Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Availability of the Final Recovery Plan for Golden Sedge (Carex Lutea, 29200-29201 [2014-11730]

Download as PDF 29200 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 98 / Wednesday, May 21, 2014 / Notices Institutes of Health, Center for Scientific Review, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 5108, MSC 7766, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301.326.9721, Lorangd@mail.nih.gov. Name of Committee: Genes, Genomes, and Genetics Integrated Review Group, Genetic Variation and Evolution Study Section. Date: June 20, 2014. Time: 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Agenda: To review and evaluate grant applications. Place: Doubletree Guest Suites, 2515 Meridian Parkway, Research Triangle Park, NC 27713. Contact Person: Ronald Adkins, Ph.D., Scientific Review Officer, Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 2206, MSC 7890, Bethesda, MD 20892, 301–435– 4511, ronald.adkins@nih.gov. Name of Committee: Center for Scientific Review Special Emphasis Panel, RFA Panel: Molecular Probes. Date: June 20, 2014. Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Agenda: To review and evaluate grant applications. Place: Embassy Suites DC Convention Center, 900 10th NW., Washington, DC 20001. Contact Person: Mary Custer, Ph.D., Scientific Review Officer, Center for Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, Room 4148, MSC 7850, Bethesda, MD 20892, (301) 435– 1164, custerm@csr.nih.gov. (Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Nos. 93.306, Comparative Medicine; 93.333, Clinical Research, 93.306, 93.333, 93.337, 93.393–93.396, 93.837–93.844, 93.846–93.878, 93.892, 93.893, National Institutes of Health, HHS). Dated: May 15, 2014. Carolyn A. Baum, Program Analyst, Office of Federal Advisory Committee Policy. [FR Doc. 2014–11649 Filed 5–20–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4140–01–P met in order to downlist this species to threatened status or delist it under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of the recovery plan by contacting Dale Suiter at the Raleigh Field Office, by U.S. mail at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Raleigh Field Office, 551–F Pylon Drive, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606; or by telephone at (919) 856– 4520, extension 18; or by visiting our recovery plan Web site at https:// www.fws.gov/endangered/species/ recovery-plans.html. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale Suiter, at the above address or by telephone at (919) 856–4520, ext. 18. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Introduction We listed golden sedge as an endangered species under the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), on January 23, 2002 (67 FR 3120), and designated critical habitat for the species on March 1, 2011 (76 FR 11086). This species is a rare perennial member of the sedge family (Cyperaceae) endemic to the coastal plain of North Carolina. It is currently known from only 21 occurrences (specific locations or sites) located within a 16 by 5 mile area in Pender and Onslow Counties. All eight populations of this plant occur in the Northeast Cape Fear River watershed in North Carolina. Factors contributing to its endangered status are an extremely limited range and loss of habitat. The primary threat is the loss or alteration of habitat, from fire suppression; residential, commercial, or industrial development; mining; livestock grazing; and woody or invasive species encroachment. Background DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS–R4–ES–2014–N05; FXES111300400000C2–145–FF04E00000] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Availability of the Final Recovery Plan for Golden Sedge (Carex Lutea) Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES AGENCY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of the final recovery plan for golden sedge (Carex lutea), a species endemic to the coastal plain in North Carolina. The final recovery plan includes specific recovery objectives and criteria to be SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:42 May 20, 2014 Jkt 232001 Restoring an endangered or threatened animal or plant to the point where it is again a secure, selfsustaining member of its ecosystem is a primary goal of the endangered species program. To help guide the recovery effort, we are preparing recovery plans for most listed species. Recovery plans describe actions considered necessary for conservation of the species, establish criteria for downlisting or delisting, and estimate time and cost for implementing recovery measures. The Act requires the development of recovery plans for listed species, unless such a plan would not promote the conservation of a particular species. Section 4(f) of the Act requires us to provide a public notice and an opportunity for public review and comment during recovery plan development. PO 00000 Frm 00044 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Recovery Plan Specifics The objective of this plan is to provide a framework for the recovery of golden sedge so that protection under the Act is no longer necessary. The draft of this recovery plan was available for public comment from June 18, 2013, through August 19, 2013 (78 FR 36566). We considered the information received via public comments as well as from peer reviewers in our preparation and approval of this final recovery plan. We also edited some sections of the draft recovery plan to reflect these comments; however, no substantial changes were made to the draft recovery plan. Criteria for Reclassification From Endangered to Threatened Golden sedge will be considered for reclassification from endangered to threatened status when all of the following criteria are met: 1. There are 10 protected Carex lutea sites in the wild that are distributed across the range of the species. [Note: Recovery sites will be considered permanently protected when they are placed under a conservation easement or other binding land agreement and a management agreement, and are ranked as an A or B population by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Program (NCNHP).] 2. On each of the 10 Carex lutea sites, for at least 5 years, any non-native plant species that have the potential to displace Carex lutea are maintained at or below 10 percent of total number of species and at or below 10 percent cover (volume). 3. All 10 Carex lutea sites demonstrate stable or increasing population trends for 5 consecutive years. 4. Habitat management plans are actively being implemented for at least seven of the protected sites. 5. A prescribed fire regime has been developed and is being conducted at all sites to mimic historical frequency and timing (the frequency will be determined through recovery actions in this plan). We define ‘‘protected’’ to mean the site has been fee-simple acquired and put into long-term conservation by a local or State agency, or that a conservation easement or other binding land agreement has been placed on the site by a landowner that shows a commitment to its conservation in perpetuity and Carex lutea from the site is represented in a Center for Plant Conservation (CPC)–approved seed bank. In addition, each site should have a management agreement/plan developed. Prescribed fire should be E:\FR\FM\21MYN1.SGM 21MYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 98 / Wednesday, May 21, 2014 / Notices part of the agreement/plan and implemented regularly. These plans should include monitoring, according to protocols developed collaboratively by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDACS), North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation (NCDPR), and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and other interested parties; the monitoring should occur annually at each protected site. Each site should contain an A or B ranked occurrence. For downlisting to be considered, we would like to have at least 7 of the 10 protected sites to be Aranked occurrences. The remaining three sites can be either A or B ranked occurrences. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Criteria for Delisting Carex lutea will be considered for removal from the List of Endangered and Threatened Species (delisting) when all of the following criteria are met: 1. There are 15 protected sites in the wild that are distributed across the range of the species. [Note: Recovery sites will be considered permanently protected when they are placed under a conservation easement or other binding land agreement and a management agreement, and are ranked as an A or B population by the NCNHP.] 2. On each of the 15 Carex lutea sites, for at least 5 years, any non-native plant species that have the potential to displace Carex lutea are maintained at or below 10 percent of total number of species and at or below 10 percent cover (volume). 3. All 15 Carex lutea sites demonstrate stable or increasing population trends for 10 consecutive years. 4. Habitat management plans are actively being implemented for all protected sites and are showing evidence that actions are proving effective for this plant. 5. A prescribed fire regime is being conducted at all sites to mimic historical frequency and timing (which will be determined through recovery actions in this plan). The definition of ‘‘protected’’ is the same as in the criteria for downlisting. For delisting to be considered, at least 10 of the 15 protected sites should be A ranked occurrences. The remaining five sites can be either A or B ranked occurrences. Next Steps As reclassification and recovery criteria are met, the status of the species will be reviewed, and it will be considered for reclassification or VerDate Mar<15>2010 17:42 May 20, 2014 Jkt 232001 removal from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants. Authority The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f). Dated: April 23, 2014. Cynthia K. Dohner, Regional Director, Southeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. 2014–11730 Filed 5–20–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Geological Survey [GX14N05ESB0500] Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments on the Registry of Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Interior. ACTION: Notice of a new information collection, Registry of Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments. AGENCY: We (the U.S. Geological Survey) are notifying the public that we have submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) the information collection request (ICR) described below. To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) and as part of our continuing efforts to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, we invite the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on this ICR. DATES: To ensure that your comments are considered, the OMB must receive them on or before June 20, 2014. ADDRESSES: Please submit your written comments on this information collection directly to the Office of Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior, at OIRA_ SUBMISSION@omb.eop.gov (email); or (202) 395–5806 (fax). Please also forward a copy of your comments to the Information Collection Clearance Officer, U.S. Geological Survey, 807 National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); 703– 648–7195 (fax); or gs-info_collections@ usgs.gov (email). Reference ‘‘Information Collection 1028–NEW: Registry of Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments’’ in all correspondence. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robin O’Malley, National Climate SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00045 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 29201 Change and Wildlife Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Mail Stop 400, Reston, VA 20192 (mail); 703–648–4086 (phone); or romalley@usgs.gov (email). You may also find information about this ICR at www.reginfo.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Abstract The USGS proposes to collect information on existing assessments of the vulnerability of various natural resources and societal assets to climate change (hereafter VA or ‘‘vulnerability assessments’’). This information will include the organization conducting the study, study location, topical focus of the assessment, methodology and supporting data used, and point of contact information. Because many governmental and nongovernmental parties are conducting such assessments, and because their conclusions, methodologies, and related data assets may be of interest or utility to others contemplating such assessments, the USGS will make the information collected available on the Web in the form of a simple registrytype database. Users, including the general public, scientists, resource management agencies, and others will be able to search the database by various keywords of interest. II. Data OMB Control Number: 1028–NEW. Title: Registry of Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments. Type of Request: Approval of new information collection. Respondent Obligation: None (participation is voluntary). Frequency of Collection: This information will be collected initially and reviewed at least annually. All listed Registry projects will be contacted and requested to update their information; Federal agencies participating in the Registry will conduct ‘‘data calls’’ according to agency practice to identify new agency projects, and external partners will be reminded via Web posting and community-of-practice networking that new projects may be added to the Registry. Additional entries may be added at any time, as information becomes available. Description of Respondents: Federal agencies, state, tribal and nongovernmental partners, individual scientists, and others involved in the conduct of climate change vulnerability assessments. Estimated Total Number of Annual Responses: Approximately 1,360 responses (i.e., additions to the registry) E:\FR\FM\21MYN1.SGM 21MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 98 (Wednesday, May 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29200-29201]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-11730]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2014-N05; FXES111300400000C2-145-FF04E00000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of 
Availability of the Final Recovery Plan for Golden Sedge (Carex Lutea)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability 
of the final recovery plan for golden sedge (Carex lutea), a species 
endemic to the coastal plain in North Carolina. The final recovery plan 
includes specific recovery objectives and criteria to be met in order 
to downlist this species to threatened status or delist it under the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act).

ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of the recovery plan by contacting 
Dale Suiter at the Raleigh Field Office, by U.S. mail at U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Raleigh Field Office, 551-F Pylon Drive, Raleigh, 
North Carolina 27606; or by telephone at (919) 856-4520, extension 18; 
or by visiting our recovery plan Web site at https://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dale Suiter, at the above address or 
by telephone at (919) 856-4520, ext. 18.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Introduction

    We listed golden sedge as an endangered species under the Act (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), on January 23, 2002 (67 FR 3120), and designated 
critical habitat for the species on March 1, 2011 (76 FR 11086). This 
species is a rare perennial member of the sedge family (Cyperaceae) 
endemic to the coastal plain of North Carolina. It is currently known 
from only 21 occurrences (specific locations or sites) located within a 
16 by 5 mile area in Pender and Onslow Counties. All eight populations 
of this plant occur in the Northeast Cape Fear River watershed in North 
Carolina.
    Factors contributing to its endangered status are an extremely 
limited range and loss of habitat. The primary threat is the loss or 
alteration of habitat, from fire suppression; residential, commercial, 
or industrial development; mining; livestock grazing; and woody or 
invasive species encroachment.

Background

    Restoring an endangered or threatened animal or plant to the point 
where it is again a secure, self-sustaining member of its ecosystem is 
a primary goal of the endangered species program. To help guide the 
recovery effort, we are preparing recovery plans for most listed 
species. Recovery plans describe actions considered necessary for 
conservation of the species, establish criteria for downlisting or 
delisting, and estimate time and cost for implementing recovery 
measures.
    The Act requires the development of recovery plans for listed 
species, unless such a plan would not promote the conservation of a 
particular species. Section 4(f) of the Act requires us to provide a 
public notice and an opportunity for public review and comment during 
recovery plan development.

