Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Revised Recovery Plan for Houston Toad, 28884-28886 [2021-11382]

Download as PDF 28884 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 102 / Friday, May 28, 2021 / Notices held to carry out this Plan. Additionally, each Sub-Committee Chairperson shall provide for publication in the Federal Register of a notice of the time, place, and nature of each meeting. If a meeting is open, a Federal Register notice will be published reasonably in advance of the meeting. A Sub-Committee Chairman may restrict attendance at meetings only on the grounds outlined by 44 CFR 332.5(c)(1)–(3). If a meeting is closed, a Federal Register notice will be published within ten (10) days of the meeting and will include the reasons why the meeting is closed pursuant to 44 CFR 332.3(c)(2). The Sub-Committee Chairperson shall establish the agenda for each meeting, be responsible for adherence to the agenda, and provide for a written summary or other record of each meeting and provide copies of transcripts or other records to FEMA, the Attorney General, the Chair of the FTC, and all Sub-Committee Participants. The Chairperson shall take necessary actions to protect from public disclosure any data discussed with or obtained from Sub-Committee Participants which a Sub-Committee Participant has identified as a trade secret or as privileged and confidential in accordance with DPA sections 708(h)(3) and 705(d), or which qualifies for withholding under 44 CFR 332.5. XXXI. Application and Agreement The Sub-Committee Participant identified below hereby agrees to join in the Federal Emergency Management Agency sponsored Plan of Action to Establish a National Strategy for the Manufacture, Allocation, and Distribution of Medical Gases to Respond to COVID–19 under the Voluntary Agreement for the Manufacture and Distribution of Healthcare Resources Necessary to Respond to a Pandemic and to become a Participant in one or more SubCommittees established by this Plan. This Plan will be published in the Federal Register. This Plan is authorized under section 708 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended. Regulations governing the Voluntary Agreement for the Manufacture and Distribution for the Manufacture and Distribution of Healthcare Resources Necessary to Respond to a Pandemic and all subsequent Plans of Action at 44 CFR part 332. The applicant, as a SubCommittee Participant, agrees to comply with the provisions of section 708 of the Defense Production Act of 1950, as amended, the regulations at 44 CFR part 332, and the terms of this Plan. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:28 May 27, 2021 Jkt 253001 XXXII. Assignment No Sub-Committee Participant may assign or transfer this Plan, in whole or in part, or any protections, rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the Sub-Committee Chairperson. When requested, the SubCommittee Chairperson will respond to written requests for consent within 10 (ten) business days of receipt. lllllllllllllllllllll (Company name) lllllllllllllllllllll (Name of authorized representative) lllllllllllllllllllll (Signature of authorized representative) lllllllllllllllllllll (Date) lllllllllllllllllllll Administrator (Sponsor) lllllllllllllllllllll (Date) Deanne Criswell, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency. [FR Doc. 2021–11278 Filed 5–27–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 9111–19–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [Docket No. FWS–R2–ES–2020–0119; FXES11130200000–212–FF02ENEH00] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Revised Recovery Plan for Houston Toad Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment. AGENCY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of our draft revised recovery plan for the Houston toad, listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The Houston toad is a semi-aquatic species endemic to pine and oak forests within Austin, Bastrop, Burleson, Colorado, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Milam, and Robinson Counties, Texas. We provide this notice to seek comments from the public and Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments. DATES: We must receive written comments on or before July 27, 2021. ADDRESSES: Reviewing documents: You may obtain a copy of the draft revised recovery plan in Docket No. FWS–R2– ES–2020–0119 at https:// www.regulations.gov. Submitting Comments: You may submit comments by one of the following methods: SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00138 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 • Federal eRulemaking Portal: https:// www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS–R2–ES–2020–0119. • U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing; Attn: Docket No. FWS–R2– ES–2020–0119; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS: PRB/3W; 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041–3803. For additional information about submitting comments, see Request for Public Comments and Public Availability of Comments under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adam Zerrenner, Field Supervisor, Austin Ecological Services Field Office, by phone at 512–490–0057, by email at adam_zerrenner@fws.gov, or via the Federal Relay Service at 800–877–8339 for TTY service. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of our draft revised recovery plan for the Houston toad (Anaxyrus houstonensis; formerly Bufo houstonensis), listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Houston toads are endemic to aquatic and terrestrial habitats within pine and oak forests in Austin, Bastrop, Burleson, Colorado, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Milam, and Robinson Counties, Texas. The draft revised recovery plan includes site-specific management actions and objective, measurable criteria that, when met, will enable us to remove the Houston toad from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife. We request review and comment on this plan from local, State, and Federal agencies; Tribes; and the public. We will also accept any new information on the status of the Houston toad throughout its range to assist in finalizing the recovery plan. 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 ESA. 