Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Delisting of Agave arizonica (Arizona agave) From the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants, 35195-35198 [E6-8643]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 117 / Monday, June 19, 2006 / Rules and Regulations
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
RIN 1018–AI79
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Delisting of Agave
arizonica (Arizona agave) From the
Federal List of Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife and Plants
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (Act), have determined that it
is appropriate to remove Agave
arizonica (Arizona agave) from the
Federal List of Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife and Plants. This
determination is based on a thorough
review of all available data, which
indicate that this plant is not a discrete
taxonomic entity and does not meet the
definition of a species under the Act.
Evidence collected subsequent to the
listing indicates that plants attributed to
Agave arizonica do not constitute a
distinct species but rather are
individuals that have resulted from
recent and sporadic instances of
hybridization between two species.
Current taxonomic practice is not to
recognize such groups of individuals as
a species. Since Agave arizonica is not
recognized as a species, it no longer
qualifies for protection under the Act.
DATES: This rule is effective July 19,
2006.
ADDRESSES: Supporting documentation
for this rulemaking is available for
public inspection, by appointment,
during normal business hours at the
Arizona Ecological Services Field Office
of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
2321 West Royal Palm Road, Suite 103,
Phoenix, Arizona 85021–4951.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Mima Falk, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, located in the Arizona
Ecological Services Tucson Sub-office,
201 North Bonita Avenue, Suite 141,
Tucson, Arizona 85745 (telephone 520/
670–6150 ext. 225; facsimile 520/670–
6154).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Agave arizonica, a member of the
agave family, was first discovered by
J.H. Houzenga, M.J. Hazelett, and J.H.
Weber in the New River Mountains of
Arizona. Drs. H.S. Gentry and J.H.
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Weber described this species in the
‘‘Cactus and Succulent Journal’’ in 1970
(Gentry and Weber 1970). This
perennial succulent has leaves growing
from the base in a small basal rosette
(i.e., an arrangement of leaves radiating
from a crown or center), and is
approximately 20–35 centimeters (cm)
(8–14 inches (in)) high and 30–40 cm
(12–16 in) wide. The leaves are dark
green with a reddish-brown to light gray
border extending nearly to the base,
approximately 13–31 cm (5–12 in) long
and 2–3 cm (1 in) wide. The slender,
branched flowering stalk is 2.5–4 meters
(m) (8.2–13 feet (ft)) tall with urnshaped flowers 25–32 millimeters (mm)
(1 in) long (Hodgson 1999). Some
plants, including Agave arizonica, are
able to produce copies of themselves
without sexual reproduction. These
copies (clones) may remain physically
connected to the original plant
(vegetative offsets) or may be physically
separate plants.
Agave arizonica is found on open
slopes in chaparral or juniper grassland
in Gila, Maricopa, and Yavapai counties
between 1,100–1,750 m (3,600–5,800 ft)
in elevation. The plants are often found
associated with native junipers
(Juniperus spp.), mountain mahogany
(Cercocarpus montanus), Opuntia spp.,
sotol (Nolina microcarpa), and banana
yucca (Yucca baccata), among other
species common to the chaparral/
juniper-oak transition (Hodgson and
DeLamater 1988). There are estimated to
be fewer than 100 plants in the wild,
occurring mainly on the Tonto National
Forest and a few locations on private
property. Agave arizonica plants are
associated with shallow, cobbled, and
gravelly soils on strongly sloping to very
steep slopes and rock outcrops on midelevation hills and mountains. The soils
are well-drained and derived from a
variety of rocks, including granite,
gneiss, rhyolite, andesite, ruffs,
limestone, sandstone, and basalt
(Hodgson and DeLamater 1988). Plants
typically flower from May to July.
Field studies on Agave arizonica
began in 1983. A natural distribution
study was not finalized until August
1984 (DeLamater 1984), after the final
listing rule (49 FR 21055, May 18, 1984)
was published. Surveys for this study
were conducted in the New River
Mountains, and by 1984, ten new clones
were found in these mountains. These
were individual clones of 2–5 rosettes.
All of the clones occurred together with
two other agaves, Agave toumeyana ssp.
bella and A. chrysantha, neither of
which is considered rare. A. chrysantha
is found in southern and eastern
Yavapai County, through much of Gila
and Maricopa counties, northern and
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eastern Pinal County, and northeastern
Pima County. Agave toumeyana ssp.
bella is restricted to the eastern slope of
the Bradshaw Mountains in eastern
Yavapai to northwestern and central to
southern Gila County, and northeastern
Maricopa to northern Pinal County.
A comparison of plant characters
showed Agave arizonica to be
intermediate to the other two agave
species with which it is always found in
association (DeLamater and Hodgson
1986). Pinkava and Baker (1985)
suggested that plants recognized as
Agave arizonica may be the result of
continuing production of hybrid
individuals rather than a distinct
species, based on observations that
hybrid individuals are found only
where the ranges of the putative parents
overlap; they are found only in random,
widely scattered locations of individual
plants and clones; their putative parents
have overlapping flowering periods;
Agave arizonica’s morphological
characters are intermediate between the
putative parents; and, they appeared to
be subfertile (reduced fertilization),
producing pollen with a low percent of
stainability (a measure of pollen
viability). Agave arizonica has the same
chromosome count ((2n) of 60) as both
of its parents which allows for
continued reproduction with its parents
(backcrossing). Polyploidy (a genetic
variation wherein an individual plant
has more than the two normal sets of
homologous chromosomes) is one factor
in determining if a hybrid between two
species can become genetically stable.
This condition is not present in the
genetic constitution of Agave arizonica.
Survey work continued in areas that
supported populations of the two parent
species. These surveys resulted in the
discovery of two clones in the Sierra
Ancha Mountains, 100 miles disjunct
from the New River Mountain locations.
