[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 93 (Monday, May 17, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26740-26741]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-10324]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R1-ES-2020-N089; FXES11130100000-201-FF01E00000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Recovery 
Plan for Five Species From American Samoa

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the 
availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for Five Species from American 
Samoa. The draft recovery plan includes specific goals, objectives, and 
criteria necessary to remove these species from the Federal List of 
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. We request review of this draft 
recovery plan and invite comments from local, Territorial, and Federal 
agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and the public.

DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive written comments on or 
before August 16, 2021. However, we will accept information about the 
species at any time.

ADDRESSES: Reviewing documents: If you wish to review the draft 
recovery plan, you may obtain copies on our website, at https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/Draft_American_Samoa_Recovery_Plan.pdf. 
You may also request copies of the draft recovery plan by contacting 
Grant Canterbury at the email address below.
    Submitting comments: If you wish to comment, submit your comments 
by one of the following methods:
    1. U.S. Mail: You may submit written comments and materials to 
Field Supervisor, Attention: Draft American Samoa Recovery Plan, 
Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3122, Honolulu, HI 96850; or
    2. Email: You may send comments by email to 
[email protected]. Please include ``Draft American Samoa 
Recovery Plan Comments'' in the subject line.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Megan Laut, Recovery Coordinator, at 
the above U.S. mail address, or by telephone at (808) 792-9400. 
Individuals who are hearing impaired may call the Federal Relay Service 
at (800) 877-8339 for TTY assistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(Service), announce the availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for 
Five Species from American Samoa. This recovery plan addresses recovery 
of one mammal (South Pacific subspecies of Pacific sheath-tailed bat or 
peapea vai [Emballonura semicaudata semicaudata], two birds (mao 
[Gymnomyza samoensis] and the American Samoa distinct population 
segment (DPS) of friendly ground-dove or tuaimeo [Gallicolumba 
stairi]), and two snails (Eua zebrina and Ostodes strigatus). The 
snails and the American Samoa DPS of tuaimeo are endemic to American 
Samoa; the mao and peapea vai appear to be extirpated from American 
Samoa, but populations of these species remain extant outside of U.S. 
jurisdiction.

Background

    Recovery of endangered or threatened animals and plants to the 
point where they are again secure, self-sustaining members of their 
ecosystems is a primary goal of our endangered species program and the 
Endangered Species Act (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Recovery means 
improvement of the status of listed species to the point at which 
listing is no longer appropriate under the criteria set out in section 
4(a)(1) of the ESA. The ESA requires the

[[Page 26741]]

development of recovery plans for listed species, unless such a plan 
would not promote the conservation of a particular species.
    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 ESA are no longer needed. Recovery plans must 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 species' biology and threats and its recovery needs and related 
implementation issues or concerns, to ensure that we have assembled, 
considered, and incorporated the best available scientific and 
commercial information into the draft recovery plan.
    Recovery plans provide important guidance to the Service, States, 
other partners, and the public on methods of minimizing threats to 
listed species and 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.
    The recovery criteria established in a recovery plan (such as those 
proposed in this draft recovery plan) will serve as an indicator that a 
review of the species' status is advisable. We may consider 
downlisting, or if appropriate, removal from the Federal List of 
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife following a five-factor threats 
analysis in accordance with section 4(a)(1) of the ESA.

Draft Recovery Plan

    The draft recovery plan recommends a combination of recovery 
actions including biosecurity measures; control of introduced predators 
including rats, cats and invertebrates; forest habitat protection; 
species surveys and research; and translocation to additional islands.

Request for Public Comments

    Section 4(f) of the ESA requires us to provide public notice and an 
opportunity for public review and comment during recovery plan 
development. It is also our policy to request peer review of recovery 
plans (July 1, 1994; 59 FR 34270). 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 they can be taken into account during the course of 
implementing recovery actions. Responses to individual commenter will 
not be provided. However, we will provide a summary of how we addressed 
substantive comments in an appendix to the approved recovery plan.
    We invite written comments on the draft recovery plan. In 
particular, we are interested in additional information regarding the 
current threats to the species, ongoing beneficial management efforts, 
and the costs associated with implementing the recommended recovery 
actions.

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--will be publicly available. If you submit a hardcopy 
comment that includes personal identifying information, you may request 
at the top of your document that we withhold this information from 
public review. However, we cannot guarantee 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)).

Rolland White,
Acting Deputy Regional Director.
[FR Doc. 2021-10324 Filed 5-14-21; 8:45 am]
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