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 ESA. The ESA requires the development of recovery plans for listed species, unless such a plan would not promote the conservation of a particular species. The Service approved the original recovery plan for the Houston toad on September 17, 1984 (Service 1984). This draft recovery plan represents the first E:\FR\FM\28MYN1.SGM 28MYN1 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 102 / Friday, May 28, 2021 / Notices revision of the 1984 plan and considers updated information on Houston toad biology, population status, and threats. The revised recovery plan focuses primarily on a strategy for recovery of the Houston toad, objective, measurable recovery criteria, a list of prioritized recovery actions, and the estimated time and cost to recovery. Summary of Species Information Historically, the Houston toad was documented to occur in the following 12 Texas counties: Austin, Bastrop, Burleson, Colorado, Fort Bend, Harris, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Milam, and Robertson. In recent decades, the Houston toad has experienced rapid habitat loss and population declines due to urbanization and drought, and the species’ distribution has become widely scattered, with small and disconnected occurrences documented throughout portions of Austin, Bastrop, Burleson, Colorado, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Milam, and Robertson Counties. On October 13, 1970, we listed the Houston toad (then under the scientific name Bufo houstonensis) as an endangered species under the Federal Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 (35 FR 16047), and the Houston toad’s endangered status was continued under the ESA of 1973. On January 31, 1978, the Service designated critical habitat for the Houston toad in portions of Bastrop and Burleson Counties, Texas (43 FR 4022). We currently recognize this species as Anaxyrus houstonensis based on the most recent taxonomic evaluation. The Houston toad is a small to medium-sized (5 to 8 centimeters [2 to 3 inches] in length) amphibian covered with raised patches of skin that resemble warts. The Houston toad is generally brown and speckled, with a pale underside that has small, dark spots. The toad’s legs are banded, and two dark bands extend from each eye down to the mouth. A white stripe that can vary in pigmentation density extends down the middle of the back, but it can also be absent in some individuals. Houston toads are ectotherms (dependent on external sources of body heat), and their skin is highly vulnerable to desiccation. They become dormant during harsh weather conditions, such as winter cold (hibernation) and summer heat and drought (estivation). The Houston toad is an explosive breeder, aggregating in large numbers at breeding ponds over a period of a few nights throughout the breeding season in late January through June. Females produce large numbers (hundreds or thousands) of eggs, which hatch into tadpoles and then metamorphose into juvenile toadlets VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:28 May 27, 2021 Jkt 253001 approximately 60 to 65 days after egg deposition. Habitat for the Houston toad is generally defined as rolling uplands covered with pine and/or oak forests underlain by deep sandy soils. Houston toads spend most of their lives in terrestrial habitats feeding, sheltering, and dispersing. Important components of terrestrial Houston toad habitat include forested patches with abundant canopy cover and herbaceous vegetation on the forest floor. Because the toad is semi-aquatic, water is also an essential component of the Houston toad’s habitat, and they are known to breed in small pools of water or ephemeral ponds. Houston toad populations exhibit a metapopulation structure (an assemblage of local subpopulations that are interconnected through gene flow, local extirpations, and recolonizations), and networks of ponds and individuals dispersing among these ponds are essential to maintaining Houston toad viability. Habitat loss in the form of destruction, modification, and fragmentation (Factor A) has long been considered the most significant and immediate threat facing the Houston toad. Within the Houston toad’s range, such habitat loss has been the result of the conversion to housing, agricultural pastures, or other unsuitable landscapes. Fire suppression, wildfire, and livestock grazing have altered and degraded Houston toad habitat so that its ecosystem function has been adversely affected. Habitat fragmentation has also diminished habitat sizes and connectivity, resulting in a reduction in or elimination of the genetic exchange of individuals, edge effects, barriers to movement, and isolation, with subsequent changes in demographic parameters such as decreased survivorship and loss of genetic diversity. To a lesser extent, predation (Factor C), small population size (Factor E), and the effects of climate change (Factor E) are also significant threats to Houston toad viability. Known predators of the Houston toad include water snakes (Nerodia sp.), bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana), raccoons (Procyon lotor), and other carnivores; however, red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) are believed to be the most detrimental to Houston toad viability, because they are known to prey on newly metamorphosed toadlets and compete with juvenile and adult Houston toads for their invertebrate food base. Stochastic events from either environmental factors or demographic factors are also heightened threats to the Houston toad because of its limited range and small population sizes. Small PO 00000 Frm 00139 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 28885 populations that are largely isolated from one another provide little, if any, opportunity for natural recolonization in the event of a local extirpation event. Historically, the species persisted in the face of extremely intense drought such as occurred in the 1950s; however, resilience to drought has likely decreased as a consequence of small and isolated populations. Within Texas, change models project up to 20 percent less precipitation, and most regions in Texas are predicted to become drier as temperatures increase. Recovery Plan Goals The objective of a recovery plan is to provide a framework for the recovery of a species so that protection under the ESA 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 lists of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants. 