To date, plants and clones have been
identified in three areas on the Tonto
National Forest (New River Mountains,
Sierra Ancha Mountains, and the
Humboldt Mountains). The New River
population is the most numerous,
located 17.94 kilometers (km) (10.7
miles (mi)) west-northwest of the Sierra
Ancha population. Only one individual
was found in the Serra Anch Mountains
¨
(Trabold 2001). The Humboldt
Mountains support a population of
Arizona agave, as well as another agave
hybrid. This different hybrid agave is
produced from a cross between A.
toumeyana ssp. toumeyana and A.
chrysantha (Pinkava and Baker 1985).
That hybrid is a triploid (3n=90), and
therefore has a different chromosome
count than Agave arizonica.
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The Desert Botanical Garden (DBG),
in Phoenix, initiated ecological studies
of Agave arizonica in the mid-1980s
through 1994. They conducted
numerous surveys on the Tonto
National Forest, collected seeds in situ
(in the natural or original environment),
conducted experimental crosses in situ
and ex situ (in an artificial
environment), and started an ex situ
collection. DBG’s work has shown that
Agave arizonica can produce viable
seed. In 1985, three different crosses
were performed on clone #52, in situ,
using flowers from different panicles
(flower stalks). One cross used frozen
pollen collected from Agave arizonica at
the DBG, the second cross was selffertilization of clone #52, and the third
cross was uncontrolled outcrossing of
clone #52 (flowers were left open to be
pollinated by various donors). Seed was
collected from all three crosses. Cross #1
produced 250 seeds, cross #2 produced
20 seeds, and cross #3 produced a large
quantity of seeds (Hodgson and
DeLamater 1988). Outcrossing with
Agave arizonica pollen (Cross #1)
produced a high proportion of viable
seed, as did uncontrolled outcrossing
(Cross #3), while self-fertilization (Cross
#2) produced a poor seed set. The
majority of the seeds were planted. Ten
months after planting, 10 of the 105
seeds produced from cross #1
germinated. Some of those resembled
Agave arizonica, while others did not
(W. Hodgson, Desert Botanical Garden,
pers. comm. 2003). DBG also conducted
controlled crosses of A. chrysantha and
A. toumeyana ssp. bella. The seeds
produced from this cross resulted in
Agave arizonica plants. Individual
Agave arizonica plants can therefore be
created by crosses of the parental
species. These results support the
hypothesis that Agave arizonica is
composed of individuals that resulted
from recent and spontaneous instances
of hybridization between two species,
and is not, at this time, a species of
hybrid origin.
Agave arizonica is most likely a firstgeneration (F1) hybrid between two
other species. It is not known if any
individuals of the F1 generation, in situ,
have backcrossed with either one of the
parents or with another Agave arizonica
individual. The latter seems unlikely
given the low numbers of individuals
and the great distance separating them.
Seeds have been produced in the wild,
but it is not known if those seeds were
produced from crosses of Agave
arizonica and either parent species or
Agave arizonica and Agave arizonica.
Seeds grown out in greenhouse
conditions produced plants with wide
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phenotypic (visible) variations; not all
seedlings presented ‘pure’ Agave
arizonica traits. The fact that Agave
arizonica can be reliably produced by
crossing the putative parents ex situ
lends support to the hypothesis that
Agave arizonica is a recurring F1
hybrid. All evidence supports that
Agave arizonica individuals are derived
from crosses between different species.
In other words, each individual Agave
arizonica was created spontaneously
and independently from separate
crossings of the putative parental
species (M. Baker, pers. comm. 2004).
Agave arizonica plants are rare in the
wild. The likelihood is low that two of
these plants would breed with one
another because it is unlikely that two
such plants would be close enough to
one another and bloom in the same year.
Clones still attached or near to the
parent plant may produce flowers at the
same time, but spatially separated
clones may not all bloom at the same
time. The flowering period of Agave
arizonica overlaps with that of its
putative parents, and the same insects
(bumblebees, mining bees of the family
Halictidae, and solitary bees) visit all
three agave species. This condition can
lead to back-crosses with one of the
putative parents. Agave arizonica is not
likely to maintain a separate genetic
identity due to low numbers, overlap of
flowering period with the putative
parents, and lack of an effective
reproductive isolating mechanism to
promote genetic stability.
In 1999, Hodgson published a
treatment for the Agave family for the
‘‘Flora of Arizona’’ (Hodgson 1999).
Agave arizonica was not recognized as
a species in that treatment, which
indicated that it should be referred to as
Agave arizonica, a hybrid of recent
origin involving A. chrysantha and A.
toumeyana var. bella.
Jolly (in Riesberg 1991) has suggested
protection for a hybrid taxon if (1) its
evolution has gone past the point where
it can be reproduced through crossing of
its putative parents, (2) it is
taxonomically distinct from its parents,
and (3) it is sufficiently rare or
imperiled. Under these criteria, F1
hybrids such as Agave arizonica should
receive no protection because it is still
backcrossing with its parents and is not
taxonomically distinct.
In summary, the plant species
formerly referred to as Agave arizonica
is now recognized as an interspecific
hybrid produced sporadically and
spontaneously by the cross of Agave
chrysantha and Agave toumeyana var.
bella. Individuals have been determined
to be hybrids for the following reasons:
(1) They share the same chromosome
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number (2n=60) with the putative
parents, indicating that there are no
chromosomal barriers (i.e., reproductive
isolating mechanisms) in place to
facilitate genetic stability, (2) flowering
periods of the putative parents overlap,
(3) morphological characters of Agave
arizonica are intermediate with those of
the putative parents, (4) Agave arizonica
only occurs where there is overlap with
the putative parents, (5) it appears to be
subfertile, producing pollen with low
percent stainability, (6) Agave arizonica
can be created, ex situ, by crossing the
putative parents, indicating that there
may be no unique genetic characters
associated with these plants, and (7) it
has not, to our knowledge, reproduced
sexually in the field.
