Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Availability of a Technical/Agency Draft Recovery Plan for the Dusky Gopher Frog, 53728-53729 [2014-21549]

Download as PDF 53728 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 175 / Wednesday, September 10, 2014 / Notices Information Collection Clearance Officer: Cheryl Blundon, 703–787–1607. Dated: August 21, 2014. Robert W. Middleton, Deputy Chief, Office of Offshore Regulatory Programs. [FR Doc. 2014–21586 Filed 9–9–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–VH–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service Background [FWS–R4–ES–2014–N134; FXES11130400000C2–145–FF04E00000] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Availability of a Technical/Agency Draft Recovery Plan for the Dusky Gopher Frog Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability and request for public comment. AGENCY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of the technical/agency draft recovery plan for the endangered dusky gopher frog. We request review and comment on this draft recovery plan from local, State, and Federal agencies, and the public. DATES: In order to be considered, comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or before November 10, 2014. ADDRESSES: If you wish to review this technical/agency draft recovery plan, you may obtain a copy by visiting the Service’s Mississippi Field Office Web site at https://www.fws.gov/ mississippiES/ or by contacting Linda LaClaire, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mississippi Ecological Services Field Office, 6578 Dogwood View Parkway, Jackson, MS 39213; tel. (601) 321–1126. If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by one of the following methods: 1. You may submit written comments and materials to Linda LaClaire, at the above address. 2. You may hand-deliver written comments to our Mississippi Field Office, at the above address, or fax them to (601) 965–4340. 3. You may send comments by email to linda_laclaire@fws.gov. Please include ‘‘Dusky Gopher Frog Recovery Plan Comments’’ on the subject line. For additional information about submitting comments, see the ‘‘Request for Public Comments’’ section below. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda LaClaire (see ADDRESSES above). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:04 Sep 09, 2014 Jkt 232001 announce the availability of the technical/agency draft recovery plan for the endangered dusky gopher frog (Rana sevosa). The draft recovery plan includes specific recovery objectives and criteria the dusky gopher frog would have to meet in order for us to downlist it to threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; Act). We request review and comment on this draft recovery plan from local, State, and Federal agencies, and the public. The dusky gopher frog was listed as an endangered species under the Act on December 4, 2001 (66 FR 62993). At the time of the original listing, the species was identified as the Mississippi gopher frog, a distinct population segment of what was then considered the dusky gopher frog (Rana capito sevosa). Subsequent to the listing, taxonomic research was completed that indicated the Mississippi gopher frog was different from other gopher frogs and warranted acceptance as its own species. In 2012, the Service officially recognized the listed entity as the dusky gopher frog, Rana sevosa, based on this research and the original description of the species given this name. Dusky gopher frogs are terrestrial amphibians endemic to the longleaf pine ecosystem of southeastern Louisiana, coastal Mississippi, and coastal Alabama to the Mobile River drainage. Currently, it is only found at four localities in two Mississippi counties and has not been recently observed in either Alabama or Louisiana. Approximately 625 hectares (1,544 acres) have been designated as critical habitat for the dusky gopher frog in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, and 1,996 hectares (4,933 acres) are designated in Forrest, Harrison, Jackson, and Perry Counties, Mississippi (77 FR 35118). The dusky gopher frog has a Federal recovery priority number of 5, which indicates the species faces a high degree of threat and also has a low recovery potential. 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 our endangered species program. To help guide the recovery effort, we prepare 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. PO 00000 Frm 00045 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 public notice and an opportunity for public review and comment during recovery plan development. We will consider all information presented during a public comment period prior to approval of each new or revised recovery plan. We and other Federal agencies will take these comments into account in the course of implementing approved recovery plans. Recovery Plan Components The Service’s recovery objectives are to work to reduce threats so that the dusky gopher frog may be downlisted to threatened status. Defining reasonable delisting criteria is not possible at this time, given the current low number of populations and individuals, lack of information about the species’ biology, and magnitude of threats. Therefore, this recovery plan only establishes downlisting criteria for the dusky gopher frog. Downlisting of the dusky gopher frog will be considered when: 1. Six viable metapopulations * are documented within blocks of recovery focus areas (described in Section II of the recovery plan) and are widely distributed across the range of the species. The six metapopulations would include a minimum of 12 breeding ponds and would be distributed as follows: a. One metapopulation in Block #1 (Louisiana. Portions of St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington Parishes, west to the Tangipahoa River); b. Two metapopulations each in Block #2 (South-Central Mississippi. North of State Hwy. 26, between the Pearl and Pascagoula Rivers; Forrest County and portions of Lamar, Pearl River, Perry, and Stone Counties) and Block #3 (South Mississippi. South of Hwy. 26, between the Pearl and Pascagoula Rivers; Hancock and Harrison Counties, and portions of Jackson, George, Pearl River, and Stone Counties); and c. One metapopulation in either Block #4 (Eastern Mississippi. East of Pascagoula/Leaf Rivers; portions of George, Greene, Jackson, and Wayne Counties) or Block #5 (Alabama. West of the Mobile River Delta; Mobile and Washington Counties, small portion of Choctaw County). 2. Long-term monitoring (10+ years) of each metapopulation documents population viability (viability standard to be defined through a recovery task). The 10-year timeframe will allow E:\FR\FM\10SEN1.SGM 10SEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 175 / Wednesday, September 10, 2014 / Notices monitoring recruitment events and other population attributes in a species that has been characterized by highly variable reproductive and survival rates. In each of at least two annual breeding events within a 3-year period, a total of 30 egg masses per metapopulation must be documented and recruitment must be verified. 3. Breeding and adjacent upland habitats within the six metapopulations are protected long term through management agreements, public ownership, or other means, in sufficient quantity and quality (to be determined by recovery task) to support growing populations. 4. Studies of the dusky gopher frog’s biological and ecological requirements have been completed, and any required recovery measures discovered during these studies are developed and implemented. * Information defining what constitutes a viable metapopulation can be found in the Service’s Technical/Agency draft recovery plan. Request for Public Comments We request written comments on the draft recovery plan. We will consider all comments we receive by the date specified in DATES prior to final approval of the plan. Public Availability of Comments Before including your address, phone number, email 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. Authority The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533 (f). tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Dated: September 3, 2014. Mike Oetker, Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. 2014–21549 Filed 9–9–14; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–55–P VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:04 Sep 09, 2014 Jkt 232001 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–16314; PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP14.R50000] Notice of Inventory Completion: State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison, WI National Park Service, Interior. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: The State Historical Society of Wisconsin has completed an inventory of human remains, in consultation with the appropriate Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is no cultural affiliation between the human remains and any present-day Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control of these human remains should submit a written request to the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains to the Indian tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed. DATES: Representatives of any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control of these human remains should submit a written request with information in support of the request to the State Historical Society of Wisconsin at the address in this notice by October 10, 2014. ADDRESSES: Jennifer Kolb, Wisconsin Historical Museum, 30 North Carroll Street, Madison, WI 53703, telephone (608) 261–2461, email Jennifer.Kolb@ wisconsinhistory.org. SUMMARY: Notice is here given in accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3003, of the completion of an inventory of human remains under the control of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Madison, WI. The human remains were removed from two sites in Sheboygan County, WI. This notice is published as part of the National Park Service’s administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003(d)(3) and 43 CFR 10.11(d). The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the museum, institution, or Federal agency that has control of the Native American human remains. The National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PO 00000 Frm 00046 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 53729 Consultation A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin professional staff in consultation with representatives of the Forest County Potawatomi Community, Wisconsin; Ho-Chunk Nation of Wisconsin; and the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. History and Description of the Remains In 1906, human remains representing, at minimum, one individual (1969A.90.40–.56) were removed from an unknown site within the Black River Village complex in Sheboygan County, WI. The fragmentary human remains were collected from the surface by Charles E. Brown, who donated them to the State Historical Society in 1910. The human remains were determined to represent one individual of indeterminate age and sex. No known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are present. In 1927, human remains representing, at minimum, two individuals (1978.362.118) were removed from the Andrae Village Site (47–SB–0062), which is within the Black River Village complex, in Sheboygan County, WI. The cremated human remains were excavated by archeologist Leland Cooper, who donated the human remains to the State Historical Society at an unknown date. The human remains were determined to represent an adult and an infant, both of indeterminate sex. No known individuals were identified. No associated funerary objects are present. Determinations Made by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin Officials of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin have determined that: • Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described in this notice are Native American based on the location and context of the burial and State Historical Society records. • Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described in this notice represent the physical remains of three individuals of Native American ancestry. • Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(2), a relationship of shared group identity cannot be reasonably traced between the Native American human remains and any present-day Indian tribe. • According to final judgments of the Indian Claims Commission or the Court of Federal Claims, the land from which the Native American human remains were removed is the aboriginal land of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, E:\FR\FM\10SEN1.SGM 10SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 175 (Wednesday, September 10, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53728-53729]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21549]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2014-N134; FXES11130400000C2-145-FF04E00000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of 
Availability of a Technical/Agency Draft Recovery Plan for the Dusky 
Gopher Frog