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. Our recovery strategy for the Houston toad is to address the threats to the species and reduce them to a point such that the viability of the Houston toad can be maintained in the wild over time. We use the conservation principles of redundancy (i.e., the ability of a species to withstand catastrophic events; spreading risk among multiple populations to minimize the potential loss of the species from catastrophic events), representation (i.e., the ability of a species to adapt to changing environmental conditions over time, via the range of genetic and ecological variation found within the species), and resiliency (i.e., the ability of a population to withstand environmental and demographic stochasticity and disturbance) to better inform our view of what contributes to the Houston toad’s viability and how best to conserve the species. The primary objectives of the recovery effort for the Houston toad involve acquiring, protecting, enhancing, restoring, and managing habitat within multiple recovery units, and implementing population restoration efforts such that multiple, resilient metapopulations with the appropriate genetic and ecological diversity are distributed throughout the species’ range. We have identified six recovery units across the Houston toad’s current range that are essential to the survival and recovery of the species. These recovery units encompass E:\FR\FM\28MYN1.SGM 28MYN1 28886 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 102 / Friday, May 28, 2021 / Notices portions of all six Texas counties where the Houston toad is extant, and represent the areas most likely to encapsulate at least one metapopulation. The revised recovery plan provides recovery criteria aimed at managing or eliminating threats to meet the goal of delisting the species. These recovery criteria are based on the conservation of undisturbed forested areas that are protected from future development, and the establishment of multiple Houston toad metapopulations composed of interconnected subpopulations. The site-specific management actions needed to address threats to Houston toad viability and achieve the recovery criteria involve: (1) Conserving, restoring, and protecting habitat; (2) captive propagation and supplementation; (3) establishing a monitoring program; (4) conducting research; (5) expanding monitoring into new areas; (6) conducting public education and outreach; (7) identifying effective habitat management strategies; and (8) effectively planning and coordinating recovery implementation. Request for Public Comments Section 4(f) of the ESA 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 recovery plan. In particular, we are interested in additional information regarding the current threats to the species and the implementation of the recommended recovery actions. Public Availability of Comments All comments received, including names and addresses, will become part of the administrative record and will be available to the public. Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:28 May 27, 2021 Jkt 253001 comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available. If you submit a hardcopy comment that includes personal identifying information, you may request at the top of your document that we withhold this information from public review. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Authority We developed our draft recovery plan and publish this notice under the authority of section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Service (FRS) at (800) 877–8339 to contact Ms. Boothe during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All responses will be during normal business hours. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Advisory Board advises the Secretary of the Interior, the BLM Director, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service on matters pertaining to the management and protection of wild, free-roaming horses and burros on the nation’s public lands. The Advisory Board operates under the authority of 43 CFR 1784. Amy L. Lueders, Regional Director, Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Advisory Board Public Meeting Agenda [FR Doc. 2021–11382 Filed 5–27–21; 8:45 am] Session 1—8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Mountain Time (MT) • Welcome Remarks and Housekeeping • Approval of September 2020 Meeting Minutes • BLM and USFS Responses to Board Recommendations from September 2020 Board Meeting Break—9:30 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. MT BILLING CODE 4333–55–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLHQ260000.L10600000.PC0000. LXSIADVSBD00.21X] Virtual Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board Meeting Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. AGENCY: In accordance with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 and the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972, the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board (Advisory Board) will hold a virtual public meeting. DATES: The Advisory Board will hold a virtual public meeting on Wednesday and Thursday, June 30 through July 1, 2021, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time (MT). ADDRESSES: The virtual meeting will be held via the Zoom Webinar Platform. Written comments pertaining to the meeting and written statements that will be presented to the Advisory Board may be filed in advance of the meeting through the Advisory Board email address at www.whbadvisoryboard@ blm.gov. Please include ‘‘Advisory Board Comment’’ in the subject line of the email. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dorothea Boothe, Wild Horse and Burro Program Coordinator: telephone: (602) 906–5543, email: dboothe@blm.gov. Individuals that use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00140 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Wednesday, June 30, 2021 Session 2—9:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. MT • U.S. Forest Service Program Overview • BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program Overview • BLM Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program Update • BLM Outyear Gather Planning Update • BLM Research Projects Update • BLM Population Surveys Update Advisory Board Discussion Break—12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. MT Session 3—12:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. MT • Public Comment Period (1) Break—2:45 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. MT Session 4—3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. MT • Comprehensive Ecosystem Approach to Management Work Group Discussion Adjournment Thursday, July 1, 2021 Session 5—8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. MT • Humane Handling Work Group Discussion Break—10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. MT Session 6—10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. MT • Public Comment Period (2) Session 7—11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. MT • BLM Internal Organizational Structure Work Group Discussion Advisory Board Discussion and Draft Recommendations Break—1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. MT Session 8—1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. MT • Public Comment Period (3) E:\FR\FM\28MYN1.SGM 28MYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 102 (Friday, May 28, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 28884-28886]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-11382]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2020-0119; FXES11130200000-212-FF02ENEH00]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Revised 
Recovery Plan for Houston Toad

