Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Availability of a Revised Recovery Plan for the Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), 53482-53483 [2011-21879]
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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 166 / Friday, August 26, 2011 / Notices
The Final SEIS completes the
environmental review process and
responds to the District Court’s remand
order. The Final SEIS will provide the
Secretary of Interior with sufficient
information and analysis to make an
informed decision on whether to affirm,
modify, or cancel Chukchi Sea Oil and
Gas Lease Sale 193.
Final SEIS Availability: To obtain a
printed copy or CD–ROM of the Final
SEIS, you may contact the BOEMRE,
Alaska OCS Region, 3801 Centerpoint
Drive, Suite 500, Anchorage, Alaska
99503–5820, telephone 907–334–5200.
You may also view the Final SEIS at the
above address, on the BOEMRE Web site
at https://alaska.boemre.gov, or at the
Alaska Resources Library and
Information Service, 3211 Providence
Drive, Suite III. Anchorage, Alaska.
Comments: You may submit your
comments on the Final SEIS only by one
of the following two methods:
1. Mail or Delivery: In written form
enclosed in an envelope labeled
‘‘Comments on Final SEIS, Chukchi Sea
Lease Sale 193’’ to the Regional
Director, Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management, Regulation and
Enforcement, Alaska OCS Region, 3801
Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500,
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BOEMRE will accept hand deliveries
during regular business hours—8 a.m. to
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excluding holidays.
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Internet. BOEMRE will not consider
comments submitted other than by the
above two methods. For BOEMRE to
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Dated: August 1, 2011.
L. Renee Orr,
Acting Associate Director for Offshore Energy
and Minerals Management.
[FR Doc. 2011–21916 Filed 8–25–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P
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19:37 Aug 25, 2011
Jkt 223001
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R8–ES–2010–N198; 80221–1113–
0000–C2]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Notice of Availability of a
Revised Recovery Plan for the Mojave
Population of the Desert Tortoise
(Gopherus agassizii)
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
AGENCY:
We, the Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service), announce the
availability of a revised recovery plan
for the Mojave population of the desert
tortoise under the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This
species is found in the Mojave and
Sonoran deserts in southern California,
southern Nevada, Arizona, and the
southwestern tip of Utah in the United
States, as well as in Sonora and
northern Sinaloa in Mexico. The listed
Mojave population of the desert tortoise
includes those animals living north and
west of the Colorado River in the
Mojave Desert of California, Nevada,
Arizona, and southwestern Utah, and in
the Sonoran (Colorado) Desert in
California.
SUMMARY:
An electronic copy of the
revised recovery plan is available at
https://www.fws.gov/endangered/
species/recovery-plans.html.
Alternatively, the revised recovery plan
and reference materials are available by
appointment, during normal business
hours, at the following location: U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service, Nevada Fish
and Wildlife Office, 1340 Financial
Boulevard, Suite 234, Reno, NV 89502
(telephone: 775–861–6300). Requests for
copies of the revised recovery plan
should be addressed to the State
Supervisor at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roy
Averill-Murray, Desert Tortoise
Recovery Coordinator, at the above
address or telephone number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 set
out in section 4(a)(1) of the Act.
Recovery plans describe actions
considered necessary for the
conservation of the species, establish
criteria for downlisting or delisting
ADDRESSES:
PO 00000
Frm 00086
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
listed species, and estimate time and
cost for implementing the measures
needed for recovery. The Recovery Plan
for the Mojave Population of the Desert
Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) was first
published in 1994, and presented the
status of the species, along with threats,
recovery actions, and recovery criteria.
Since that time a great deal of effort has
been dedicated to recovery and
conservation activities, and additional
information has been obtained through
research and observation that allows us
to better focus our recovery strategy.
The revised recovery plan for the
Mojave Population of the desert tortoise
is the focus of this notice.
Section 4(f) of the Act directs the
Secretaries of Interior and Commerce to
develop and implement recovery plans
for species listed as endangered or
threatened, unless such plans will not
promote the conservation of the species.
We and the National Marine Fisheries
Service, as appropriate, have been
delegated responsibility for
administering the Act. As per Section
4(f) of the Act, we published a notice of
availability for public review and
comment on the draft revised recovery
plan on August 4, 2008. We considered
all information we received during the
public comment period and revised the
recovery plan accordingly.
The desert tortoise is a large,
herbivorous reptile that can reach 20 to
38 centimeters (cm) (8 to 15 inches (in))
in carapace (upper shell) length and 10
to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) in shell height.
Hatchlings emerge from eggs at about 5
cm (2 in) in length. Adults have a
domed carapace and relatively flat,
unhinged plastrons (lower shells). Their
shells are high-domed and greenish-tan
to dark brown in color, with tan scute
(horny plate on the shell) centers. Adult
desert tortoises weigh 3.6 to 6.8
kilograms (8 to 15 pounds). The
forelimbs have heavy, claw-like scales
and are flattened for digging. Hind limbs
are more elephantine.
