Notice of Availability for Comment: Draft Recovery Plan, First Revision; Mexican Spotted Owl, 37141-37142 [2011-15975]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 122 / Friday, June 24, 2011 / Notices publishes a Notice, on a weekly basis, identifying unutilized, underutilized, excess and surplus Federal buildings and real property that HUD has reviewed for suitability for use to assist the homeless. Today’s Notice is for the purpose of announcing that no additional properties have been determined suitable or unsuitable this week. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Dated: June 16, 2011, Mark R. Johnston, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs. AGENCY: [FR Doc. 2011–15510 Filed 6–23–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4210–67–P Office of the Secretary Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council; Notice of Meeting Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary. AGENCY: Notice of meeting. The Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary is announcing a public meeting of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Public Advisory Committee. SUMMARY: DATES: July 26, 2011, at 10 a.m. Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council Office, 441 West 5th Avenue, Suite 500, Anchorage, Alaska. ADDRESSES: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas Mutter, Department of the Interior, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, 1689 ‘‘C’’ Street, Suite 119, Anchorage, Alaska, 99501, (907) 271–5011. The Public Advisory Committee was created by Paragraph V.A.4 of the Memorandum of Agreement and Consent Decree entered into by the United States of America and the State of Alaska on August 27, 1991, and approved by the United States District Court for the District of Alaska in settlement of United States of America v. State of Alaska, Civil Action No. A91–081 CV. The meeting agenda will include a review of the projects proposed for inclusion in the Fiscal Year 2012 annual work plan. srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Willie R. Taylor, Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance. [FR Doc. 2011–15909 Filed 6–23–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–RG–P VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:06 Jun 23, 2011 [FWS–R2–ES–2011–N108; 20124–1113– 0000–C2] Notice of Availability for Comment: Draft Recovery Plan, First Revision; Mexican Spotted Owl Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment. We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of our draft recovery plan, first revision, for the Mexican Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis lucida) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This species occurs in the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah, south through the Sierra Madre Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico. We request review and comment on our plan from local, State, and Federal agencies; Tribes; and the public. We will also accept any new information on the status of the Mexican spotted owl throughout its range to assist in finalizing the revised recovery plan. DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive written comments on or before August 23, 2011. However, we will accept information about any species at any time. ADDRESSES: If you wish to review the draft recovery plan, you may obtain a copy by visiting our Web site at https://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/ index.html#plans. Alternatively, you may contact the Arizona Ecological Services Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2321 West Royal Palm Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85021–4951 (602) 242–0210, phone). If you wish to comment on the plan, you may submit your comments in writing by any one of the following methods: • U.S. mail: Field Supervisor, at the above address; • Hand-delivery: Arizona Ecological Services Office at the above address; • Fax: (602) 242–2513; or • E-mail: https://www.fws.gov/ southwest/es/Arizona/ (type ‘‘Mexican spotted owl’’ in the document title search field). For additional information about submitting comments, see the ‘‘Request for Public Comments’’ section below. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Spangle, Field Supervisor, at the above address, phone number, or e-mail. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SUMMARY: DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR ACTION: Fish and Wildlife Service Jkt 223001 PO 00000 Frm 00089 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 37141 Background Recovery of endangered or threatened animals and plants to the point where they are again secure, self-sustaining members of their ecosystems is a primary goal of our endangered species program and the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Recovery means improvement of the status of listed species to the point at which listing is no longer appropriate under the criteria set out in section 4(a)(1) of the Act. The Act requires the development of recovery plans for listed species, unless such a plan would not promote the conservation of a particular species. Species’ History We listed the Mexican spotted owl as a threatened species under the Act on March 16, 1993 (58 FR 14248). We designated critical habitat on August 31, 2004 (69 FR 53182). We originally completed and announced a recovery plan for the Mexican spotted owl on October 16, 1995. However, updates on status information and experience in implementing the original recovery plan led to our determination that revision is warranted. The Mexican spotted owl species nests and roosts in forested areas exhibiting multilayered, uneven-aged tree structure, and in steep, rocky canyonlands. Forested habitats used by the owl vary throughout its range and by activity (nesting, roosting, foraging, dispersal/migration). However, the forest types believed most important to Mexican spotted owls are mixed conifer, pine-oak, and riparian habitats. Threats to the owl’s population in the United States have transitioned from commercial-based timber harvest at the time of listing, to the risk of standreplacing wildfire. The revised recovery plan recommends protection of currently occupied home ranges, plus development of replacement nesting/ roosting habitat over time. The plan recognizes the need to manage these forest landscapes to minimize the effects of large, stand-replacing wildfires, believed to be the greatest current threat to the species. Recovery Plan Goals The objective of an agency recovery plan is to provide a framework for the recovery of a species so that protection under the Act is no longer necessary. A recovery plan includes scientific information about the species and provides