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment.

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

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the 
availability of our draft revised recovery plan for the Houston toad, 
listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The Houston toad 
is a semi-aquatic species endemic to pine and oak forests within 
Austin, Bastrop, Burleson, Colorado, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Milam, and 
Robinson Counties, Texas. We provide this notice to seek comments from 
the public and Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments.

DATES: We must receive written comments on or before July 27, 2021.

ADDRESSES: 
    Reviewing documents: You may obtain a copy of the draft revised 
recovery plan in Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2020-0119 at https://www.regulations.gov.
    Submitting Comments: You may submit comments by one of the 
following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS-R2-
ES-2020-0119.
     U.S. mail: Public Comments Processing; Attn: Docket No. 
FWS-R2-ES-2020-0119; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters, MS: 
PRB/3W; 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
    For additional information about submitting comments, see Request 
for Public Comments and Public Availability of Comments under 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adam Zerrenner, Field Supervisor, 
Austin Ecological Services Field Office, by phone at 512-490-0057, by 
email at [email protected], or via the Federal Relay Service at 
800-877-8339 for TTY service.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(Service), announce the availability of our draft revised recovery plan 
for the Houston toad (Anaxyrus houstonensis; formerly Bufo 
houstonensis), listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended (ESA; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Houston toads are 
endemic to aquatic and terrestrial habitats within pine and oak forests 
in Austin, Bastrop, Burleson, Colorado, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Milam, and 
Robinson Counties, Texas. The draft revised recovery plan includes 
site-specific management actions and objective, measurable criteria 
that, when met, will enable us to remove the Houston toad from the list 
of endangered and threatened wildlife. We request review and comment on 
this plan from local, State, and Federal agencies; Tribes; and the 
public. We will also accept any new information on the status of the 
Houston toad throughout its range to assist in finalizing the recovery 
plan.