Previous Federal Action
Federal Government action
concerning Agave arizonica began with
section 12 of the Act, which directed the
Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution
to prepare a report on those plants
considered to be endangered,
threatened, or extinct. This report
(House Document No. 94–51), which
included Agave arizonica, was
presented to Congress on January 9,
1975, and accepted by the Service under
section 4(c)(2), now section 4(b)(3)(A),
of the Act as a petition to list these
species. The report, along with a
statement of our intention to review the
status of the plant taxa, was published
in the Federal Register on July 1, 1975
(40 FR 27823). On June 16, 1976, we
published a proposed rule in the
Federal Register (41 FR 24523) to
determine approximately 1,700 vascular
plants to be endangered pursuant to
section 4 of the Act. Agave arizonica
was included in this proposal. On
December 10, 1979, we withdrew all
outstanding proposals not finalized
within two years of their first
publication, as required by the 1978
amendments to the Act. On August 26,
1980, the Service received a status
report prepared by four researchers
employed by the Museum of Northern
Arizona. This report documented the
status of, and threats to, the species. On
December 5, 1980, we published a
revised notice for plants (45 FR 82479)
and included Agave arizonica in
category 1. Category 1 was comprised of
taxa for which we had sufficient
biological information to support their
being listed as endangered or threatened
species. We published a proposed rule
to list Agave arizonica as an endangered
species on May 20, 1983 (48 FR 22757).
No critical habitat was proposed. The
final rule listing Agave arizonica as
endangered was published on May 18,
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1984 (49 FR 21055), and no critical
habitat was designated.
In 1985, a year after Agave arizonica
was listed, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture Forest Service petitioned us
to delist Agave arizonica because of its
hybrid status. We sent out the work on
Agave arizonica that had been
published for peer review and solicited
comments. Many of the comments
supported delisting based on the
available evidence; however, the Service
disagreed that the available data
conclusively proved that Agave
arizonica was a hybrid. The Service
believed that the results of the
controlled crosses were important for
the analysis, and those had not been
completed at the time of the review.
Therefore, on January 21, 1987 (52 FR
2239), we announced that delisting was
not warranted.
We published a proposed rule to
remove Agave arizonica from the
Federal List of Endangered and
Threatened Plants on January 11, 2005
(70 FR 1858), based on additional
information indicating that Agave
arizonica is a hybrid and does not meet
the definition of a species as defined by
the Act.
Summary of Comments and
Recommendations
In the January 11, 2005, proposed rule
(70 FR 1858) and associated
notifications, we invited all interested
parties to submit comments or
information that might contribute to the
final delisting determination for this
species. The public comment period
ended March 14, 2005. We contacted
and sent announcements of the
proposed rule to appropriate Federal
and State agencies, county governments,
scientific organizations, and other
interested parties. In addition, we
solicited formal scientific peer review of
the proposal in accordance with our
July 1, 1994, Interagency Cooperative
Policy for Peer Review in Endangered
Species Act Activities (59 FR 34270).
We requested five individuals with
expertise in one or several fields,
including familiarity with the species,
familiarity with the geographic region in
which the species occurs, and
familiarity with the principles of
taxonomy, to review the proposed rule
by the close of the comment period. We
received comments from six parties,
including three designated peer
reviewers. All three of the responding
peer reviewers, the U.S. Department of
Agriculture Forest Service, and one
public commenter agreed with our
assessment that the scientific evidence
presented in our proposed rule supports
the hybrid status of Agave arizonica
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and, therefore, the plant does not merit
protection under the Act. The comments
are addressed in the following
summary. We did not receive any
requests for a public hearing.
Issue: We are too hasty in our
proposal to delist Agave arizonica
because hybrids can often succeed in
combining genes in new ways to
become successful breeding
populations, leading to new species
formation.
Our Response: Many vascular plants
are of hybrid origin, and we
acknowledge that hybrids play an
important role in speciation. Current
evidence does not support the view that
Agave arizonica is a successful breeding
population. We based our delisting
decision upon the best available
scientific and commercial information.
After a review of all available data, we
have made the determination that Agave
arizonica does not meet the definition of
a species under the Act. If new
information becomes available that
shows Agave arizonica is exhibiting
characteristics of a species (i.e.,
reproductive isolation from the parent
species and ability to reproduce
sexually and maintain a degree of
genetic stability), we will reexamine the
threats to determine if it should be
listed again.
Delisting Analysis
After a review of all information
available, we are removing Agave
arizonica from the List of Endangered
and Threatened Plants, 50 CFR 17.12.
Section 4(a)(1) of the Act and
regulations (50 CFR part 424) issued to
implement the listing provisions of the
Act set forth the procedures for adding
species to or removing them from
Federal lists. The regulations at 50 CFR
424.11(d) state that a species may be
delisted if (1) it becomes extinct, (2) it
recovers, or (3) the original
classification data were in error. Since
the time of listing, additional study has
shown that Agave arizonica is not a
distinct species, but consists of
individuals that are the result of
spontaneous, occasional, and
continuing hybridization between two
other distinct species. Individual hybrid
plants are produced within populations
of the parental species, but their
production is random. In modern
taxonomic practice, such groups of
individuals are not recognized as
species. We have concluded that the
original taxonomic interpretation upon
which the listing decision was based
has not been substantiated by
subsequent studies, and Agave arizonica
does not qualify for protection because
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35197
it does not fit the definition of a species
under the Act.
The term ‘‘species,’’ as defined in the
Act, includes any subspecies of fish or
wildlife or plants, and any distinct
population segment of any species or
vertebrate fish or wildlife which
interbreeds when mature. Agave
arizonica does not meet this definition
because it is not known to interbreed in
situ or otherwise reproduce itself.
Hybrid origin of species is considered
common within the flowering plants
(Grant 1963), and some species of
hybrid origin are capable of reproducing
themselves and maintaining a degree of
genetic stability. However, scientific
evidence at this point supports the
determination that Agave arizonica does
not have these characteristics of a
species. The plants are not known to
have sexually reproduced in situ. Agave
arizonica plants have sporadically
developed in situ from the putative
parents, but have not been
reproductively self-sustaining. Agave
arizonica has never been found in welldeveloped populations or outside
patches of its putative parents.
