[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 57 (Friday, March 26, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 16232-16233]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-06234]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2021-N016; FXES11130100000C4-190-FF02ENEH00]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Four Draft 
Recovery Plans

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; opening of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the 
availability for public review and comment of four draft recovery 
plans. The endangered or threatened species are in Alabama, Florida, 
Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The draft 
recovery plans include specific recovery objectives and criteria based 
on the species status assessment. We request review and comment on 
these draft recovery plans from local, State, and Federal agencies, 
nongovernmental organizations, Tribes, and the public.

DATES: We must receive comments on the draft recovery plans on or 
before April 26, 2021.

ADDRESSES:
    Reviewing documents: If you wish to review the recovery plans, you 
may obtain copies from the website addresses in the table in 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. You may also request copies of the draft 
recovery plans by contacting the individuals listed in the table.
    Submitting comments: If you wish to comment, see the table in 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION and submit your comments by the following 
method:
    1. Email: You may send comments by email to the identified contact 
person's email address in the table, for each species. Please include 
``Draft Recovery Plan Revision Comments'' in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information, contact Aaron 
Valenta, at 404-679-4144 or [email protected]. For information on a 
particular species, contact the appropriate person listed in the table 
for that species in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. Individuals who are 
hearing impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339 for 
TTY assistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The purpose of a recovery plan is to provide a feasible and 
effective roadmap for a species' recovery, with the goal of improving 
its status and managing its threats to the point at which protections 
under the Endangered Species Act (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531, et seq.) are no 
longer needed. Section 4(f)(1) of the ESA requires development of 
recovery plans for listed species unless a plan would not promote the 
conservation of a particular species. Recovery plans should be designed 
so that all stakeholders and the public understand the rationale behind 
the recovery program, whether they were involved in writing the plan or 
not, and recognize their role in its implementation. We are requesting 
submission of any information that enhances the necessary understanding 
of the (1) species' biology and threats, (2) recovery needs and related 
implementation issues or concerns, and (3) information on ongoing 
beneficial management efforts to ensure that we have assembled, 
considered, and incorporated the most current and highest quality 
information, into the draft recovery plans for these four species.
    Recovery plans provide important guidance to the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service (Service), States, other partners, and the general 
public on methods of minimizing threats to listed species and

[[Page 16233]]

objectives against which to measure the progress towards recovery; they 
are guidance and not regulatory documents. A recovery plan identifies, 
organizes, and prioritizes recovery actions and is an important guide 
that ensures sound scientific decision-making throughout the recovery 
process, which can take decades. Writing robust recovery plans ensures 
that threatened species and endangered species benefit from timely 
partner-coordinated implementation, based on the most current and 
highest quality information.
    We must submit draft recovery plans for public notice and comment 
under section 4(f)(4) of the ESA, including (1) a Federal Register 
notice of availability to give opportunity for public review and 
comment and (2) consideration of all information presented during the 
public comment period, prior to their approval by the Regional 
Director. When finalized, recovery plans will be made publicly 
available on the internet through our Environmental Conservation Online 
System (ECOS; https://ecos.fws.gov).

What plans are being made available for public review and comment?

    This notice announces our draft recovery plans for the species 
listed in the table below.


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                                                            Listing                                              Contact person,      Contact person's
                                       Scientific name    status \1\   Current  range    Recovery plan name       phone, email        U.S. mail address
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Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander..  Ambystoma bishopi...          E   AL, GA, FL......  U.S. Fish and         Lourdes Mena, 904-    U.S. Fish and
                                                                                         Wildlife Service      731-3134, Lourdes_    Wildlife Service,
                                                                                         Draft Recovery Plan   [email protected].         South Florida
                                                                                         for the Reticulated                         Ecological Services
                                                                                         Flatwoods                                   Office, 1339 20th
                                                                                         Salamander                                  Street, Vero Beach,
                                                                                         (Ambystoma bishopi).                        FL 32960.
Frosted Flatwoods Salamander......  Ambystoma cingulatum          T   SC, GA, FL......  U.S. Fish and         Lourdes Mena, 904-    U.S. Fish and
                                                                                         Wildlife Service      731-3134, Lourdes_    Wildlife Service,
                                                                                         Draft Recovery Plan   [email protected].         South Florida
                                                                                         for the Frosted                             Ecological Services
                                                                                         Flatwoods                                   Office, 1339 20th
                                                                                         Salamander                                  Street, Vero Beach,
                                                                                         (Ambystoma                                  FL 32960.
                                                                                         cingulatum).
Fluted Kidneyshell................  Ptychobranchus                E   AL, KY, TN, VA..  U.S. Fish and         Lee Andrews, 502-695- Interior Region 1--
                                     subtentum (=sub                                     Wildlife Service      0468, x108, Lee_      North Atlantic-
                                     tentus).                                            Draft Recovery Plan   [email protected].      Appalachian
                                                                                         for the Fluted                              (Kentucky), 330
                                                                                         Kidneyshell                                 West Broadway, Room
                                                                                         (Ptychobranchus                             265 Frankfort, KY
                                                                                         subtentum                                   40601.
                                                                                         (=subtentus)).
Kentucky Glade Cress..............  Leavenworthia exigua          T   KY..............  U.S. Fish and         Lee Andrews, 502-695- Interior Region 1--
                                     var. laciniata.                                     Wildlife Service      0468, x108, Lee_      North Atlantic-
                                                                                         Draft Recovery Plan   [email protected].      Appalachian
                                                                                         for the Kentucky                            (Kentucky), 330
                                                                                         Glade Cress                                 West Broadway, Room
                                                                                         (Leavenworthia                              265 Frankfort, KY
                                                                                         exigua var.                                 40601.
                                                                                         laciniata).
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\1\ E = endangered; T = threatened.
\2\ Denotes a partial revision (i.e., amendment) to the recovery plan.
\3\ Denotes a full revision of the recovery plan.

How do I ask questions or provide information?

    For any species listed above, please submit your questions, 
comments, and materials to the appropriate contact in the table above. 
Individuals who are hearing impaired or speech impaired may call the 
Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339 for TTY assistance.

Request for Public Comments

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

Public Availability of Comments

    All comments received, including names and addresses, will become 
part of the administrative record and will be available to the public. 
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)).

Leopoldo Miranda-Castro,
Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 2021-06234 Filed 3-25-21; 8:45 am]
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