Throughout most of the Mojave
Desert, the desert tortoise occupies a
variety of habitats: From flats and slopes
dominated by creosote bush (Larrea
tridentata) scrub at lower elevations, to
rocky slopes in the blackbrush
(Coleogyne ramosissima) scrub, and
juniper (Juniperus spp.) woodland
interface at higher elevations. Records of
desert tortoises range from below sea
level to an elevation of 2,225 meters
(7,300 feet), with typical habitat
characterized as creosote bush scrub
below 1,677 meters (5,500 feet). Desert
tortoises most commonly occur on
gently sloping terrain with sandy gravel
soils that are friable for burrowing and
where there is sparse cover of low-
E:\FR\FM\26AUN1.SGM
26AUN1
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 166 / Friday, August 26, 2011 / Notices
growing shrubs and a high diversity of
both perennial and annual plants.
The desert tortoise occurs in the
Mojave and Sonoran deserts in southern
California, southern Nevada, Arizona,
and the southwestern tip of Utah in the
United States, as well as in Sonora and
northern Sinaloa in Mexico. The listed
Mojave population of the desert tortoise
includes those animals living north and
west of the Colorado River in the
Mojave Desert of California, Nevada,
Arizona, and southwestern Utah, and in
the Sonoran (Colorado) Desert in
California. The first recovery plan was
published in 1994, and critical habitat
was also designated in all four States
supporting the species.
Three tortoise species in the genus
Gopherus occur in the United States,
and another occurs in Mexico; however,
all are geographically separated from the
Mojave population. With the exception
of a geographically undefined Mojavegenotype population (that also shares
Mojave phenotype and habitat-use
characteristics with the Mojave
population) in the vicinity of the Black
Mountains in Mohave County, Arizona,
the Sonoran population of the desert
tortoise is significantly different both
genetically and ecologically, but it could
be confused visually with tortoises of
the Mojave population; therefore, the
Service determined the Sonoran
population also warranted protection as
a threatened species under section 4(e)
of the Endangered Species Act
(similarity of appearance) when located
outside of its natural range. On
December 14, 2010, in response to a
petition to list the Sonoran population
of the desert tortoise under the
Endangered Species Act, the Service
found that listing the Sonoran
population is warranted but precluded
by higher priority actions to amend the
Lists of Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife and Plants.
The vast majority of threats to the
desert tortoise or its habitat are
associated with human land uses. The
threats identified in the 1994 Recovery
Plan, and that formed the basis for
listing the tortoise as a threatened
species, continue to affect the species.
Habitat loss, degradation, and
fragmentation from urbanization, offhighway vehicle use in the desert, linear
features such as roads and utility
corridors, poor grazing management and
mining, and military activities were
cited as some of the primary reasons for
the decline in desert tortoise
populations. Disease and increased
incidence of fire in the Mojave Desert
have also been implicated in desert
tortoise declines.
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19:37 Aug 25, 2011
Jkt 223001
Despite clear demonstration that these
threats impact individual tortoises,
there are few data available to evaluate
or quantify the effects of threats on
desert tortoise populations. While
current research results can lead to
predictions about how local tortoise
abundance should be affected by the
presence of threats, quantitative
estimates of the magnitude of these
threats, or of their relative importance,
have not yet been developed. Thus, it
would be challenging to recover the
desert tortoise by singling out a
particular threat or subset of threats to
the exclusion of others. In the revised
recovery plan, we underscore the need
to build on our understanding of
individual threats but also place new
emphasis on understanding their
multiple and synergistic effects, due to
the failure of simple threat models to
inform us about tortoise abundance.
The revised strategy emphasizes
partnerships to direct and maintain
focus on implementing recovery actions,
and a system to track implementation
and effectiveness of those actions. The
strategic elements listed in the revised
Recovery Plan are part of a multi-faceted
approach designed to improve the 1994
Recovery Plan. The goals of the revised
recovery plan are recovery and delisting
of the desert tortoise. The objectives and
recovery criteria address demography
(maintain self-sustaining populations of
desert tortoises within each recovery
unit into the future); distribution
(maintain well-distributed populations
of desert tortoises throughout each
recovery unit); and habitat (ensure that
habitat within each recovery unit is
protected and managed to support longterm viability of desert tortoise
populations).
The strategic elements include the
following: (1) Develop, support, and
build partnerships to facilitate recovery;
(2) protect existing populations and
habitat, instituting habitat restoration
where necessary; (3) augment depleted
populations in a strategic manner; (4)
monitor progress toward recovery; (5)
conduct applied research and modeling
in support of recovery efforts within a
strategic framework; and (6) implement
a formal adaptive management program
through which information gained
while implementing the above strategic
elements is used to revise and improve
the recovery plan and recommend
management actions on a regular basis.