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for public comment.

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

SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability 
of the technical/agency draft recovery plan for the endangered dusky 
gopher frog. We request review and comment on this draft recovery plan 
from local, State, and Federal agencies, and the public.

DATES: In order to be considered, comments on the draft recovery plan 
must be received on or before November 10, 2014.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to review this technical/agency draft recovery 
plan, you may obtain a copy by visiting the Service's Mississippi Field 
Office Web site at https://www.fws.gov/mississippiES/ or by contacting 
Linda LaClaire, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mississippi Ecological 
Services Field Office, 6578 Dogwood View Parkway, Jackson, MS 39213; 
tel. (601) 321-1126. If you wish to comment, you may submit your 
comments by one of the following methods:
    1. You may submit written comments and materials to Linda LaClaire, 
at the above address.
    2. You may hand-deliver written comments to our Mississippi Field 
Office, at the above address, or fax them to (601) 965-4340.
    3. You may send comments by email to 
lindalaclaire@fws.gov. Please include ``Dusky Gopher Frog 
Recovery Plan Comments'' on the subject line.
    For additional information about submitting comments, see the 
``Request for Public Comments'' section below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Linda LaClaire (see ADDRESSES above).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), 
announce the availability of the technical/agency draft recovery plan 
for the endangered dusky gopher frog (Rana sevosa). The draft recovery 
plan includes specific recovery objectives and criteria the dusky 
gopher frog would have to meet in order for us to downlist it to 
threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.; Act). We request review and comment on this draft 
recovery plan from local, State, and Federal agencies, and the public.

