[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 122 (Tuesday, June 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 34269-34271]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13872]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R1-ES-2020-N133; FXES11130100000-201-FF01E00000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Recovery 
Plan for Four Subspecies of Mazama Pocket Gopher

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for review and public comment.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the

[[Page 34270]]

availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for Four Subspecies of Mazama 
Pocket Gopher. The four subspecies, listed as threatened under the 
Endangered Species Act, are endemic to Thurston and Pierce Counties, 
Washington. We request review and comment on this draft recovery plan 
from Federal, State, and local agencies; Native American Tribes; and 
the public.

DATES: To ensure consideration, comments on the draft recovery plan 
must be received on or before August 30, 2021. However, we will accept 
information about any species at any time.

ADDRESSES: Document availability: Obtain the recovery plan by any of 
the following methods.
     Internet: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html or http://www.fws.gov/pacific/ecoservices/endangered/recovery/plans.html.
     U.S. mail: Tom McDowell, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
Washington Fish and Wildlife Office, 510 Desmond Drive SE, Suite 102, 
Lacey, WA 98503; or
     Telephone: 360-753-9440.
    Comment submission: You may submit written comments and materials 
by one of the following methods:
     U.S. mail: Tom McDowell, Washington Fish and Wildlife 
Office, at the above U.S. mail address.
     Fax: 360-753-9405.
     Email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brad Thompson, State Supervisor, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Fish and Wildlife Office, at the 
above U.S. mail address; telephone 360-753-4652. If you use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf, call the Federal Relay Service 
at 1-800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(Service), announce the availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for 
Four Subspecies of Mazama Pocket Gopher. The four subspecies, listed as 
threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, are 
burrowing mammals endemic to Thurston and Pierce Counties, Washington. 
The draft recovery plan includes specific goals, objectives, and 
criteria that should be met to consider removing 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.

Background

    The Mazama pocket gopher is a fossorial (burrowing) mammal. In 
April 2014, the following four subspecies of Mazama pocket gopher, 
found in glacial outwash prairie habitats in the south Puget Sound 
region of western Washington State, were listed as threatened species 
pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 
1531 et seq.; Act) (79 FR 19760; April 9, 2014). The draft recovery 
plan covers these four subspecies.

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         Common name             Scientific name          Location
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Roy Prairie pocket gopher...  Thomomys mazama       Pierce County,
                               glacialis.            Washington.
Olympia pocket gopher.......  Thomomys mazama       Thurston County,
                               pugetensis.           Washington.
Tenino pocket gopher........  Thomomys mazama       Thurston County,
                               tumuli.               Washington.
Yelm pocket gopher..........  Thomomys mazama       Thurston County,
                               yelmensis.            Washington.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Recovery Planning Process

    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.

Recovery Planning and Implementation

    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.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 Draft Recovery Plan for Four Subspecies of Mazama Pocket Gopher 
is supported by the Recovery Implementation Strategy, which is 
available at https://www.fws.gov/wafwo/articles.cfm?id=149489725.
    The primary recovery strategy for the four Mazama pocket gopher 
subspecies is to conserve, restore, and properly manage the quantity, 
quality, and connectivity (or configuration) of their habitats to 
address habitat fragmentation, degradation, or loss, as well as to 
address other known threats, to ensure the long-term persistence and 
viability of each subspecies across its range. We may initiate an 
assessment of whether recovery has been achieved and delisting is 
warranted when the recovery criteria have been met, including 
establishment of protected Reserves managed over the long term for 
Mazama pocket gophers in each subspecies' range, with populations of at 
least 1,000 individuals and approximately 250 to 500 acres of medium- 
or high-quality habitat in each Reserve. Minimum numbers of Reserves 
required for each subspecies are as follows: At least three Reserves 
for the Roy Prairie pocket gopher; at least three Reserves for the 
Olympia pocket gopher; at least two Reserves for the Tenino pocket 
gopher; and at least seven Reserves for the Yelm pocket gopher. 
Locations of Reserves are described in detail in the draft recovery 
plan.

Request for Public Comments

    Section 4(f) of the Act requires us to provide public notice and an

[[Page 34271]]

opportunity for public review and comment during recovery plan 
development. It is also our policy to request peer review of recovery 
plans (59 FR 34270; July 1, 1994). In an appendix to the approved final 
recovery plan, we will summarize and respond to the issues raised 
during public comment and peer review. 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 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.).

Robyn Thorson,
Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-13872 Filed 6-28-21; 8:45 am]
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