We have carefully assessed the best
scientific and commercial information
available regarding the conclusion that
Agave arizonica is not a species, and
therefore does not qualify for protection
under the Act. We, therefore, conclude
that Agave arizonica no longer warrants
listing under the Act.
Effects of the Rule
This action removes Agave arizonica
from the List of Endangered and
Threatened Plants. The prohibitions and
conservation measures provided by the
Act no longer apply to this species.
Therefore, interstate commerce, import,
and export of Agave arizonica are no
longer prohibited under the Act. In
addition, Federal agencies no longer are
required to consult with us to insure
that any action they authorize, fund, or
carry out is not likely to jeopardize the
continued existence of Agave arizonica.
The plant is still protected by Arizona’s
Native Plant Law, A.R.S., Chapter 7,
Section 3–901, which specifically
prohibits collection except for scientific
or educational purposes under permit.
There is no designated critical habitat
for this species.
Future Conservation Measures
The 1988 amendments to the Act
require that all species delisted due to
recovery be monitored for at least five
years following delisting. Agave
arizonica is being removed from the List
of Endangered and Threatened Plants
because the taxonomic interpretation
that it is a species is no longer believed
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to be correct; Agave arizonica is a
sporadically occurring hybrid, rather
than a distinct taxon. Therefore, no
monitoring period following delisting is
required.
National Environmental Policy Act
We have determined that an
Environmental Assessment or an
Environmental Impact Statement, as
defined under the authority of the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, need not be prepared in
connection with regulations adopted
pursuant to section 4(a) of the Act. We
published a notice outlining our reasons
for this determination in the Federal
Register on October 25, 1983 (48 FR
49244).
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Paperwork Reduction Act
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) regulations at 5 CFR part 1320
implement provisions of the Paperwork
Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).
The OMB regulations at 5 CFR 1320.3(c)
define a collection of information as the
obtaining of information by or for an
agency by means of identical questions
posed to, or identical reporting,
recordkeeping, or disclosure
requirements imposed on, 10 or more
persons. Furthermore, 5 CFR
1320.3(c)(4) specifies that ‘‘ten or more
persons’’ refers to the persons to whom
a collection of information is addressed
by the agency within any 12-month
period. For purposes of this definition,
employees of the Federal Government
are not included. The Service may not
conduct or sponsor, and you are not
required to respond to, a collection of
information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
This rule does not include any
collections of information that require
approval by OMB under the Paperwork
Reduction Act. The Agave arizonica is
being delisted because the taxonomic
interpretation that it is a species is no
longer believed to be correct; Agave
arizonica is a sporadically occurring
hybrid, rather than a distinct taxon.
Therefore, no monitoring period
following delisting would be required,
and we do not anticipate a need to
request data or other information from
10 or more persons during any 12month period in order to satisfy
monitoring information needs. If it
becomes necessary to collect
information from 10 or more nonFederal individuals, groups, or
organizations per year, we will first
obtain information collection approval
from OMB.
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Executive Order 13211
On May 18, 2001, the President issued
Executive Order 13211 on regulations
that significantly affect energy supply,
distribution, and use. Executive Order
13211 requires agencies to prepare
Statements of Energy Effects when
undertaking certain actions. As this
final rule is not expected to significantly
affect energy supplies, distribution, or
use, this action is not a significant
energy action and no Statement of
Energy Effects is required.
References Cited
DeLamater, R. 1984. Natural distribution and
status of Agave arizonica Gentry and
Weber in Arizona with accompanying
maps. Prepared for USDA Forest Service
Range Management, Albuquerque, NM.
11 pp.
DeLamater, R. and W. Hodgson. 1986. Agave
arizonica: An endangered species, a
hybrid, or does it matter? Proceedings of
a California Native Plant Society
Conference. Sacramento, CA.
Gentry, H.S. and J.H. Weber. 1970. Two New
Agaves in Arizona. Cactus and Succulent
Journal. 42(5): 223–228.
Grant, V. 1963. The Origin of Adaptations.
Columbia University Press, New York.
606 pp.
Hodgson, W. and R. DeLamater. 1988. Agave
arizonica Gentry and Weber; Summary
of status and report on recent studies.
Desert Botanical Gardens, Phoenix, AZ.
U.S.D.I., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Albuquerque, NM. 11 pp.
Hodgson, W. 1999. Vascular plants of
Arizona: Agavaceae. Journal of ArizonaNevada Academy of Science 32(1): 1–21.
Pinkava, D.J. and M.A. Baker. 1985.
Chromosome and hybridization studies
of agaves. Desert Plants. 7(2): 93–100.
Riesberg, L.H. 1991. Hybridization in rare
plants: insights from case studies in
Cercocarpus and Helianthus. In Genetics
and conservation of rare plants. Donald
A. Falk and K.E. Holsinger (Eds). Oxford
University Press, New York. 283 pp.
¨
Trabold, P.A. 2001. Re-establishment—Agave
arizonica. M.S. thesis. California State
University, Fullerton, CA. 65 pp.
Authors
The primary authors of this document
are staff located at the Arizona
Ecological Services Tucson Sub-office
(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
section).
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17
Endangered and threatened species,
Exports, Imports, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements,
Transportation.
Regulation Promulgation
Accordingly, we hereby amend part
17, subchapter B of chapter I, title 50 of
the Code of Federal Regulations, as set
forth below:
I
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PART 17—[AMENDED]
1. The authority citation for part 17
continues to read as follows:
I
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361–1407; 16 U.S.C.
1531–1544; 16 U.S.C. 4201–4245; Public Law
99–625, 100 Stat. 3500; unless otherwise
noted.
§ 17.12
[Amended]
2. Amend § 17.12(h) by removing the
entry ‘‘Agave arizonica’’ under
‘‘FLOWERING PLANTS’’ from the List
of Endangered and Threatened Plants.
I
Dated: May 19, 2006.
