[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 210 (Wednesday, October 30, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58170-58171]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23633]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R1-ES-2018-N101; FXES11130100000-189-FF01E00000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Recovery 
Plan for the Streaked Horned Lark

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability for review and public comment.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for the Streaked Horned Lark 
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The draft 
recovery plan includes specific goals, objectives, and criteria that 
should be met to remove the species from the Federal List of Endangered 
and Threatened Wildlife. We request review and comment on this draft 
recovery plan from Federal, State, and local agencies; Native American 
Tribes; and the public.

DATES: In order to be considered, comments on the draft recovery plan 
must be received on or before December 30, 2019.

ADDRESSES: 
    Document availability: An electronic copy of the draft recovery 
plan is available at http://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html and http://www.fws.gov/pacific/ecoservices/endangered/recovery/plans.html. Copies of the draft recovery plan are also 
available by request from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon 
Fish and Wildlife Office, 2600 SE 98th Avenue, Suite 100, Portland, 
Oregon 97266; telephone (503) 231-6179.
    Comment submission: If you want to comment, you may submit written 
comments by one of the following methods:
    (1) You may submit written comments and materials via U.S. mail or 
hand-delivery to State Supervisor, Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, at 
the above Portland address.
    (2) You may fax comments to (503) 231-6195.
    (3) You may send comments by email to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Henson, State Supervisor, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, at the 
above Portland address; telephone (503) 231-6179. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf, call the Federal Relay Service 
at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The streaked horned lark (Eremophila alpestris strigata) is a 
ground-nesting songbird occurring in open habitats of western Oregon 
and Washington. In October 2013, the streaked horned lark was listed as 
a threatened species pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; Act) (78 FR 61451; October 3, 2013).
    Recovery of endangered and threatened animals and plants is a 
primary goal of our endangered species program. To help guide the 
recovery effort, we prepare recovery plans for most listed 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.
    The Service has recently revised its approach to recovery planning, 
and is now using a new process termed Recovery Planning and 
Implementation (RPI) (see https://www.fws.gov/endangered/esa-library/pdf/RPI-Feb2017.pdf). The RPI approach is intended to reduce the time 
needed to develop and implement recovery plans, increase recovery plan 
relevancy over a longer timeframe, and add flexibility to recovery 
plans so they can be adjusted to new information or circumstances. 
Under RPI, a recovery plan includes the statutorily-required elements 
under section 4(f) of the Act (objective and measurable recovery 
criteria, site-specific management actions, and estimates of time and 
costs), along with a concise introduction and our strategy for how we 
plan to achieve species recovery. The RPI recovery plan is supported by 
two supplementary documents: A Species Status Assessment or Biological 
Report, which describes the best available scientific information 
related to the biological needs of the species and assessment of 
threats; and the Recovery Implementation Strategy, which details the 
particular near-term activities needed to implement the recovery 
actions identified in the recovery plan. Under this approach new 
information on species biology or details of recovery implementation 
may be incorporated by updating these supplementary documents without 
concurrent revision of the entire recovery plan, unless changes to 
statutorily required elements are necessary.

Recovery Plan Components

    The Streaked Horned Lark Draft Recovery Plan is supported by the 
Streaked Horned Lark Biological Report and the Recovery Implementation 
Strategy, which are available at https://www.fws.gov/pacific/ecoservices/endangered/recovery/larkrecovery.html.
    The primary recovery strategy for the streaked horned lark is to 
reduce or eliminate systemic threats to the species; reduce risk from 
random events and natural catastrophes; conserve genetic variability; 
and provide for long-term survival by protecting, managing, and 
restoring habitat and monitoring populations. We may initiate an 
assessment of whether recovery has been achieved and delisting is 
warranted when the recovery criteria have been met, including: A 
population of at least 5,725 individuals distributed across core sites 
and matrix lands in 3

[[Page 58171]]

occupied recovery zones; stable or increasing populations in each 
recovery zone; management plans implementing permanent or long-term 
conservation provisions at core sites with appropriate lark habitat 
characteristics in each recovery zone; and additional management of 
matrix lands sufficient to meet lark population targets.

Request for Public Comments

    Section 4(f) of the Act requires us to provide public notice and an 
opportunity for public review and comment during recovery plan 
development. In an appendix to the approved final recovery plan, we 
will summarize and respond to the issues raised during public comment. 
Substantive comments may or may not result in changes to the recovery 
plan; comments regarding recovery plan implementation will be forwarded 
as appropriate to Federal or other entities so that they can be taken 
into account during the course of implementing recovery actions.
    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 of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Mary Abrams,
Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2019-23633 Filed 10-29-19; 8:45 am]
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