Notice of Availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for the Chiricahua Leopard Frog, 18767 [E6-5354]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 70 / Wednesday, April 12, 2006 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Recovery Plan for the Chiricahua
Leopard Frog
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
AGENCY:
wwhite on PROD1PC61 with NOTICES
SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service) announces the
availability of the Draft Recovery Plan
for the Chiricahua Leopard Frog (Draft
Recovery Plan) for public review. The
species occurs in montane and river
valley cienegas, springs, pools, cattle
tanks, reservoirs, streams, and rivers in
central and southeastern Arizona, westcentral and southwestern New Mexico,
and the sky islands and Sierra Madre
Occidental of northeastern Sonora and
western Chihuahua, Mexico, at
elevations of approximately 3,000–9,000
feet. The Draft Recovery Plan
recommends actions to lessen and
alleviate threats to the species, and
presents objective and measurable
delisting criteria. The Service solicits
review and comment from the public on
this Draft Recovery Plan.
DATES: The comment period for this
Draft Recovery Plan closes June 12,
2006. Comments on the Draft Recovery
Plan must be received by the closing
date to assure consideration.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review
the Draft Recovery Plan can obtain a
copy from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Arizona Ecological Services
Field Office, 2321 W. Royal Palm Road,
Suite 103, Phoenix, Arizona 85021. The
Draft Recovery Plan may also be
obtained from the Internet at https://
www.fws.gov/endangered (type
‘‘Chiricahua leopard frog’’ in the
Species search field). Comments and
materials concerning this Draft Recovery
Plan may be mailed to ‘‘Field
Supervisor’’ at the address above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim
Rorabaugh, Arizona Ecological Services
Field Office, at the above address;
telephone (602) 242–0210, facsimile
(602) 242–2513.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Chiricahua leopard frog (Rana
chiricahuensis) was listed as threatened
on June 13, 2002, under authority of the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (67 FR 40790). The range of
the Chiricahua leopard frog (Rana
chiricahuensis) is divided into two
parts, including—(1) A southern group
of populations (the majority of the
VerDate Aug<31>2005
19:56 Apr 11, 2006
Jkt 208001
species’ range) located in mountains
and valleys south of the Gila River in
southeastern Arizona, extreme
southwestern New Mexico, and Mexico;
and (2) northern montane populations
in west central New Mexico and along
the Mogollon Rim in central and eastern
Arizona. The distribution and status of
the species in Mexico is not well
understood. The threats facing the
survival and recovery of this species
include predation by non-native fish,
amphibians, and crayfish; the fungal
disease chytridiomycosis; climatic
extremes (e.g., drought, floods);
degradation and loss of habitat as a
result of water diversions, groundwater
pumping, catastrophic fire, mining, and
some livestock management; disruption
of metapopulation dynamics; increased
chance of extinction resulting from
small populations; and possibly
environmental contamination.
The delisting criteria proposed in the
Draft Plan recommend that the
Chiricahua leopard frog should be
considered for delisting when: (1) At
least two metapopulations located in
different drainages plus at least one
isolated and robust population in each
of eight recovery units exhibit long-term
persistence and stability; (2) aquatic
breeding habitats are protected; (3)
additional habitat needed for population
connectivity, recolonization, and
dispersal is protected and managed; and
(4) threats and causes of decline have
been reduced or eliminated, and
commitments of long-term management
are in place in each recovery unit. Highpriority recovery tasks to lessen and
alleviate these threats include actions to
protect remaining populations and
habitat; restore unoccupied habitats and
create new habitat; establish new
populations and augment existing
populations; monitor; and develop
conservation efforts on private, public,
and tribal land, and in Mexico.
Restoring an endangered or
threatened animal or plant to the point
where it is again a secure, selfsustaining member of its ecosystem is a
primary goal of the Service’s
endangered species program. To help
guide the recovery effort, the Service is
working to prepare recovery plans for
most of the listed species native to the
United States. Recovery plans describe
actions considered necessary for
conservation of species, establish
criteria for downlisting or delisting
them, and estimate time and cost for
implementing the recovery measures
needed.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973
(Act), as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.), requires the development of
recovery plans for listed species, unless
PO 00000
Frm 00065
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
18767
such a plan would not promote the
conservation of a particular species.
Section 4(f) of the Act, as amended in
1988, requires that public notice and an
opportunity for public review and
comment be provided during recovery
plan development. The Service
considers all information presented
during a public comment period prior to
approval of each new or revised
recovery plan. The Service and others
also take these comments into account
in the course of implementing recovery
plans.
The Chiricahua Leopard Frog Draft
Recovery Plan is being submitted for
review to all interested parties,
including independent peer review.
After consideration of comments
received during the review period, the
recovery plan will be submitted for final
approval.
Public Comments Solicited
The Service solicits written comments
on the recovery plan described. All
comments received by the date specified
above will be considered prior to
approval of the recovery plan.
Authority
The authority for this action is section
4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16
U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: March 15, 2006.