Recovery Plan Specifics

    The objective of this plan is to provide a framework for the 
recovery of golden sedge so that protection under the Act is no longer 
necessary. The draft of this recovery plan was available for public 
comment from June 18, 2013, through August 19, 2013 (78 FR 36566). We 
considered the information received via public comments as well as from 
peer reviewers in our preparation and approval of this final recovery 
plan. We also edited some sections of the draft recovery plan to 
reflect these comments; however, no substantial changes were made to 
the draft recovery plan.

Criteria for Reclassification From Endangered to Threatened

    Golden sedge will be considered for reclassification from 
endangered to threatened status when all of the following criteria are 
met:
    1. There are 10 protected Carex lutea sites in the wild that are 
distributed across the range of the species. [Note: Recovery sites will 
be considered permanently protected when they are placed under a 
conservation easement or other binding land agreement and a management 
agreement, and are ranked as an A or B population by the North Carolina 
Natural Heritage Program (NCNHP).]
    2. On each of the 10 Carex lutea sites, for at least 5 years, any 
non-native plant species that have the potential to displace Carex 
lutea are maintained at or below 10 percent of total number of species 
and at or below 10 percent cover (volume).
    3. All 10 Carex lutea sites demonstrate stable or increasing 
population trends for 5 consecutive years.
    4. Habitat management plans are actively being implemented for at 
least seven of the protected sites.
    5. A prescribed fire regime has been developed and is being 
conducted at all sites to mimic historical frequency and timing (the 
frequency will be determined through recovery actions in this plan).
    We define ``protected'' to mean the site has been fee-simple 
acquired and put into long-term conservation by a local or State 
agency, or that a conservation easement or other binding land agreement 
has been placed on the site by a landowner that shows a commitment to 
its conservation in perpetuity and Carex lutea from the site is 
represented in a Center for Plant Conservation (CPC)-approved seed 
bank. In addition, each site should have a management agreement/plan 
developed. Prescribed fire should be

[[Page 29201]]

part of the agreement/plan and implemented regularly. These plans 
should include monitoring, according to protocols developed 
collaboratively by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), North 
Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDACS), 
North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation (NCDPR), and The Nature 
Conservancy (TNC) and other interested parties; the monitoring should 
occur annually at each protected site. Each site should contain an A or 
B ranked occurrence. For downlisting to be considered, we would like to 
have at least 7 of the 10 protected sites to be A-ranked occurrences. 
The remaining three sites can be either A or B ranked occurrences.

Criteria for Delisting

    Carex lutea will be considered for removal from the List of 
Endangered and Threatened Species (delisting) when all of the following 
criteria are met:
    1. There are 15 protected sites in the wild that are distributed 
across the range of the species. [Note: Recovery sites will be 
considered permanently protected when they are placed under a 
conservation easement or other binding land agreement and a management 
agreement, and are ranked as an A or B population by the NCNHP.]
    2. On each of the 15 Carex lutea sites, for at least 5 years, any 
non-native plant species that have the potential to displace Carex 
lutea are maintained at or below 10 percent of total number of species 
and at or below 10 percent cover (volume).
    3. All 15 Carex lutea sites demonstrate stable or increasing 
population trends for 10 consecutive years.
    4. Habitat management plans are actively being implemented for all 
protected sites and are showing evidence that actions are proving 
effective for this plant.
    5. A prescribed fire regime is being conducted at all sites to 
mimic historical frequency and timing (which will be determined through 
recovery actions in this plan). The definition of ``protected'' is the 
same as in the criteria for downlisting. For delisting to be 
considered, at least 10 of the 15 protected sites should be A ranked 
occurrences. The remaining five sites can be either A or B ranked 
occurrences.

Next Steps

    As reclassification and recovery criteria are met, the status of 
the species will be reviewed, and it will be considered for 
reclassification or removal from the Federal List of Endangered and 
Threatened Plants.

Authority

    The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered 
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).

    Dated: April 23, 2014.
Cynthia K. Dohner,
 Regional Director, Southeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-11730 Filed 5-20-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
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