Kenneth Stansell,
Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E6–8643 Filed 6–16–06; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 622
[I.D. 060806E]
Fisheries of the Caribbean, Gulf of
Mexico, and South Atlantic; Reef Fish
Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico; Closure
of the 2006 Deep-Water Grouper
Commercial Fishery
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; closure.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: NMFS closes the commercial
fishery for deep-water grouper (misty
grouper, snowy grouper, yellowedge
grouper, warsaw grouper, and speckled
hind) in the exclusive economic zone
(EEZ) of the Gulf of Mexico. NMFS has
determined that the deep-water grouper
quota for the commercial fishery will
have been reached by June 26, 2006.
This closure is necessary to protect the
deep-water grouper resource.
DATES: Closure is effective 12:01 a.m.,
local time, June 27, 2006, until 12:01
a.m., local time, on January 1, 2007.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jason Rueter, telephone 727–824–5350,
fax 727–824–5308, e-mail
Jason.Rueter@noaa.gov.
The reef
fish fishery of the Gulf of Mexico is
managed under the Fishery
Management Plan for the Reef Fish
Resources of the Gulf of Mexico (FMP).
The FMP was prepared by the Gulf of
Mexico Fishery Management Council
and is implemented under the authority
of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
E:\FR\FM\19JNR1.SGM
19JNR1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 117 (Monday, June 19, 2006)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 35195-35198]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-8643]
[[Page 35195]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
RIN 1018-AI79
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Delisting of Agave
arizonica (Arizona agave) From the Federal List of Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife and Plants
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), have determined that
it is appropriate to remove Agave arizonica (Arizona agave) from the
Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. This
determination is based on a thorough review of all available data,
which indicate that this plant is not a discrete taxonomic entity and
does not meet the definition of a species under the Act. Evidence
collected subsequent to the listing indicates that plants attributed to
Agave arizonica do not constitute a distinct species but rather are
individuals that have resulted from recent and sporadic instances of
hybridization between two species. Current taxonomic practice is not to
recognize such groups of individuals as a species. Since Agave
arizonica is not recognized as a species, it no longer qualifies for
protection under the Act.
DATES: This rule is effective July 19, 2006.
ADDRESSES: Supporting documentation for this rulemaking is available
for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at
the Arizona Ecological Services Field Office of the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 2321 West Royal Palm Road, Suite 103, Phoenix,
Arizona 85021-4951.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mima Falk, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, located in the Arizona Ecological Services Tucson Sub-office,
201 North Bonita Avenue, Suite 141, Tucson, Arizona 85745 (telephone
520/670-6150 ext. 225; facsimile 520/670-6154).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Agave arizonica, a member of the agave family, was first discovered
by J.H. Houzenga, M.J. Hazelett, and J.H. Weber in the New River
Mountains of Arizona. Drs. H.S. Gentry and J.H. Weber described this
species in the ``Cactus and Succulent Journal'' in 1970 (Gentry and
Weber 1970). This perennial succulent has leaves growing from the base
in a small basal rosette (i.e., an arrangement of leaves radiating from
a crown or center), and is approximately 20-35 centimeters (cm) (8-14
inches (in)) high and 30-40 cm (12-16 in) wide. The leaves are dark
green with a reddish-brown to light gray border extending nearly to the
base, approximately 13-31 cm (5-12 in) long and 2-3 cm (1 in) wide. The
slender, branched flowering stalk is 2.5-4 meters (m) (8.2-13 feet
(ft)) tall with urn-shaped flowers 25-32 millimeters (mm) (1 in) long
(Hodgson 1999). Some plants, including Agave arizonica, are able to
produce copies of themselves without sexual reproduction. These copies
(clones) may remain physically connected to the original plant
(vegetative offsets) or may be physically separate plants.
Agave arizonica is found on open slopes in chaparral or juniper
grassland in Gila, Maricopa, and Yavapai counties between 1,100-1,750 m
(3,600-5,800 ft) in elevation. The plants are often found associated
with native junipers (Juniperus spp.), mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus
montanus), Opuntia spp., sotol (Nolina microcarpa), and banana yucca
(Yucca baccata), among other species common to the chaparral/juniper-
oak transition (Hodgson and DeLamater 1988). There are estimated to be
fewer than 100 plants in the wild, occurring mainly on the Tonto
National Forest and a few locations on private property. Agave
arizonica plants are associated with shallow, cobbled, and gravelly
soils on strongly sloping to very steep slopes and rock outcrops on
mid-elevation hills and mountains. The soils are well-drained and
derived from a variety of rocks, including granite, gneiss, rhyolite,
andesite, ruffs, limestone, sandstone, and basalt (Hodgson and
DeLamater 1988). Plants typically flower from May to July.
Field studies on Agave arizonica began in 1983. A natural
distribution study was not finalized until August 1984 (DeLamater
1984), after the final listing rule (49 FR 21055, May 18, 1984) was
published. Surveys for this study were conducted in the New River
Mountains, and by 1984, ten new clones were found in these mountains.
These were individual clones of 2-5 rosettes. All of the clones
occurred together with two other agaves, Agave toumeyana ssp. bella and
A. chrysantha, neither of which is considered rare. A. chrysantha is
found in southern and eastern Yavapai County, through much of Gila and
Maricopa counties, northern and eastern Pinal County, and northeastern
Pima County. Agave toumeyana ssp. bella is restricted to the eastern
slope of the Bradshaw Mountains in eastern Yavapai to northwestern and
central to southern Gila County, and northeastern Maricopa to northern
Pinal County.
A comparison of plant characters showed Agave arizonica to be
intermediate to the other two agave species with which it is always
found in association (DeLamater and Hodgson 1986). Pinkava and Baker
(1985) suggested that plants recognized as Agave arizonica may be the
result of continuing production of hybrid individuals rather than a
distinct species, based on observations that hybrid individuals are
found only where the ranges of the putative parents overlap; they are
found only in random, widely scattered locations of individual plants
and clones; their putative parents have overlapping flowering periods;
Agave arizonica's morphological characters are intermediate between the
putative parents; and, they appeared to be subfertile (reduced
fertilization), producing pollen with a low percent of stainability (a
measure of pollen viability). Agave arizonica has the same chromosome
count ((2n) of 60) as both of its parents which allows for continued
reproduction with its parents (backcrossing). Polyploidy (a genetic
variation wherein an individual plant has more than the two normal sets
of homologous chromosomes) is one factor in determining if a hybrid
between two species can become genetically stable. This condition is
not present in the genetic constitution of Agave arizonica.