Background

    The dusky gopher frog was listed as an endangered species under the 
Act on December 4, 2001 (66 FR 62993). At the time of the original 
listing, the species was identified as the Mississippi gopher frog, a 
distinct population segment of what was then considered the dusky 
gopher frog (Rana capito sevosa). Subsequent to the listing, taxonomic 
research was completed that indicated the Mississippi gopher frog was 
different from other gopher frogs and warranted acceptance as its own 
species. In 2012, the Service officially recognized the listed entity 
as the dusky gopher frog, Rana sevosa, based on this research and the 
original description of the species given this name.
    Dusky gopher frogs are terrestrial amphibians endemic to the 
longleaf pine ecosystem of southeastern Louisiana, coastal Mississippi, 
and coastal Alabama to the Mobile River drainage. Currently, it is only 
found at four localities in two Mississippi counties and has not been 
recently observed in either Alabama or Louisiana.
    Approximately 625 hectares (1,544 acres) have been designated as 
critical habitat for the dusky gopher frog in St. Tammany Parish, 
Louisiana, and 1,996 hectares (4,933 acres) are designated in Forrest, 
Harrison, Jackson, and Perry Counties, Mississippi (77 FR 35118).
    The dusky gopher frog has a Federal recovery priority number of 5, 
which indicates the species faces a high degree of threat and also has 
a low recovery potential.
    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 our endangered species program. To help guide the 
recovery effort, we prepare 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 
public notice and an opportunity for public review and comment during 
recovery plan development. We will consider all information presented 
during a public comment period prior to approval of each new or revised 
recovery plan. We and other Federal agencies will take these comments 
into account in the course of implementing approved recovery plans.

Recovery Plan Components

    The Service's recovery objectives are to work to reduce threats so 
that the dusky gopher frog may be downlisted to threatened status. 
Defining reasonable delisting criteria is not possible at this time, 
given the current low number of populations and individuals, lack of 
information about the species' biology, and magnitude of threats. 
Therefore, this recovery plan only establishes downlisting criteria for 
the dusky gopher frog.
    Downlisting of the dusky gopher frog will be considered when:
    1. Six viable metapopulations * are documented within blocks of 
recovery focus areas (described in Section II of the recovery plan) and 
are widely distributed across the range of the species. The six 
metapopulations would include a minimum of 12 breeding ponds and would 
be distributed as follows:
    a. One metapopulation in Block 1 (Louisiana. Portions of 
St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington Parishes, west to the 
Tangipahoa River);
    b. Two metapopulations each in Block 2 (South-Central 
Mississippi. North of State Hwy. 26, between the Pearl and Pascagoula 
Rivers; Forrest County and portions of Lamar, Pearl River, Perry, and 
Stone Counties) and Block 3 (South Mississippi. South of Hwy. 
26, between the Pearl and Pascagoula Rivers; Hancock and Harrison 
Counties, and portions of Jackson, George, Pearl River, and Stone 
Counties); and
    c. One metapopulation in either Block 4 (Eastern 
Mississippi. East of Pascagoula/Leaf Rivers; portions of George, 
Greene, Jackson, and Wayne Counties) or Block 5 (Alabama. West 
of the Mobile River Delta; Mobile and Washington Counties, small 
portion of Choctaw County).
    2. Long-term monitoring (10+ years) of each metapopulation 
documents population viability (viability standard to be defined 
through a recovery task). The 10-year timeframe will allow

[[Page 53729]]

monitoring recruitment events and other population attributes in a 
species that has been characterized by highly variable reproductive and 
survival rates. In each of at least two annual breeding events within a 
3-year period, a total of 30 egg masses per metapopulation must be 
documented and recruitment must be verified.
    3. Breeding and adjacent upland habitats within the six 
metapopulations are protected long term through management agreements, 
public ownership, or other means, in sufficient quantity and quality 
(to be determined by recovery task) to support growing populations.
    4. Studies of the dusky gopher frog's biological and ecological 
requirements have been completed, and any required recovery measures 
discovered during these studies are developed and implemented.

* Information defining what constitutes a viable metapopulation can 
be found in the Service's Technical/Agency draft recovery plan.

Request for Public Comments

    We request written comments on the draft recovery plan. We will 
consider all comments we receive by the date specified in DATES prior 
to final approval of the plan.

Public Availability of Comments

    Before including your address, phone number, email 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.

Authority

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

    Dated: September 3, 2014.
Mike Oetker,
Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-21549 Filed 9-9-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
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