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 
ESA. 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 ESA. The ESA requires the development of 
recovery plans for listed species, unless such a plan would not promote 
the conservation of a particular species.
    The Service approved the original recovery plan for the Houston 
toad on September 17, 1984 (Service 1984). This draft recovery plan 
represents the first

[[Page 28885]]

revision of the 1984 plan and considers updated information on Houston 
toad biology, population status, and threats. The revised recovery plan 
focuses primarily on a strategy for recovery of the Houston toad, 
objective, measurable recovery criteria, a list of prioritized recovery 
actions, and the estimated time and cost to recovery.

Summary of Species Information

    Historically, the Houston toad was documented to occur in the 
following 12 Texas counties: Austin, Bastrop, Burleson, Colorado, Fort 
Bend, Harris, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Milam, and Robertson. In 
recent decades, the Houston toad has experienced rapid habitat loss and 
population declines due to urbanization and drought, and the species' 
distribution has become widely scattered, with small and disconnected 
occurrences documented throughout portions of Austin, Bastrop, 
Burleson, Colorado, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Milam, and Robertson Counties. 
On October 13, 1970, we listed the Houston toad (then under the 
scientific name Bufo houstonensis) as an endangered species under the 
Federal Endangered Species Preservation Act of 1966 (35 FR 16047), and 
the Houston toad's endangered status was continued under the ESA of 
1973. On January 31, 1978, the Service designated critical habitat for 
the Houston toad in portions of Bastrop and Burleson Counties, Texas 
(43 FR 4022). We currently recognize this species as Anaxyrus 
houstonensis based on the most recent taxonomic evaluation.
    The Houston toad is a small to medium-sized (5 to 8 centimeters [2 
to 3 inches] in length) amphibian covered with raised patches of skin 
that resemble warts. The Houston toad is generally brown and speckled, 
with a pale underside that has small, dark spots. The toad's legs are 
banded, and two dark bands extend from each eye down to the mouth. A 
white stripe that can vary in pigmentation density extends down the 
middle of the back, but it can also be absent in some individuals. 
Houston toads are ectotherms (dependent on external sources of body 
heat), and their skin is highly vulnerable to desiccation. They become 
dormant during harsh weather conditions, such as winter cold 
(hibernation) and summer heat and drought (estivation). The Houston 
toad is an explosive breeder, aggregating in large numbers at breeding 
ponds over a period of a few nights throughout the breeding season in 
late January through June. Females produce large numbers (hundreds or 
thousands) of eggs, which hatch into tadpoles and then metamorphose 
into juvenile toadlets approximately 60 to 65 days after egg 
deposition.
    Habitat for the Houston toad is generally defined as rolling 
uplands covered with pine and/or oak forests underlain by deep sandy 
soils. Houston toads spend most of their lives in terrestrial habitats 
feeding, sheltering, and dispersing. Important components of 
terrestrial Houston toad habitat include forested patches with abundant 
canopy cover and herbaceous vegetation on the forest floor. Because the 
toad is semi-aquatic, water is also an essential component of the 
Houston toad's habitat, and they are known to breed in small pools of 
water or ephemeral ponds. Houston toad populations exhibit a 
metapopulation structure (an assemblage of local subpopulations that 
are interconnected through gene flow, local extirpations, and 
recolonizations), and networks of ponds and individuals dispersing 
among these ponds are essential to maintaining Houston toad viability.
    Habitat loss in the form of destruction, modification, and 
fragmentation (Factor A) has long been considered the most significant 
and immediate threat facing the Houston toad. Within the Houston toad's 
range, such habitat loss has been the result of the conversion to 
housing, agricultural pastures, or other unsuitable landscapes. Fire 
suppression, wildfire, and livestock grazing have altered and degraded 
Houston toad habitat so that its ecosystem function has been adversely 
affected. Habitat fragmentation has also diminished habitat sizes and 
connectivity, resulting in a reduction in or elimination of the genetic 
exchange of individuals, edge effects, barriers to movement, and 
isolation, with subsequent changes in demographic parameters such as 
decreased survivorship and loss of genetic diversity. To a lesser 
extent, predation (Factor C), small population size (Factor E), and the 
effects of climate change (Factor E) are also significant threats to 
Houston toad viability. Known predators of the Houston toad include 
water snakes (Nerodia sp.), bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana), raccoons 
(Procyon lotor), and other carnivores; however, red imported fire ants 
(Solenopsis invicta) are believed to be the most detrimental to Houston 
toad viability, because they are known to prey on newly metamorphosed 
toadlets and compete with juvenile and adult Houston toads for their 
invertebrate food base. Stochastic events from either environmental 
factors or demographic factors are also heightened threats to the 
Houston toad because of its limited range and small population sizes. 
Small populations that are largely isolated from one another provide 
little, if any, opportunity for natural recolonization in the event of 
a local extirpation event. Historically, the species persisted in the 
face of extremely intense drought such as occurred in the 1950s; 
however, resilience to drought has likely decreased as a consequence of 
small and isolated populations. Within Texas, change models project up 
to 20 percent less precipitation, and most regions in Texas are 
predicted to become drier as temperatures increase.

