Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Recovery Plan for the Central California Distinct Population Segment of the California Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma californiense), 12930-12931 [2016-05492]

Agencies

• Fish and Wildlife Service
• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 48 (Friday, March 11, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12930-12931]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-05492]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R8-ES-2015-N229; FXES11130000-156-FF08E00000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Recovery 
Plan for the Central California Distinct Population Segment of the 
California Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma californiense)

AGENCY:  Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:  Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY:  We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the 
availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for the Central California 
Distinct Population Segment of the California tiger salamander 
(Ambystoma californiense) (Central California tiger salamander) for 
public review and comment. This draft recovery plan includes delisting 
objectives and criteria, and specific actions necessary to remove the 
species from the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 
and Plants.

DATES: We must receive any comments on this revised draft recovery plan 
on or before May 10, 2016.

ADDRESSES:  You may obtain a copy of this draft recovery plan from our 
Web site at https://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html. 
Alternatively, you may contact the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, Suite W-2605, 
Sacramento, CA 95825 (telephone 916-414-6700).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Jennifer Norris, Field Supervisor, at 
the above street address or telephone number (see ADDRESSES).

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 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (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 
specified 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.
    The Central California tiger salamander (Ambystoma californiense) 
was federally listed as a threatened species on August 4, 2004 (69 FR 
47212). Central California tiger salamanders are endemic to the San 
Joaquin-Sacramento River valleys, bordering foothills, and coastal 
valleys of Central California and inhabit primarily annual grasslands 
and open woodlands. California tiger salamanders spend the majority of 
their lives underground in small mammal burrows, although ponds play an 
equally important role because they are required for breeding. Breeding 
sites are typically fish-free ephemeral ponds that fill during winter 
and dry by summer. Historically, California tiger salamanders utilized 
vernal pools as breeding sites, but the species now also commonly 
breeds in livestock ponds.
    The loss and subsequent fragmentation of habitat is the primary 
threat to the Central California tiger salamander. Habitat loss has 
primarily occurred from urban expansion and agricultural conversion. 
Habitat fragmentation restricts dispersal and isolates populations of 
the Central California tiger salamander, thereby increasing the 
likelihood of inbreeding, decreasing fitness, and reducing genetic 
diversity. In addition to habitat loss, Central California tiger 
salamanders are subject to the cumulative effects of a number of other 
existing and potential threats, including: Hybridization with non-
native barred tiger salamanders, road mortality, climate change, 
contaminants, disease, and predation by non-native species.

Recovery Plan Goals

    The purpose of a recovery plan is to provide a framework for the 
recovery of species so that protection under the Act is no longer 
necessary. A recovery plan includes scientific information about the 
species and provides criteria that enable us to gauge whether 
downlisting or delisting the species is warranted. Furthermore, 
recovery plans help guide our recovery efforts by describing actions we 
consider necessary for each species' conservation and by estimating 
time and costs for implementing needed recovery measures.
    The goal of this draft recovery plan is to improve the status of 
Central California tiger salamander so that it can be delisted. To meet 
the recovery goal of delisting, the following objectives have been 
identified:
    1. Secure self-sustaining populations of Central California tiger 
salamander throughout their full range, ensuring conservation of 
genetic variability and diverse habitat types (e.g., variation in 
elevation and precipitation).
    2. Ameliorate or eliminate the threats that caused the species to 
be listed, and any future threats.
    3. Restore and conserve a healthy ecosystem supportive of Central 
California tiger salamander populations.
    The strategy to recover the Central California tiger salamander 
focuses on alleviating the threat of habitat loss and fragmentation in 
order to increase population resiliency (ensure a large enough 
population to withstand stochastic events) and redundancy (a sufficient 
number of populations to ensure the species can withstand catastrophic 
events). Recovery of this species can be achieved by addressing the 
conservation of remaining aquatic and upland habitat that provides 
essential connectivity, reduces fragmentation, and sufficiently buffers

[[Page 12931]]

against encroaching development and intensive agricultural land uses. 
Appropriate management of these areas will also reduce mortality by 
addressing non-habitat related threats, including those from non-native 
and hybrid tiger salamanders, other non-native species, contaminants, 
disease, and road mortality. Research and monitoring should be 
undertaken to determine the extent of known threats, identify new 
threats, and reduce them to the extent possible. As the Central 
California tiger salamander meets delisting criteria, we will review 
its status and consider it for removal from the Federal Lists of 
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants.

Public Comments Solicited

    We invite written comments on the draft recovery plan. All comments 
received by the date specified in DATES will be considered in 
development of a final recovery plan for the Central California tiger 
salamander. You may submit written comments and information by mail or 
in person to the Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office (see ADDRESSES).

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

    We developed this 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) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended 
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Alexandra Pitts,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Southwest Region.
[FR Doc. 2016-05492 Filed 3-10-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P