Survey work continued in areas that supported populations of the
two parent species. These surveys resulted in the discovery of two
clones in the Sierra Ancha Mountains, 100 miles disjunct from the New
River Mountain locations. To date, plants and clones have been
identified in three areas on the Tonto National Forest (New River
Mountains, Sierra Ancha Mountains, and the Humboldt Mountains). The New
River population is the most numerous, located 17.94 kilometers (km)
(10.7 miles (mi)) west-northwest of the Sierra Ancha population. Only
one individual was found in the Serra Anch Mountains (Tr[auml]bold
2001). The Humboldt Mountains support a population of Arizona agave, as
well as another agave hybrid. This different hybrid agave is produced
from a cross between A. toumeyana ssp. toumeyana and A. chrysantha
(Pinkava and Baker 1985). That hybrid is a triploid (3n=90), and
therefore has a different chromosome count than Agave arizonica.
[[Page 35196]]
The Desert Botanical Garden (DBG), in Phoenix, initiated ecological
studies of Agave arizonica in the mid-1980s through 1994. They
conducted numerous surveys on the Tonto National Forest, collected
seeds in situ (in the natural or original environment), conducted
experimental crosses in situ and ex situ (in an artificial
environment), and started an ex situ collection. DBG's work has shown
that Agave arizonica can produce viable seed. In 1985, three different
crosses were performed on clone 52, in situ, using flowers
from different panicles (flower stalks). One cross used frozen pollen
collected from Agave arizonica at the DBG, the second cross was self-
fertilization of clone 52, and the third cross was
uncontrolled outcrossing of clone 52 (flowers were left open
to be pollinated by various donors). Seed was collected from all three
crosses. Cross 1 produced 250 seeds, cross 2 produced
20 seeds, and cross 3 produced a large quantity of seeds
(Hodgson and DeLamater 1988). Outcrossing with Agave arizonica pollen
(Cross 1) produced a high proportion of viable seed, as did
uncontrolled outcrossing (Cross 3), while self-fertilization
(Cross 2) produced a poor seed set. The majority of the seeds
were planted. Ten months after planting, 10 of the 105 seeds produced
from cross 1 germinated. Some of those resembled Agave
arizonica, while others did not (W. Hodgson, Desert Botanical Garden,
pers. comm. 2003). DBG also conducted controlled crosses of A.
chrysantha and A. toumeyana ssp. bella. The seeds produced from this
cross resulted in Agave arizonica plants. Individual Agave arizonica
plants can therefore be created by crosses of the parental species.
These results support the hypothesis that Agave arizonica is composed
of individuals that resulted from recent and spontaneous instances of
hybridization between two species, and is not, at this time, a species
of hybrid origin.
Agave arizonica is most likely a first-generation (F1) hybrid
between two other species. It is not known if any individuals of the F1
generation, in situ, have backcrossed with either one of the parents or
with another Agave arizonica individual. The latter seems unlikely
given the low numbers of individuals and the great distance separating
them. Seeds have been produced in the wild, but it is not known if
those seeds were produced from crosses of Agave arizonica and either
parent species or Agave arizonica and Agave arizonica. Seeds grown out
in greenhouse conditions produced plants with wide phenotypic (visible)
variations; not all seedlings presented `pure' Agave arizonica traits.
The fact that Agave arizonica can be reliably produced by crossing the
putative parents ex situ lends support to the hypothesis that Agave
arizonica is a recurring F1 hybrid. All evidence supports that Agave
arizonica individuals are derived from crosses between different
species. In other words, each individual Agave arizonica was created
spontaneously and independently from separate crossings of the putative
parental species (M. Baker, pers. comm. 2004).
Agave arizonica plants are rare in the wild. The likelihood is low
that two of these plants would breed with one another because it is
unlikely that two such plants would be close enough to one another and
bloom in the same year. Clones still attached or near to the parent
plant may produce flowers at the same time, but spatially separated
clones may not all bloom at the same time. The flowering period of
Agave arizonica overlaps with that of its putative parents, and the
same insects (bumblebees, mining bees of the family Halictidae, and
solitary bees) visit all three agave species. This condition can lead
to back-crosses with one of the putative parents. Agave arizonica is
not likely to maintain a separate genetic identity due to low numbers,
overlap of flowering period with the putative parents, and lack of an
effective reproductive isolating mechanism to promote genetic
stability.
In 1999, Hodgson published a treatment for the Agave family for the
``Flora of Arizona'' (Hodgson 1999). Agave arizonica was not recognized
as a species in that treatment, which indicated that it should be
referred to as Agave arizonica, a hybrid of recent origin involving A.
chrysantha and A. toumeyana var. bella.
Jolly (in Riesberg 1991) has suggested protection for a hybrid
taxon if (1) its evolution has gone past the point where it can be
reproduced through crossing of its putative parents, (2) it is
taxonomically distinct from its parents, and (3) it is sufficiently
rare or imperiled. Under these criteria, F1 hybrids such as Agave
arizonica should receive no protection because it is still backcrossing
with its parents and is not taxonomically distinct.
In summary, the plant species formerly referred to as Agave
arizonica is now recognized as an interspecific hybrid produced
sporadically and spontaneously by the cross of Agave chrysantha and
Agave toumeyana var. bella. Individuals have been determined to be
hybrids for the following reasons: (1) They share the same chromosome
number (2n=60) with the putative parents, indicating that there are no
chromosomal barriers (i.e., reproductive isolating mechanisms) in place
to facilitate genetic stability, (2) flowering periods of the putative
parents overlap, (3) morphological characters of Agave arizonica are
intermediate with those of the putative parents, (4) Agave arizonica
only occurs where there is overlap with the putative parents, (5) it
appears to be subfertile, producing pollen with low percent
stainability, (6) Agave arizonica can be created, ex situ, by crossing
the putative parents, indicating that there may be no unique genetic
characters associated with these plants, and (7) it has not, to our
knowledge, reproduced sexually in the field.
