Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Revised Recovery Plan for the Mariana Fruit Bat or Fanihi (Pteropus mariannus mariannus), 15723 [2010-6991]
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 60 / Tuesday, March 30, 2010 / Notices
Public Availability of Comments
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Before including your address, phone
number, e-mail address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comments, 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 comments
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Background
Recovery of endangered or threatened
animals and plants is a primary goal of
the Endangered Species Act (Act) (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and our endangered
species program. Recovery means
improvement of the status of listed
species to the point at which listing is
no longer required under the criteria in
section 4(a)(1) of the Act.
The Act requires the development of
recovery plans for endangered or
threatened species unless such a plan
would not promote the conservation of
the species. Recovery plans help guide
the recovery effort by describing actions
considered necessary for the
conservation of the species, establishing
criteria for downlisting or delisting
listed species, and estimating time and
cost for implementing the measures
needed for recovery. This draft revised
recovery plan was developed with the
input and assistance of a Recovery Team
appointed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
Section 4(f) of the Act requires that
public notice, and an opportunity for
public review and comment, be
provided during recovery plan
development. We will consider all
information presented during the public
comment period, and substantive
comments may result in changes to the
recovery plan. Substantive comments
regarding recovery plan implementation
may not necessarily result in changes to
the recovery plan, but will be forwarded
to the appropriate Federal agency or
other entities so that they can take these
comments into account during the
course of implementing recovery
actions. Individual responses to
comments will not be provided.
This subspecies of the Mariana fruit
bat or fanihi (Pteropus mariannus
mariannus) is endemic to the Mariana
archipelago (the Territory of Guam and
the Commonwealth of the Northern
Mariana Islands [CNMI]), where it is
known from most of the 15 major
islands. The subspecies was federally
listed as endangered on the island of
Guam in 1984, and was reclassified as
threatened throughout its range in 2005
(70 FR 1190). Surveys on most or all
islands in the archipelago were
conducted in 1983, 2000, and 2001. A
conservative interpretation of these data
indicates a steep decline in fruit bat
numbers has taken place since 1983.
Available information indicates the
chief threats to the fanihi are hunting,
chronic habitat degradation by
ungulates, predation by brown
treesnakes, and risk factors associated
with small population size (bats are
Dated: March 2, 2010.
Wendi Weber,
Acting Regional Director, Northeast Region,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2010–7058 Filed 3–29–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R1–ES–2009–N207; 10120–1113–
0000–C2]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Draft Revised Recovery
Plan for the Mariana Fruit Bat or Fanihi
(Pteropus mariannus mariannus)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability
for review and comment; draft revised
recovery plan.
jlentini on DSKJ8SOYB1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, announce the
availability of the Draft Revised
Recovery Plan for the Mariana Fruit Bat
or Fanihi (Pteropus mariannus
mariannus), for public review and
comment.
DATES: Comments on the recovery plan
must be received on or before June 28,
2010.
ADDRESSES: An electronic copy of the
recovery plan is available at https://
endangered.fws.gov/recovery/
index.html#plans. The recovery plan is
also available by request from the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific
Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, 300
Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3–122, Box
50088, Honolulu, Hawaii 96850 (phone:
808/792–9400). Requests for copies of
the recovery plan and written comments
and materials regarding this plan should
be addressed to the Field Supervisor,
Ecological Services, at the above
Honolulu address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Holly Freifeld, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, at the above Honolulu
address.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
16:22 Mar 29, 2010
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15723
highly vulnerable to extirpation on
islands where they persist in
chronically low numbers). Therefore,
the recovery strategy in this plan
focuses on the following actions: (1)
Reduction or elimination of hunting to
allow increase in fanihi numbers
throughout the archipelago; (2)
protection of the best existing habitat
and enhancement of additional suitable
habitat; (3) effective control and
interdiction of the brown treesnake; and
(4) population monitoring and modeling
to (a) assess the fanihi’s sensitivity to
specific threats and management actions
and (b) forecast the species’ persistence.
Implementing these actions requires
building long-term support for and
participation in the recovery effort
through outreach and education;
enhancing existing survey
methodologies; developing research and
monitoring projects to address gaps in
our scientific knowledge of fanihi and
provide new information for effective
conservation and recovery; and
application of this research and
monitoring through adaptive
management. The recovery strategy will
be implemented as a collaborative effort
among technical experts, agencies, the
governments of the CNMI and Guam,
and other participants and stakeholders.
Owing to the limitations in our current
knowledge of fanihi life history and
ecology, this recovery plan focuses on
the first 10 years of the recovery
process. As additional information is
gained about the fanihi through
management, monitoring, and research,
recovery strategies and measures should
be reassessed to determine the
appropriate steps toward recovery and
delisting.