The success of this revised recovery
strategy will rely heavily upon the
involvement of our partners and our
commitment to implementing the
strategic elements listed above, coupled
with a functioning adaptive
management program.
PO 00000
Frm 00087
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
53483
We developed our recovery plan
under the authority of section 4(f) of the
Endangered Species 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: August 22, 2011.
Ren Lohoefener,
Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2011–21879 Filed 8–25–11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNM922000 L13200000.EL0000; NMNM
126245]
Notice of Invitation To Participate; Coal
Exploration License Application NMNM
126245, New Mexico
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the Mineral
Leasing Act of 1920, as amended by the
Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act
of 1976, and to Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) regulations, all
interested parties are hereby invited to
participate with the Peabody Natural
Resources Company, on a pro rata costsharing basis, in a program for the
exploration of coal deposits owned by
the United States of America in lands
located in McKinley County, New
Mexico.
DATES: This notice of invitation will be
published in the Gallup Independent
newspaper once each week for 2
consecutive weeks beginning the week
of August 22, 2011, and in the Federal
Register. Any party electing to
participate in this exploration program
must send written notice referencing the
Exploration License Application serial
number NMNM 126245 to both the BLM
and Peabody Natural Resources
Company as provided in the ADDRESSES
section below no later than 30 days after
publication of this notice in the Federal
Register or 10 calendar days after the
last publication of this notice in the
Gallup Independent newspaper,
whichever is later.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the proposed
exploration plan (case file NMNM
126245) are available for review from 9
a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday:
BLM, New Mexico State Office, 301
Dinosaur Trail, Santa Fe, New Mexico;
and BLM, Farmington Field Office, 1235
La Plata Highway, Suite A, Farmington,
New Mexico.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\26AUN1.SGM
26AUN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 166 (Friday, August 26, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53482-53483]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-21879]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R8-ES-2010-N198; 80221-1113-0000-C2]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of
Availability of a Revised Recovery Plan for the Mojave Population of
the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of a revised recovery plan for the Mojave population of
the desert tortoise under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (Act). This species is found in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts
in southern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, and the southwestern
tip of Utah in the United States, as well as in Sonora and northern
Sinaloa in Mexico. The listed Mojave population of the desert tortoise
includes those animals living north and west of the Colorado River in
the Mojave Desert of California, Nevada, Arizona, and southwestern
Utah, and in the Sonoran (Colorado) Desert in California.
ADDRESSES: An electronic copy of the revised recovery plan is available
at https://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html.
Alternatively, the revised recovery plan and reference materials are
available by appointment, during normal business hours, at the
following location: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Nevada Fish and
Wildlife Office, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Suite 234, Reno, NV 89502
(telephone: 775-861-6300). Requests for copies of the revised recovery
plan should be addressed to the State Supervisor at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roy Averill-Murray, Desert Tortoise
Recovery Coordinator, at the above address or telephone number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 set out in section
4(a)(1) of the Act. Recovery plans describe actions considered
necessary for the conservation of the species, establish criteria for
downlisting or delisting listed species, and estimate time and cost for
implementing the measures needed for recovery. The Recovery Plan for
the Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) was
first published in 1994, and presented the status of the species, along
with threats, recovery actions, and recovery criteria. Since that time
a great deal of effort has been dedicated to recovery and conservation
activities, and additional information has been obtained through
research and observation that allows us to better focus our recovery
strategy. The revised recovery plan for the Mojave Population of the
desert tortoise is the focus of this notice.
Section 4(f) of the Act directs the Secretaries of Interior and
Commerce to develop and implement recovery plans for species listed as
endangered or threatened, unless such plans will not promote the
conservation of the species. We and the National Marine Fisheries
Service, as appropriate, have been delegated responsibility for
administering the Act. As per Section 4(f) of the Act, we published a
notice of availability for public review and comment on the draft
revised recovery plan on August 4, 2008. We considered all information
we received during the public comment period and revised the recovery
plan accordingly.
The desert tortoise is a large, herbivorous reptile that can reach
20 to 38 centimeters (cm) (8 to 15 inches (in)) in carapace (upper
shell) length and 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) in shell height. Hatchlings
emerge from eggs at about 5 cm (2 in) in length. Adults have a domed
carapace and relatively flat, unhinged plastrons (lower shells). Their
shells are high-domed and greenish-tan to dark brown in color, with tan
scute (horny plate on the shell) centers. Adult desert tortoises weigh
3.6 to 6.8 kilograms (8 to 15 pounds). The forelimbs have heavy, claw-
like scales and are flattened for digging. Hind limbs are more
elephantine.