Previous Federal Action
Federal Government action concerning Agave arizonica began with
section 12 of the Act, which directed the Secretary of the Smithsonian
Institution to prepare a report on those plants considered to be
endangered, threatened, or extinct. This report (House Document No. 94-
51), which included Agave arizonica, was presented to Congress on
January 9, 1975, and accepted by the Service under section 4(c)(2), now
section 4(b)(3)(A), of the Act as a petition to list these species. The
report, along with a statement of our intention to review the status of
the plant taxa, was published in the Federal Register on July 1, 1975
(40 FR 27823). On June 16, 1976, we published a proposed rule in the
Federal Register (41 FR 24523) to determine approximately 1,700
vascular plants to be endangered pursuant to section 4 of the Act.
Agave arizonica was included in this proposal. On December 10, 1979, we
withdrew all outstanding proposals not finalized within two years of
their first publication, as required by the 1978 amendments to the Act.
On August 26, 1980, the Service received a status report prepared by
four researchers employed by the Museum of Northern Arizona. This
report documented the status of, and threats to, the species. On
December 5, 1980, we published a revised notice for plants (45 FR
82479) and included Agave arizonica in category 1. Category 1 was
comprised of taxa for which we had sufficient biological information to
support their being listed as endangered or threatened species. We
published a proposed rule to list Agave arizonica as an endangered
species on May 20, 1983 (48 FR 22757). No critical habitat was
proposed. The final rule listing Agave arizonica as endangered was
published on May 18,
[[Page 35197]]
1984 (49 FR 21055), and no critical habitat was designated.
In 1985, a year after Agave arizonica was listed, the U.S.
Department of Agriculture Forest Service petitioned us to delist Agave
arizonica because of its hybrid status. We sent out the work on Agave
arizonica that had been published for peer review and solicited
comments. Many of the comments supported delisting based on the
available evidence; however, the Service disagreed that the available
data conclusively proved that Agave arizonica was a hybrid. The Service
believed that the results of the controlled crosses were important for
the analysis, and those had not been completed at the time of the
review. Therefore, on January 21, 1987 (52 FR 2239), we announced that
delisting was not warranted.
We published a proposed rule to remove Agave arizonica from the
Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants on January 11, 2005
(70 FR 1858), based on additional information indicating that Agave
arizonica is a hybrid and does not meet the definition of a species as
defined by the Act.
Summary of Comments and Recommendations
In the January 11, 2005, proposed rule (70 FR 1858) and associated
notifications, we invited all interested parties to submit comments or
information that might contribute to the final delisting determination
for this species. The public comment period ended March 14, 2005. We
contacted and sent announcements of the proposed rule to appropriate
Federal and State agencies, county governments, scientific
organizations, and other interested parties. In addition, we solicited
formal scientific peer review of the proposal in accordance with our
July 1, 1994, Interagency Cooperative Policy for Peer Review in
Endangered Species Act Activities (59 FR 34270). We requested five
individuals with expertise in one or several fields, including
familiarity with the species, familiarity with the geographic region in
which the species occurs, and familiarity with the principles of
taxonomy, to review the proposed rule by the close of the comment
period. We received comments from six parties, including three
designated peer reviewers. All three of the responding peer reviewers,
the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and one public
commenter agreed with our assessment that the scientific evidence
presented in our proposed rule supports the hybrid status of Agave
arizonica and, therefore, the plant does not merit protection under the
Act. The comments are addressed in the following summary. We did not
receive any requests for a public hearing.
Issue: We are too hasty in our proposal to delist Agave arizonica
because hybrids can often succeed in combining genes in new ways to
become successful breeding populations, leading to new species
formation.
Our Response: Many vascular plants are of hybrid origin, and we
acknowledge that hybrids play an important role in speciation. Current
evidence does not support the view that Agave arizonica is a successful
breeding population. We based our delisting decision upon the best
available scientific and commercial information. After a review of all
available data, we have made the determination that Agave arizonica
does not meet the definition of a species under the Act. If new
information becomes available that shows Agave arizonica is exhibiting
characteristics of a species (i.e., reproductive isolation from the
parent species and ability to reproduce sexually and maintain a degree
of genetic stability), we will reexamine the threats to determine if it
should be listed again.
Delisting Analysis
After a review of all information available, we are removing Agave
arizonica from the List of Endangered and Threatened Plants, 50 CFR
17.12. Section 4(a)(1) of the Act and regulations (50 CFR part 424)
issued to implement the listing provisions of the Act set forth the
procedures for adding species to or removing them from Federal lists.
The regulations at 50 CFR 424.11(d) state that a species may be
delisted if (1) it becomes extinct, (2) it recovers, or (3) the
original classification data were in error. Since the time of listing,
additional study has shown that Agave arizonica is not a distinct
species, but consists of individuals that are the result of
spontaneous, occasional, and continuing hybridization between two other
distinct species. Individual hybrid plants are produced within
populations of the parental species, but their production is random. In
modern taxonomic practice, such groups of individuals are not
recognized as species. We have concluded that the original taxonomic
interpretation upon which the listing decision was based has not been
substantiated by subsequent studies, and Agave arizonica does not
qualify for protection because it does not fit the definition of a
species under the Act.
The term ``species,'' as defined in the Act, includes any
subspecies of fish or wildlife or plants, and any distinct population
segment of any species or vertebrate fish or wildlife which interbreeds
when mature. Agave arizonica does not meet this definition because it
is not known to interbreed in situ or otherwise reproduce itself.
Hybrid origin of species is considered common within the flowering
plants (Grant 1963), and some species of hybrid origin are capable of
reproducing themselves and maintaining a degree of genetic stability.