Request for Public Comments
We solicit written comments on the
recovery plan described. All comments
received by the date specified above
will be considered prior to approval of
this plan.
Authority: The authority for this action is
section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act,
16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: November 2, 2009.
David J. Wesley,
Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2010–6991 Filed 3–29–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
E:\FR\FM\30MRN1.SGM
30MRN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 60 (Tuesday, March 30, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 15723]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-6991]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R1-ES-2009-N207; 10120-1113-0000-C2]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Revised
Recovery Plan for the Mariana Fruit Bat or Fanihi (Pteropus mariannus
mariannus)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability for review and comment; draft
revised recovery plan.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the
availability of the Draft Revised Recovery Plan for the Mariana Fruit
Bat or Fanihi (Pteropus mariannus mariannus), for public review and
comment.
DATES: Comments on the recovery plan must be received on or before June
28, 2010.
ADDRESSES: An electronic copy of the recovery plan is available at
https://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/#plans. The recovery plan
is also available by request from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room
3-122, Box 50088, Honolulu, Hawaii 96850 (phone: 808/792-9400).
Requests for copies of the recovery plan and written comments and
materials regarding this plan should be addressed to the Field
Supervisor, Ecological Services, at the above Honolulu address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Holly Freifeld, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, at the above Honolulu address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Recovery of endangered or threatened animals and plants is a
primary goal of the Endangered Species Act (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.) and our endangered species program. Recovery means improvement of
the status of listed species to the point at which listing is no longer
required under the criteria in section 4(a)(1) of the Act.
The Act requires the development of recovery plans for endangered
or threatened species unless such a plan would not promote the
conservation of the species. Recovery plans help guide the recovery
effort by describing actions considered necessary for the conservation
of the species, establishing criteria for downlisting or delisting
listed species, and estimating time and cost for implementing the
measures needed for recovery. This draft revised recovery plan was
developed with the input and assistance of a Recovery Team appointed by
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Section 4(f) of the Act requires that public notice, and an
opportunity for public review and comment, be provided during recovery
plan development. We will consider all information presented during the
public comment period, and substantive comments may result in changes
to the recovery plan. Substantive comments regarding recovery plan
implementation may not necessarily result in changes to the recovery
plan, but will be forwarded to the appropriate Federal agency or other
entities so that they can take these comments into account during the
course of implementing recovery actions. Individual responses to
comments will not be provided.
This subspecies of the Mariana fruit bat or fanihi (Pteropus
mariannus mariannus) is endemic to the Mariana archipelago (the
Territory of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
[CNMI]), where it is known from most of the 15 major islands. The
subspecies was federally listed as endangered on the island of Guam in
1984, and was reclassified as threatened throughout its range in 2005
(70 FR 1190). Surveys on most or all islands in the archipelago were
conducted in 1983, 2000, and 2001. A conservative interpretation of
these data indicates a steep decline in fruit bat numbers has taken
place since 1983. Available information indicates the chief threats to
the fanihi are hunting, chronic habitat degradation by ungulates,
predation by brown treesnakes, and risk factors associated with small
population size (bats are highly vulnerable to extirpation on islands
where they persist in chronically low numbers). Therefore, the recovery
strategy in this plan focuses on the following actions: (1) Reduction
or elimination of hunting to allow increase in fanihi numbers
throughout the archipelago; (2) protection of the best existing habitat
and enhancement of additional suitable habitat; (3) effective control
and interdiction of the brown treesnake; and (4) population monitoring
and modeling to (a) assess the fanihi's sensitivity to specific threats
and management actions and (b) forecast the species' persistence.
Implementing these actions requires building long-term support for
and participation in the recovery effort through outreach and
education; enhancing existing survey methodologies; developing research
and monitoring projects to address gaps in our scientific knowledge of
fanihi and provide new information for effective conservation and
recovery; and application of this research and monitoring through
adaptive management. The recovery strategy will be implemented as a
collaborative effort among technical experts, agencies, the governments
of the CNMI and Guam, and other participants and stakeholders. Owing to
the limitations in our current knowledge of fanihi life history and
ecology, this recovery plan focuses on the first 10 years of the
recovery process. As additional information is gained about the fanihi
through management, monitoring, and research, recovery strategies and
measures should be reassessed to determine the appropriate steps toward
recovery and delisting.
Request for Public Comments
We solicit written comments on the recovery plan described. All
comments received by the date specified above will be considered prior
to approval of this plan.
Authority: The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: November 2, 2009.
David J. Wesley,
Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2010-6991 Filed 3-29-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