Recovery Plan Goals

    The objective of a recovery plan is to provide a framework for the 
recovery of a species so that protection under the ESA 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 
lists of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants. 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.
    Our recovery strategy for the Houston toad is to address the 
threats to the species and reduce them to a point such that the 
viability of the Houston toad can be maintained in the wild over time. 
We use the conservation principles of redundancy (i.e., the ability of 
a species to withstand catastrophic events; spreading risk among 
multiple populations to minimize the potential loss of the species from 
catastrophic events), representation (i.e., the ability of a species to 
adapt to changing environmental conditions over time, via the range of 
genetic and ecological variation found within the species), and 
resiliency (i.e., the ability of a population to withstand 
environmental and demographic stochasticity and disturbance) to better 
inform our view of what contributes to the Houston toad's viability and 
how best to conserve the species. The primary objectives of the 
recovery effort for the Houston toad involve acquiring, protecting, 
enhancing, restoring, and managing habitat within multiple recovery 
units, and implementing population restoration efforts such that 
multiple, resilient metapopulations with the appropriate genetic and 
ecological diversity are distributed throughout the species' range. We 
have identified six recovery units across the Houston toad's current 
range that are essential to the survival and recovery of the species. 
These recovery units encompass

[[Page 28886]]

portions of all six Texas counties where the Houston toad is extant, 
and represent the areas most likely to encapsulate at least one 
metapopulation. The revised recovery plan provides recovery criteria 
aimed at managing or eliminating threats to meet the goal of delisting 
the species. These recovery criteria are based on the conservation of 
undisturbed forested areas that are protected from future development, 
and the establishment of multiple Houston toad metapopulations composed 
of interconnected subpopulations. The site-specific management actions 
needed to address threats to Houston toad viability and achieve the 
recovery criteria involve: (1) Conserving, restoring, and protecting 
habitat; (2) captive propagation and supplementation; (3) establishing 
a monitoring program; (4) conducting research; (5) expanding monitoring 
into new areas; (6) conducting public education and outreach; (7) 
identifying effective habitat management strategies; and (8) 
effectively planning and coordinating recovery implementation.

Request for Public Comments

    Section 4(f) of the ESA 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 recovery plan. In 
particular, we are interested in additional information regarding the 
current threats to the species and the implementation of the 
recommended recovery actions.

Public Availability of Comments

    All comments received, including names and addresses, will become 
part of the administrative record and will be available to the public. 
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. If you submit a hardcopy 
comment that includes personal identifying information, you may request 
at the top of your document that we withhold this information from 
public review. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do 
so.

Authority

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

Amy L. Lueders,
Regional Director, Southwest Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2021-11382 Filed 5-27-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-55-P
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