Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Recovery Plan for the Alaska-Breeding Population of Steller's Eider, First Revision, 32968-32969 [2021-13153]
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32968
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 23, 2021 / Notices
Scientific name/
common name
Contact person, email, phone
Thelypteris
inabonensis, T.
verecunda, T.
yaucoensis (no common names).
Maritza Vargas, caribbean_
es@fws.gov, 787–851–7297.
Status
(endangered or
threatened)
States where the species is
known to occur
Final listing rule
(Federal Register
citation and
publication date)
Contact’s mailing address
Non-Flowering Plants
What information do we consider in
our 5-year reviews?
A 5-year review considers all new
information available at the time of the
review. In conducting the review, we
consider the best scientific and
commercial data that have become
available since the most recent status
review. We are seeking new information
specifically regarding:
(1) Species biology, including but not
limited to life history and habitat
requirements and impact tolerance
thresholds;
(2) Historical and current population
conditions, including but not limited to
population abundance, trends,
distribution, demographics, and
genetics;
(3) Historical and current habitat
conditions, including but not limited to
amount, distribution, and suitability;
(4) Historical and current threats,
threat trends, and threat projections in
relation to the five listing factors (as
defined in section 4(a)(1) of the ESA);
(5) Conservation measures for the
species that have been implemented or
are planned; and
(6) Other new information, data, or
corrections, including but not limited to
taxonomic or nomenclatural changes,
identification of erroneous information
contained in the List, and improved
analytical methods.
Any new information received will be
considered during the 5-year review and
ongoing recovery programs for the
species.
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
Request for New Information
To ensure that 5-year reviews are
based on the best available scientific
and commercial information, we request
new information from all sources.
Please use the contact information listed
in the table above that is associated with
the species for which you are submitting
information. If you submit information,
please support it with documentation
such as maps, bibliographic references,
methods used to gather and analyze the
data, and/or copies of any pertinent
publications, reports, or letters by
knowledgeable sources.
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17:13 Jun 22, 2021
Jkt 253001
Endangered .....
Puerto Rico ..............................
How do I ask questions or provide
information?
If you wish to provide information for
any species listed above, please submit
your comments and materials to the
appropriate contact in the table above.
Individuals who are hearing impaired or
speech impaired may call the Federal
Relay Service at 1–800–877–8339 for
TTY assistance.
Public Availability of Comments
Before including your address, phone
number, electronic mail address, or
other personal identifying information
in your submission, you should be
aware that your entire submission—
including your personal identifying
information—may be made publicly
available at any time. Although you can
request that personal information be
withheld from public review, we cannot
guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Authority
This document is published under the
authority of the Endangered Species Act
of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.).
Leopoldo Miranda-Castro,
Regional Director, South Atlantic-Gulf and
Mississippi Basin Regions.
[FR Doc. 2021–13170 Filed 6–22–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R7–ES–2020–N109;
FXES11140700000–201–FF07CAFB00]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Draft Recovery Plan for the
Alaska-Breeding Population of
Steller’s Eider, First Revision
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability and
request for public comment.
AGENCY:
We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, announce the
availability of the draft first revision of
the recovery plan for the threatened
Alaska-breeding population of Steller’s
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00087
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
58 FR 35887; 7/2/
1993.
USFWS, Road 301, Km 5.1,
P.O. Box 491, Boquero´n, PR
00622.
eiders (Polysticta stelleri). We request
review and comment on the revised
plan from local, State and Federal
agencies, Tribes, and the public. We
will also accept any new information on
the status of the Alaska-breeding
population of Steller’s eiders throughout
its range to assist in finalizing the
recovery plan.
DATES: Comment submission: To ensure
consideration, we must receive written
comments on or before August 23, 2021.
However, we will accept information
about the species at any time.
ADDRESSES: Document availability: You
may obtain a copy of the draft recovery
plan by one of the following methods:
• Internet: Download the document at
https://www.fws.gov/alaska/pages/
endangered-species/stellers-eider.
• U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service; Attention: Neesha Stellrecht,
Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field
Office; 101 12th Ave.; Fairbanks, AK
99701.
• Telephone: Neesha Stellrecht, 907–
456–0297.
Comment submission: You may
submit comments by one of the
following methods:
• Mail or hand delivery: Submit
written comments to the above U.S.
mail address.
• Email: neesha_stellrecht@fws.gov.
Please include ‘‘Steller’s eider recovery
plan’’ in the subject line.