criteria and actions necessary for us to be able to reclassify the species to threatened status or remove it from the Federal List of Endangered and E:\FR\FM\24JNN1.SGM 24JNN1 37142 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 122 / Friday, June 24, 2011 / Notices srobinson on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Threatened Wildlife and Plants (List). Recovery plans help guide our recovery efforts by describing actions we consider necessary for the species’ conservation, and by estimating time and costs for implementing needed recovery measures. To achieve its goals, this draft recovery plan identifies the following objectives: • Support the Mexican spotted owl throughout its range in perpetuity. • Maintain habitat conditions necessary to provide roosting and nesting habitat for the Mexican spotted owl through time. The draft revised recovery plan contains recovery criteria based on maintaining and increasing population numbers and habitat quality and quantity. The revised recovery plan focuses on protecting populations, managing threats, maintaining habitat, monitoring progress, and building partnerships to facilitate recovery. As the subspecies meets recovery criteria, we will review the subspecies’ status and consider removal from the List. Request for Public Comments Section 4(f) of the Act requires us to provide public notice and an opportunity for public review and comment during recovery plan development. It is also our policy to request peer review of recovery plans (July 1, 1994; 59 FR 34270). In an appendix to the approved recovery plan, we will summarize and respond to the issues raised by the public and peer reviewers. 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. Responses to individual commenters will not be provided, but we will provide a summary of how we addressed substantive comments in an appendix to the approved recovery plan. We invite written comments on the draft revised recovery plan. This plan has undergone significant revision since the original plan, incorporating the most recent scientific research specific to the Mexican spotted owl and input from the Recovery Team. In particular, we are interested in information regarding the current threats to the species and the costs associated with implementing the recommended recovery actions. Before we approve the plan, we will consider all comments we receive by the date specified in DATES above. Methods of submitting comments are in the ADDRESSES section above. VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:06 Jun 23, 2011 Jkt 223001 Public Availability of Comments Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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. Comments and materials we receive will be available, by appointment, for public inspection during normal business hours at our office (see ADDRESSES). Authority We developed our draft recovery plan under the authority of section 4(f) of the Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f). We publish this notice under section 4(f) Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Dated: June 6, 2011. Joy Nicholopoulos, Acting Regional Director, Southwest Region. [FR Doc. 2011–15975 Filed 6–23–11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS–R4–ES–2011–N126; 40120–1112– 0000–F2] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Incidental Take Permit Application; Proposed Low-Effect Habitat Conservation Plan and Associated Documents; Charlotte County, FL Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment/information. AGENCY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of an incidental take permit (ITP) application and Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). James A. Goedde (applicant) requests an ITP under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The applicant anticipates taking about 0.23 acre of Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) (scrub-jay) breeding, feeding, and sheltering habitat incidental to lot preparation for the construction of a single-family residence and associated infrastructure in Charlotte County, Florida (project). The destruction of 0.23 acre is expected to SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00090 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 result in the take of two families of scrub-jays. The applicant’s HCP describes the mitigation and minimization measures proposed to address the effects of the project on the scrub-jay. DATES: Written comments on the ITP application and HCP should be sent to the South Florida Ecological Services Office (see ADDRESSES) and should be received on or before July 25, 2011. ADDRESSES: You may request documents by email, U.S. mail, or phone (see below). These documents are also available for public inspection by appointment during normal business hours at the office below. Send your comments or requests by any one of the following methods. E-mail: Trish_Adams@fws.gov. Use ‘‘Attn: Permit number TE45203A–0’’ as your message subject line. Fax: Trish Adams, (772) 562–4288, Attn.: Permit number TE45203A–0. U.S. mail: Trish Adams, HCP Coordinator, South Florida Ecological Services Field Office, Attn: Permit number TE45203A–0, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1339 20th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960–3559. In-person drop-off: You may drop off information during regular business hours at the above office address. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Trish Adams, HCP Coordinator, South Florida Ecological Services Office, Vero Beach, Florida (see ADDRESSES), telephone: 772–562–3909, extension 232. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: If you wish to submit comments or information, you may do so by any one of several methods. Please reference permit number TE45203A–0, in such comments. You may mail comments to the Service’s South Florida Ecological Services Office (see ADDRESSES). You may also comment via e-mail to trish_adams@fws.gov. Please also include your name and return address in your e-mail message. If you do not receive a confirmation from us that we have received your e-mail message, contact us directly at the telephone number listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Finally, you may hand deliver comments to the Service office listed under ADDRESSES. 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 comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we E:\FR\FM\24JNN1.SGM 24JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 122 (Friday, June 24, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37141-37142]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-15975]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R2-ES-2011-N108; 20124-1113-0000-C2]


