[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 150 (Monday, August 9, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43562-43563]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16908]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-R3-ES-2020-0111; FXES11130300000-201-FF03E00000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Recovery 
Plan for the Poweshiek Skipperling

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 Poweshiek skipperling, 
a butterfly species. We request review and comment on this draft 
recovery plan from local, State, and Federal agencies, and the public.

DATES: We must receive comments by September 8, 2021.

ADDRESSES: 
    Document availability: The draft recovery plan, along with any 
comments and other materials that we receive, will be available for 
public inspection at http://www.regulations.gov in Docket No. FWS-R3-
ES-2020-0111.
    Submitting Comments: You may submit comments by one of the 
following methods:
     Internet: http://www.regulations.gov. Search for and 
submit comments on Docket No. FWS-R3-ES-2020-0111.
     U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. 
FWS-R3-ES-2020-0111; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS: 
PRB/3W; 5275 Leesburg Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
    For more information, see Availability of Public Comments under 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shauna Marquardt, by phone at 952-252-
0092, via email at [email protected], or via the Federal Relay 
Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(Service), announce the availability of the draft recovery plan for the 
endangered Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek) for public review 
and comment. The Poweshiek skipperling is a small prairie butterfly 
most often found in remnants of native prairies and fens. The draft 
recovery plan includes objective, measurable criteria and management 
actions as may be necessary for removal of the species from the Federal 
List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. We request review and 
comment on this draft recovery plan from local, State, and Federal 
agencies, and the public.

Recovery Planning

    Section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended 
(Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), requires the development of recovery 
plans for listed species, unless such a plan would not promote the 
conservation of a particular species. Also pursuant to section 4(f) of 
the Act, a recovery plan must, to the maximum extent practicable, 
include (1) a description of site-specific management actions as may be 
necessary to achieve the plan's goals for the conservation and survival 
of the species; (2) objective, measurable criteria that, when met, 
would support a determination under section 4(a)(1) that the species 
should be removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Species; 
and (3) estimates of the time and costs required to carry out those 
measures needed to achieve the plan's goal and to achieve intermediate 
steps toward that goal.

Species Background

    The Poweshiek skipperling once ranged throughout the upper Midwest, 
from Illinois and Iowa in the south, to Michigan in the east, to North 
Dakota and South Dakota in the west, and southern Manitoba in the 
north. Currently, populations of the Poweshiek skipperling are known to 
occur in Michigan and Manitoba, Canada, and possibly in Wisconsin.
    It is not known exactly what led to the decline in the species; 
however, populations are likely influenced by degradation and 
destruction of habitat through conversion of native prairie to cropland 
or development; ecological succession to woody vegetation; encroachment 
of invasive species; past and present fire, haying, or grazing 
management that degraded or destroyed the species' habitats; flooding; 
and, groundwater depletion, alteration, and contamination. 
Additionally, biocide use may have direct or indirect effects on 
Poweshiek skipperlings, compounding the effects of habitat curtailment. 
The remaining populations of the Poweshiek skipperling are small and 
isolated, and thus they are vulnerable to the effects of small 
population dynamics, further compounding the effects of other 
stressors.
    Under the Act, the Service added the Poweshiek skipperling to the 
Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife as an endangered 
species on October 23, 2014 (79 FR 63671).

[[Page 43563]]

Recovery Criteria

    The draft recovery criteria are summarized below. For the recovery 
strategy, management actions, and estimated time and costs associated 
with recovery, refer to the Draft Recovery Plan for the Poweshiek 
Skipperling (see ADDRESSES for document availability).
    The ultimate recovery goal is to remove the Poweshiek skipperling 
from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 
(``delist'') by ensuring the long-term viability of the species in the 
wild. In the recovery plan, we define the following criteria for 
reclassification (``downlisting'' from endangered to threatened) and 
delisting based on the best available information on the species.

Downlisting Criteria

    To downlist the Poweshiek skipperling, the following criteria 
should be achieved:
    1. Conservation Unit 1 (Southeastern Manitoba, Northwestern 
Minnesota, and Northeastern North Dakota) Criteria: 6 healthy 
populations, with at least two populations in each of Canada and the 
United States.
    2. Conservation Unit 2 (Southeastern North Dakota, Central and 
Southwestern Minnesota, Northeastern South Dakota, and Central and 
Northern Iowa) Criteria: 23 healthy populations distributed throughout 
the unit.
    3. Conservation Unit 3 (Southeastern Wisconsin and Northeastern 
Illinois) Criteria: 2 healthy populations.
    4. Conservation Unit 4 (Michigan) Criteria: 5 healthy populations.
    A healthy Poweshiek skipperling population is demographically, 
genetically, and physically robust and occupies large areas of high-
quality remnant prairie habitat.

Delisting Criteria

    To delist the Poweshiek skipperling, the following criteria should 
be achieved:
    1. Downlisting criteria have been met.
    2. Threats and causes of decline have been reduced or eliminated, 
and mechanisms are in place that provide a high level of certainty that 
the downlisting criteria will continue to be met into the foreseeable 
future.

Availability of Public 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, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).

Sean Marsan,
Acting Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Midwest 
Region.
[FR Doc. 2021-16908 Filed 8-6-21; 8:45 am]
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