: 
    Document availability: You may obtain a copy of this draft recovery 
plan by contacting Jan Zegarra, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
Caribbean Ecological Services Field Office, P.O. Box 491, 
Boquer[oacute]n, PR 00622; tel. (787) 851-7297; or by visiting the 
Service's Caribbean Field Office website at https://www.fws.gov/caribbean/ES/Index.html.
    Comment submission: You may submit comments by one of the following 
methods:
    1. Submit written comments and materials by mail or hand-delivery 
to Jan Zegarra, at the above address.
    2. Fax them to (787) 851-7440.
    3. Send comments by email to [email protected]. Please include 
``Coqu[iacute] llanero Draft Recovery Plan Comments'' in the subject 
line.
    For additional information about submitting comments, see Request 
for Public Comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jan Zegarra at (787) 851-7297, or see 
ADDRESSES for further methods of contact.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
announce the availability of the draft recovery plan for the endangered 
coqu[iacute] llanero (Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi). The draft 
recovery plan includes specific recovery objectives and criteria that 
must be met in order for us to remove this species from listing under 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.). We request review and comment on this draft recovery plan from 
local, State, and Federal agencies and the public.

Background

    The coqu[iacute] llanero is a small frog species endemic to Puerto 
Rico. In 2007, it was described as a new species of the genus 
Eleutherodactylus, family Leptodactylidae. Males measure approximately 
0.58 in (14.7 mm), and females 0.62 in (15.8 mm). It has the smallest 
clutch size of all Eleutherodactylus species on Puerto Rico, and a 
high-frequency call. The only population estimate available for the 
coqu[iacute] llanero indicates a mean population size of 473.3  186 individuals per ha (or 192 per ac; R[iacute]os-L[oacute]pez 
pers. comm. 2011).
    The coqu[iacute] llanero is currently known to be restricted to one 
freshwater herbaceous wetland in the municipality of Toa Baja, Puerto 
Rico. The herbaceous vegetation in the wetland consists of Blechnum 
serrulatum (toothed midsorus fern), Thelypteris interrupta (willdenow's 
maiden fern), Sagittaria lancifolia (bulltongue arrowhead), Cyperus sp. 
(flatsedges), Eleocharis sp. (spike rushes), and vines and grasses 
(R[iacute]os-L[oacute]pez and Thomas 2007). The species is currently 
threatened by the combined influences of urban development, activities 
associated with the operation and future closure of the Toa Baja 
municipal landfill, activities associated with clearing water channels 
for flood control, and invasive wetland plant species. Additional 
threats include restricted distribution and highly specialized 
ecological requirements, which may exacerbate other potential threats 
like landfill leachate pollution, the use of herbicides, brush fires, 
competition, and environmental effects resulting from climate change.
    Under the ESA, the Service added the coqu[iacute] llanero as an 
endangered species to the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened 
Wildlife in title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations on October 4, 
2012 (77 FR 60778). The 2012 final rule also designated critical 
habitat, covering an area of 615 ac (249 ha), for the species.
    The recovery strategy for the coqu[iacute] llanero includes 
protection and management of occupied habitat and suitable unoccupied 
habitat for potential future introductions, and addresses immediate 
threats that led to its listing. Because of stressors like reduced 
geographic distribution, limited dispersal capabilities, and the 
species' specialized breeding requirements, the species is likely to 
have reduced adaptive capacity. Therefore, in order to meet the 
recovery goal of delisting, we must increase the number of coqu[iacute] 
llanero populations. This strategy seeks to safeguard the only existing 
coqu[iacute] llanero population in case the species does not withstand 
or recover from a stochastic or catastrophic event.
    Section 4(f) of the ESA 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 downlisting or delisting, and estimate time and cost for 
implementing recovery measures. Section 4(f) of the ESA also 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.

[[Page 31767]]

Recovery Plan

    The ultimate recovery goal is to remove the coqu[iacute] llanero 
from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (delist) at 
50 CFR 17.11(h) by ensuring the long-term viability of the species in 
the wild. In the recovery plan, we define the following reasonable 
delisting criteria based on the best available information on the 
species. These criteria will be reevaluated as new information becomes 
available:
    1. Three viable * coqu[iacute] llanero populations demonstrate 
stable or increasing population trends (addresses Listing Factors A and 
E).
    2. Habitat for three viable coqu[iacute] llanero populations is 
protected in perpetuity through a conservation mechanism (e.g., land 
acquisition, conservation easements) (addresses Listing Factor A).
    3. Threats and causes of decline have been reduced or eliminated to 
a degree that the coqu[iacute] llanero does not need protection under 
the Act (e.g., developing management plans, public awareness and 
education) (addresses Listing Factor A and E).
    * The term ``viable'' is defined in the draft recovery plan.

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.
    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: June 29, 2018.
Michael Oetker,
Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2018-14683 Filed 7-6-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P