For additional information about
submitting comments, see Availability
of Public Comments in SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Neesha Stellrecht, by one of the
methods in ADDRESSES. Individuals who
are hearing impaired or speech impaired
may call the Federal Relay Service at
800–877–8339 for TTY assistance.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),
announce the availability of the draft
recovery plan, first revision (draft plan),
for the threatened Alaska-breeding
population of Steller’s eiders for public
review and comment. The original
recovery plan for this population was
approved in 2002. The draft revised
plan, when finalized, would replace the
E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM
23JNN1
Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 118 / Wednesday, June 23, 2021 / Notices
jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES
2002 version. The draft plan includes
objective, measurable criteria and
recovery actions as may be necessary for
removal of the species from the Federal
List of Endangered and Threatened
Wildlife. We request review and
comment on the draft plan from local,
State, and Federal agencies, and the
public.
Recovery Planning
Section 4(f) of the Endangered Species
Act (Act) of 1973, as amended (Act; 16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), requires the
development of recovery plans for listed
species, unless such a plan would not
promote the conservation of a particular
species. Also pursuant to section 4(f) of
the Act, a recovery plan must, to the
maximum extent practicable, include (1)
a description of site-specific
management actions as may be
necessary to achieve the plan’s goals for
the conservation and survival of the
species; (2) objective, measurable
criteria that, when met, would support
a determination under section 4(a)(1)
that the species should be removed from
the List of Endangered and Threatened
Species; and (3) estimates of the time
and costs required to carry out those
measures needed to achieve the plan’s
goal and to achieve intermediate steps
toward that goal.
The Service has revised its approach
to recovery planning. The revised
process is intended to reduce the time
needed to develop and implement
recovery plans, increase recovery plan
relevancy over a longer timeframe, and
add flexibility to recovery plans so they
can be adjusted to new information or
circumstances. A recovery plan will
include statutorily required elements
(objective, measurable criteria; sitespecific management actions; and,
estimates of time and costs), along with
a concise introduction and our strategy
for how we plan to achieve species
recovery. The recovery plan is
supported by a separate Species Status
Assessment. The essential component to
flexible implementation under this
recovery process is producing a separate
working document called the Recovery
Implementation Strategy
(implementation strategy). The
implementation strategy steps down
from the more general description of
actions in the recovery plan to detail the
specific, near-term activities needed to
implement the recovery plan. The
implementation strategy will be
adaptable by being able to incorporate
new information without having to
concurrently revise the recovery plan,
unless changes to statutory elements are
required. The implementation strategy
will be developed following publication
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:13 Jun 22, 2021
Jkt 253001
of the final recovery plan and will be
made available on the Service’s website
at that time.
Species Background
The Alaska-breeding population of
Steller’s eider (Polysticta stelleri), a
small sea duck, was listed as a
threatened distinct population segment
under the Act in 1997 (62 FR 31748)
due to the contraction of its breeding
range in Alaska. Steller’s eiders spend
the majority of their lives in the marine
environment, occupying terrestrial
habitats only during the nesting season,
which occurs from approximately early
June to early September. Nesting in
Alaska is concentrated in tundra
wetland habitat near Utqiag˙vik, and
occurs at lower densities elsewhere on
Alaska’s Arctic Coastal Plain. Alaskabreeding Steller’s eiders molt and
winter in the southern Bering Sea and
northern Pacific Ocean, where they
intermix with Russia-breeding Steller’s
eiders. Combined, these two breeding
populations comprise the Pacificwintering population of Steller’s eiders.
Considerable uncertainty about the
drivers of population growth and the
factors inhibiting recovery of the
Alaska-breeding population exists;
however, known threats include
ingestion of lead ammunition, shooting,
collisions with human-built structures,
human disturbance in nesting areas,
nest predation, and changes to the
ecological community in the nesting
area (e.g., less extreme cycles of
lemming abundance). Refer to the
Species Status Assessment Report
(USFWS 2019) for a full discussion of
the population’s biology and threats.
32969
2. If the trend of the Pacific-wintering
population is unknown or decreasing,
over 20 years the number of Steller’s
eiders breeding in Alaska must be ≥75,
300, and 150, near Utqiag˙vik, in the
Utqiag˙vik triangle, and in the Arctic
Coastal Plain study areas, respectively,
or the total number of Steller’s eiders
breeding in Alaska must be ≥525, with
a wide enough distribution to ensure
adequate redundancy and
representation.
Additionally, threats including (but
not limited to) ingestion of lead
ammunition, mortality from shooting,
collisions with structures, human
disturbance in the breeding area, nest
predation, and changes to the ecological
community must be found to not affect
the ability of the population to meet and
maintain the demographic criteria
above.
Recovery Strategy
To achieve the recovery criteria, the
recovery strategy for Alaska-breeding
Steller’s eiders includes working with
Federal agencies and other partners to
improve survival and reproductive rates
by eliminating known threats such as
lead contamination, shooting, collisions,
and disturbance, and protect both
breeding and non-breeding habitats.