However, scientific evidence at this point supports the determination
that Agave arizonica does not have these characteristics of a species.
The plants are not known to have sexually reproduced in situ. Agave
arizonica plants have sporadically developed in situ from the putative
parents, but have not been reproductively self-sustaining. Agave
arizonica has never been found in well-developed populations or outside
patches of its putative parents.
We have carefully assessed the best scientific and commercial
information available regarding the conclusion that Agave arizonica is
not a species, and therefore does not qualify for protection under the
Act. We, therefore, conclude that Agave arizonica no longer warrants
listing under the Act.
Effects of the Rule
This action removes Agave arizonica from the List of Endangered and
Threatened Plants. The prohibitions and conservation measures provided
by the Act no longer apply to this species. Therefore, interstate
commerce, import, and export of Agave arizonica are no longer
prohibited under the Act. In addition, Federal agencies no longer are
required to consult with us to insure that any action they authorize,
fund, or carry out is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence
of Agave arizonica. The plant is still protected by Arizona's Native
Plant Law, A.R.S., Chapter 7, Section 3-901, which specifically
prohibits collection except for scientific or educational purposes
under permit. There is no designated critical habitat for this species.
Future Conservation Measures
The 1988 amendments to the Act require that all species delisted
due to recovery be monitored for at least five years following
delisting. Agave arizonica is being removed from the List of Endangered
and Threatened Plants because the taxonomic interpretation that it is a
species is no longer believed
[[Page 35198]]
to be correct; Agave arizonica is a sporadically occurring hybrid,
rather than a distinct taxon. Therefore, no monitoring period following
delisting is required.
National Environmental Policy Act
We have determined that an Environmental Assessment or an
Environmental Impact Statement, as defined under the authority of the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, need not be prepared in
connection with regulations adopted pursuant to section 4(a) of the
Act. We published a notice outlining our reasons for this determination
in the Federal Register on October 25, 1983 (48 FR 49244).
Paperwork Reduction Act
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) regulations at 5 CFR part
1320 implement provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C.
3501 et seq.). The OMB regulations at 5 CFR 1320.3(c) define a
collection of information as the obtaining of information by or for an
agency by means of identical questions posed to, or identical
reporting, recordkeeping, or disclosure requirements imposed on, 10 or
more persons. Furthermore, 5 CFR 1320.3(c)(4) specifies that ``ten or
more persons'' refers to the persons to whom a collection of
information is addressed by the agency within any 12-month period. For
purposes of this definition, employees of the Federal Government are
not included. The Service may not conduct or sponsor, and you are not
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays
a currently valid OMB control number.
This rule does not include any collections of information that
require approval by OMB under the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Agave
arizonica is being delisted because the taxonomic interpretation that
it is a species is no longer believed to be correct; Agave arizonica is
a sporadically occurring hybrid, rather than a distinct taxon.
Therefore, no monitoring period following delisting would be required,
and we do not anticipate a need to request data or other information
from 10 or more persons during any 12-month period in order to satisfy
monitoring information needs. If it becomes necessary to collect
information from 10 or more non-Federal individuals, groups, or
organizations per year, we will first obtain information collection
approval from OMB.
Executive Order 13211
On May 18, 2001, the President issued Executive Order 13211 on
regulations that significantly affect energy supply, distribution, and
use. Executive Order 13211 requires agencies to prepare Statements of
Energy Effects when undertaking certain actions. As this final rule is
not expected to significantly affect energy supplies, distribution, or
use, this action is not a significant energy action and no Statement of
Energy Effects is required.
References Cited
DeLamater, R. 1984. Natural distribution and status of Agave
arizonica Gentry and Weber in Arizona with accompanying maps.
Prepared for USDA Forest Service Range Management, Albuquerque, NM.
11 pp.
DeLamater, R. and W. Hodgson. 1986. Agave arizonica: An endangered
species, a hybrid, or does it matter? Proceedings of a California
Native Plant Society Conference. Sacramento, CA.
Gentry, H.S. and J.H. Weber. 1970. Two New Agaves in Arizona. Cactus
and Succulent Journal. 42(5): 223-228.
Grant, V. 1963. The Origin of Adaptations. Columbia University
Press, New York. 606 pp.
Hodgson, W. and R. DeLamater. 1988. Agave arizonica Gentry and
Weber; Summary of status and report on recent studies. Desert
Botanical Gardens, Phoenix, AZ. U.S.D.I., U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, Albuquerque, NM. 11 pp.
Hodgson, W. 1999. Vascular plants of Arizona: Agavaceae. Journal of
Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science 32(1): 1-21.
Pinkava, D.J. and M.A. Baker. 1985. Chromosome and hybridization
studies of agaves. Desert Plants. 7(2): 93-100.
Riesberg, L.H. 1991. Hybridization in rare plants: insights from
case studies in Cercocarpus and Helianthus. In Genetics and
conservation of rare plants. Donald A. Falk and K.E. Holsinger
(Eds). Oxford University Press, New York. 283 pp.
Tr[auml]bold, P.A. 2001. Re-establishment--Agave arizonica. M.S.
thesis. California State University, Fullerton, CA. 65 pp.
Authors
The primary authors of this document are staff located at the
Arizona Ecological Services Tucson Sub-office (see FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT section).
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17
Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.
Regulation Promulgation
0
Accordingly, we hereby amend part 17, subchapter B of chapter I, title
50 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as set forth below:
PART 17--[AMENDED]
0
1. The authority citation for part 17 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361-1407; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544; 16 U.S.C.
4201-4245; Public Law 99-625, 100 Stat. 3500; unless otherwise
noted.
Sec. 17.12 [Amended]
0
2. Amend Sec. 17.12(h) by removing the entry ``Agave arizonica'' under
``FLOWERING PLANTS'' from the List of Endangered and Threatened Plants.
Dated: May 19, 2006.
Kenneth Stansell,
Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E6-8643 Filed 6-16-06; 8:45 am]
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