Benjamin N. Tuggle,
Acting Regional Director, Southwest Region,
Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E6–5354 Filed 4–11–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Draft Environmental Impact Statement
for the Cowlitz Indian Tribe’s Proposed
151.87 Acre Fee-to-Trust Transfer,
Reservation Proclamation and CasinoResort Project, Clark County,
Washington
Bureau of Indian Affairs,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: This notice advises the public
that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
as lead agency, with the Cowlitz Indian
Tribe (Tribe), National Indian Gaming
Commission, Federal Highway
Administration, U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Washington
Department of Transportation, Clark
County, Clark County Sheriff’s Office,
Cowlitz County, City of La Center, City
of Vancouver, City of Ridgefield, Port of
E:\FR\FM\12APN1.SGM
12APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 70 (Wednesday, April 12, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 18767]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5354]
[[Page 18767]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for the
Chiricahua Leopard Frog
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the
availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for the Chiricahua Leopard Frog
(Draft Recovery Plan) for public review. The species occurs in montane
and river valley cienegas, springs, pools, cattle tanks, reservoirs,
streams, and rivers in central and southeastern Arizona, west-central
and southwestern New Mexico, and the sky islands and Sierra Madre
Occidental of northeastern Sonora and western Chihuahua, Mexico, at
elevations of approximately 3,000-9,000 feet. The Draft Recovery Plan
recommends actions to lessen and alleviate threats to the species, and
presents objective and measurable delisting criteria. The Service
solicits review and comment from the public on this Draft Recovery
Plan.
DATES: The comment period for this Draft Recovery Plan closes June 12,
2006. Comments on the Draft Recovery Plan must be received by the
closing date to assure consideration.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the Draft Recovery Plan can obtain
a copy from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Ecological
Services Field Office, 2321 W. Royal Palm Road, Suite 103, Phoenix,
Arizona 85021. The Draft Recovery Plan may also be obtained from the
Internet at https://www.fws.gov/endangered (type ``Chiricahua leopard
frog'' in the Species search field). Comments and materials concerning
this Draft Recovery Plan may be mailed to ``Field Supervisor'' at the
address above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Rorabaugh, Arizona Ecological
Services Field Office, at the above address; telephone (602) 242-0210,
facsimile (602) 242-2513.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Chiricahua leopard frog (Rana chiricahuensis) was listed as
threatened on June 13, 2002, under authority of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, as amended (67 FR 40790). The range of the Chiricahua
leopard frog (Rana chiricahuensis) is divided into two parts,
including--(1) A southern group of populations (the majority of the
species' range) located in mountains and valleys south of the Gila
River in southeastern Arizona, extreme southwestern New Mexico, and
Mexico; and (2) northern montane populations in west central New Mexico
and along the Mogollon Rim in central and eastern Arizona. The
distribution and status of the species in Mexico is not well
understood. The threats facing the survival and recovery of this
species include predation by non-native fish, amphibians, and crayfish;
the fungal disease chytridiomycosis; climatic extremes (e.g., drought,
floods); degradation and loss of habitat as a result of water
diversions, groundwater pumping, catastrophic fire, mining, and some
livestock management; disruption of metapopulation dynamics; increased
chance of extinction resulting from small populations; and possibly
environmental contamination.
The delisting criteria proposed in the Draft Plan recommend that
the Chiricahua leopard frog should be considered for delisting when:
(1) At least two metapopulations located in different drainages plus at
least one isolated and robust population in each of eight recovery
units exhibit long-term persistence and stability; (2) aquatic breeding
habitats are protected; (3) additional habitat needed for population
connectivity, recolonization, and dispersal is protected and managed;
and (4) threats and causes of decline have been reduced or eliminated,
and commitments of long-term management are in place in each recovery
unit. High-priority recovery tasks to lessen and alleviate these
threats include actions to protect remaining populations and habitat;
restore unoccupied habitats and create new habitat; establish new
populations and augment existing populations; monitor; and develop
conservation efforts on private, public, and tribal land, and in
Mexico.
Restoring an endangered or threatened animal or plant to the point
where it is again a secure, self-sustaining member of its ecosystem is
a primary goal of the Service's endangered species program. To help
guide the recovery effort, the Service is working to prepare recovery
plans for most of the listed species native to the United States.
Recovery plans describe actions considered necessary for conservation
of species, establish criteria for downlisting or delisting them, and
estimate time and cost for implementing the recovery measures needed.
The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended (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. Section 4(f) of the Act, as amended in 1988,
requires that public notice and an opportunity for public review and
comment be provided during recovery plan development. The Service
considers all information presented during a public comment period
prior to approval of each new or revised recovery plan. The Service and
others also take these comments into account in the course of
implementing recovery plans.
The Chiricahua Leopard Frog Draft Recovery Plan is being submitted
for review to all interested parties, including independent peer
review. After consideration of comments received during the review
period, the recovery plan will be submitted for final approval.
Public Comments Solicited
The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan
described. All comments received by the date specified above will be
considered prior to approval of the recovery plan.
Authority
The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: March 15, 2006.
Benjamin N. Tuggle,
Acting Regional Director, Southwest Region, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E6-5354 Filed 4-11-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