Notice of Availability for Comment: Draft Recovery Plan, First 
Revision; Mexican Spotted Owl

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability 
of our draft recovery plan, first revision, for the Mexican Spotted Owl 
(Strix occidentalis lucida) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, 
as amended (Act). This species occurs in the states of Arizona, 
Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah, south through the Sierra Madre 
Occidental and Sierra Madre Oriental in Mexico. We request review and 
comment on our plan from local, State, and Federal agencies; Tribes; 
and the public. We will also accept any new information on the status 
of the Mexican spotted owl throughout its range to assist in finalizing 
the revised recovery plan.

DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive written comments on or 
before August 23, 2011. However, we will accept information about any 
species at any time.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to review the draft recovery plan, you may 
obtain a copy by visiting our Web site at https://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/#plans. Alternatively, you may contact the Arizona 
Ecological Services Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2321 West 
Royal Palm Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85021-4951 (602) 242-0210, phone). If 
you wish to comment on the plan, you may submit your comments in 
writing by any one of the following methods:
     U.S. mail: Field Supervisor, at the above address;
     Hand-delivery: Arizona Ecological Services Office at the 
above address;
     Fax: (602) 242-2513; or
     E-mail: https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/Arizona/ (type 
``Mexican spotted owl'' in the document title search field).
    For additional information about submitting comments, see the 
``Request for Public Comments'' section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Spangle, Field Supervisor, at 
the above address, phone number, or e-mail.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Recovery of endangered or threatened animals and plants to the 
point where they are again secure, self-sustaining members of their 
ecosystems is a primary goal of our endangered species program and the 
Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Recovery means improvement of the status 
of listed species to the point at which listing is no longer 
appropriate under the criteria set out in section 4(a)(1) of the Act. 
The Act requires the development of recovery plans for listed species, 
unless such a plan would not promote the conservation of a particular 
species.

Species' History

    We listed the Mexican spotted owl as a threatened species under the 
Act on March 16, 1993 (58 FR 14248). We designated critical habitat on 
August 31, 2004 (69 FR 53182).
    We originally completed and announced a recovery plan for the 
Mexican spotted owl on October 16, 1995. However, updates on status 
information and experience in implementing the original recovery plan 
led to our determination that revision is warranted.
    The Mexican spotted owl species nests and roosts in forested areas 
exhibiting multilayered, uneven-aged tree structure, and in steep, 
rocky canyonlands. Forested habitats used by the owl vary throughout 
its range and by activity (nesting, roosting, foraging, dispersal/
migration). However, the forest types believed most important to 
Mexican spotted owls are mixed conifer, pine-oak, and riparian 
habitats.
    Threats to the owl's population in the United States have 
transitioned from commercial-based timber harvest at the time of 
listing, to the risk of stand-replacing wildfire. The revised recovery 
plan recommends protection of currently occupied home ranges, plus 
development of replacement nesting/roosting habitat over time. The plan 
recognizes the need to manage these forest landscapes to minimize the 
effects of large, stand-replacing wildfires, believed to be the 
greatest current threat to the species.

Recovery Plan Goals

    The objective of an agency recovery plan is to provide a framework 
for the recovery of a species so that protection under the Act is no 
longer necessary. A recovery plan includes scientific information about 
the species and provides criteria and actions necessary for us to be 
able to reclassify the species to threatened status or remove it from 
the Federal List of Endangered and

[[Page 37142]]

Threatened Wildlife and Plants (List). Recovery plans help guide our 
recovery efforts by describing actions we consider necessary for the 
species' conservation, and by estimating time and costs for 
implementing needed recovery measures. To achieve its goals, this draft 
recovery plan identifies the following objectives:
     Support the Mexican spotted owl throughout its range in 
perpetuity.
     Maintain habitat conditions necessary to provide roosting 
and nesting habitat for the Mexican spotted owl through time.
    The draft revised recovery plan contains recovery criteria based on 
maintaining and increasing population numbers and habitat quality and 
quantity. The revised recovery plan focuses on protecting populations, 
managing threats, maintaining habitat, monitoring progress, and 
building partnerships to facilitate recovery.
    As the subspecies meets recovery criteria, we will review the 
subspecies' status and consider removal from the List.

Request for Public Comments

    Section 4(f) of the Act requires us to provide public notice and an 
opportunity for public review and comment during recovery plan 
development. It is also our policy to request peer review of recovery 
plans (July 1, 1994; 59 FR 34270). In an appendix to the approved 
recovery plan, we will summarize and respond to the issues raised by 
the public and peer reviewers. 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. Responses to individual commenters 
will not be provided, but we will provide a summary of how we addressed 
substantive comments in an appendix to the approved recovery plan.
    We invite written comments on the draft revised recovery plan. This 
plan has undergone significant revision since the original plan, 
incorporating the most recent scientific research specific to the 
Mexican spotted owl and input from the Recovery Team. In particular, we 
are interested in information regarding the current threats to the 
species and the costs associated with implementing the recommended 
recovery actions.
    Before we approve the plan, we will consider all comments we 
receive by the date specified in DATES above. Methods of submitting 
comments are in the ADDRESSES section above.

Public Availability of Comments

    Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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.
    Comments and materials we receive will be available, by 
appointment, for public inspection during normal business hours at our 
office (see ADDRESSES).

Authority

    We developed our draft recovery plan under the authority of section 
4(f) of the Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f). We publish this notice under 
section 4(f) Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 
et seq.).

    Dated: June 6, 2011.
Joy Nicholopoulos,
Acting Regional Director, Southwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2011-15975 Filed 6-23-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.