Throughout most of the Mojave Desert, the desert tortoise occupies
a variety of habitats: From flats and slopes dominated by creosote bush
(Larrea tridentata) scrub at lower elevations, to rocky slopes in the
blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima) scrub, and juniper (Juniperus spp.)
woodland interface at higher elevations. Records of desert tortoises
range from below sea level to an elevation of 2,225 meters (7,300
feet), with typical habitat characterized as creosote bush scrub below
1,677 meters (5,500 feet). Desert tortoises most commonly occur on
gently sloping terrain with sandy gravel soils that are friable for
burrowing and where there is sparse cover of low-
[[Page 53483]]
growing shrubs and a high diversity of both perennial and annual
plants.
The desert tortoise occurs in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts in
southern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, and the southwestern tip
of Utah in the United States, as well as in Sonora and northern Sinaloa
in Mexico. The listed Mojave population of the desert tortoise includes
those animals living north and west of the Colorado River in the Mojave
Desert of California, Nevada, Arizona, and southwestern Utah, and in
the Sonoran (Colorado) Desert in California. The first recovery plan
was published in 1994, and critical habitat was also designated in all
four States supporting the species.
Three tortoise species in the genus Gopherus occur in the United
States, and another occurs in Mexico; however, all are geographically
separated from the Mojave population. With the exception of a
geographically undefined Mojave-genotype population (that also shares
Mojave phenotype and habitat-use characteristics with the Mojave
population) in the vicinity of the Black Mountains in Mohave County,
Arizona, the Sonoran population of the desert tortoise is significantly
different both genetically and ecologically, but it could be confused
visually with tortoises of the Mojave population; therefore, the
Service determined the Sonoran population also warranted protection as
a threatened species under section 4(e) of the Endangered Species Act
(similarity of appearance) when located outside of its natural range.
On December 14, 2010, in response to a petition to list the Sonoran
population of the desert tortoise under the Endangered Species Act, the
Service found that listing the Sonoran population is warranted but
precluded by higher priority actions to amend the Lists of Endangered
and Threatened Wildlife and Plants.
The vast majority of threats to the desert tortoise or its habitat
are associated with human land uses. The threats identified in the 1994
Recovery Plan, and that formed the basis for listing the tortoise as a
threatened species, continue to affect the species. Habitat loss,
degradation, and fragmentation from urbanization, off-highway vehicle
use in the desert, linear features such as roads and utility corridors,
poor grazing management and mining, and military activities were cited
as some of the primary reasons for the decline in desert tortoise
populations. Disease and increased incidence of fire in the Mojave
Desert have also been implicated in desert tortoise declines.
Despite clear demonstration that these threats impact individual
tortoises, there are few data available to evaluate or quantify the
effects of threats on desert tortoise populations. While current
research results can lead to predictions about how local tortoise
abundance should be affected by the presence of threats, quantitative
estimates of the magnitude of these threats, or of their relative
importance, have not yet been developed. Thus, it would be challenging
to recover the desert tortoise by singling out a particular threat or
subset of threats to the exclusion of others. In the revised recovery
plan, we underscore the need to build on our understanding of
individual threats but also place new emphasis on understanding their
multiple and synergistic effects, due to the failure of simple threat
models to inform us about tortoise abundance.
The revised strategy emphasizes partnerships to direct and maintain
focus on implementing recovery actions, and a system to track
implementation and effectiveness of those actions. The strategic
elements listed in the revised Recovery Plan are part of a multi-
faceted approach designed to improve the 1994 Recovery Plan. The goals
of the revised recovery plan are recovery and delisting of the desert
tortoise. The objectives and recovery criteria address demography
(maintain self-sustaining populations of desert tortoises within each
recovery unit into the future); distribution (maintain well-distributed
populations of desert tortoises throughout each recovery unit); and
habitat (ensure that habitat within each recovery unit is protected and
managed to support long-term viability of desert tortoise populations).
The strategic elements include the following: (1) Develop, support,
and build partnerships to facilitate recovery; (2) protect existing
populations and habitat, instituting habitat restoration where
necessary; (3) augment depleted populations in a strategic manner; (4)
monitor progress toward recovery; (5) conduct applied research and
modeling in support of recovery efforts within a strategic framework;
and (6) implement a formal adaptive management program through which
information gained while implementing the above strategic elements is
used to revise and improve the recovery plan and recommend management
actions on a regular basis. The success of this revised recovery
strategy will rely heavily upon the involvement of our partners and our
commitment to implementing the strategic elements listed above, coupled
with a functioning adaptive management program.
We developed our recovery plan under the authority of section 4(f)
of the Endangered Species 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: August 22, 2011.
Ren Lohoefener,
Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2011-21879 Filed 8-25-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P