Considerable uncertainty about the
ecology, population dynamics, and
constraints to population growth
remains; therefore, a number of recovery
actions are focused on monitoring
population size and continuing research
to improve our understanding of
Steller’s eider ecology, threats, and
efficacy of management actions.
Draft Recovery Plan
Availability of Public Comments
Recovery Criteria
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.
The ultimate recovery goal is to
remove the Alaska-breeding population
of Steller’s eiders from the Federal List
of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
(delist) by ensuring the long-term
viability of the population in the wild.
In the draft plan, we have identified the
following two recovery criteria
alternatives, based on the best available
information about the species.
1. If the abundance of the Pacificwintering population is known to be
increasing or stable, over 20 years the
number of Steller’s eiders must be ≥50,
200, and 100, near Utqiag˙vik, in the
Utqiag˙vik Triangle, and in the Arctic
Coastal Plain study areas, respectively,
or the total number of Steller’s eiders
breeding in Alaska must be ≥350, with
a wide enough distribution to ensure
adequate redundancy and
representation; or
PO 00000
Frm 00088
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 9990
Authority
The authority for this action is section
4(f) of the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.).
Gregory Siekaniec,
Regional Director, Alaska Region.
[FR Doc. 2021–13153 Filed 6–22–21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P
E:\FR\FM\23JNN1.SGM
23JNN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 118 (Wednesday, June 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32968-32969]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-13153]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R7-ES-2020-N109; FXES11140700000-201-FF07CAFB00]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Draft Recovery
Plan for the Alaska-Breeding Population of Steller's Eider, First
Revision
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability and request for public comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the
availability of the draft first revision of the recovery plan for the
threatened Alaska-breeding population of Steller's eiders (Polysticta
stelleri). We request review and comment on the revised plan from
local, State and Federal agencies, Tribes, and the public. We will also
accept any new information on the status of the Alaska-breeding
population of Steller's eiders throughout its range to assist in
finalizing the recovery plan.
DATES: Comment submission: To ensure consideration, we must receive
written comments on or before August 23, 2021. However, we will accept
information about the species at any time.
ADDRESSES: Document availability: You may obtain a copy of the draft
recovery plan by one of the following methods:
Internet: Download the document at https://www.fws.gov/alaska/pages/endangered-species/stellers-eider.
U.S. Mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Attention:
Neesha Stellrecht, Fairbanks Fish and Wildlife Field Office; 101 12th
Ave.; Fairbanks, AK 99701.
Telephone: Neesha Stellrecht, 907-456-0297.
Comment submission: You may submit comments by one of the following
methods:
Mail or hand delivery: Submit written comments to the
above U.S. mail address.
Email: [email protected]. Please include
``Steller's eider recovery plan'' in the subject line.
For additional information about submitting comments, see
Availability of Public Comments in SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Neesha Stellrecht, by one of the
methods in ADDRESSES. Individuals who are hearing impaired or speech
impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339 for TTY
assistance.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(Service), announce the availability of the draft recovery plan, first
revision (draft plan), for the threatened Alaska-breeding population of
Steller's eiders for public review and comment. The original recovery
plan for this population was approved in 2002. The draft revised plan,
when finalized, would replace the
[[Page 32969]]
2002 version. The draft plan includes objective, measurable criteria
and recovery actions as may be necessary for removal of the species
from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. We request
review and comment on the draft plan from local, State, and Federal
agencies, and the public.
Recovery Planning
Section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as
amended (Act; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), requires the development of
recovery plans for listed species, unless such a plan would not promote
the conservation of a particular species. Also pursuant to section 4(f)
of the Act, a recovery plan must, to the maximum extent practicable,
include (1) a description of site-specific management actions as may be
necessary to achieve the plan's goals for the conservation and survival
of the species; (2) objective, measurable criteria that, when met,
would support a determination under section 4(a)(1) that the species
should be removed from the List of Endangered and Threatened Species;
and (3) estimates of the time and costs required to carry out those
measures needed to achieve the plan's goal and to achieve intermediate
steps toward that goal.
The Service has revised its approach to recovery planning. The
revised process is intended to reduce the time needed to develop and
implement recovery plans, increase recovery plan relevancy over a
longer timeframe, and add flexibility to recovery plans so they can be
adjusted to new information or circumstances. A recovery plan will
include statutorily required elements (objective, measurable criteria;
site-specific management actions; and, estimates of time and costs),
along with a concise introduction and our strategy for how we plan to
achieve species recovery. The recovery plan is supported by a separate
Species Status Assessment. The essential component to flexible
implementation under this recovery process is producing a separate
working document called the Recovery Implementation Strategy
(implementation strategy). The implementation strategy steps down from
the more general description of actions in the recovery plan to detail
the specific, near-term activities needed to implement the recovery
plan. The implementation strategy will be adaptable by being able to
incorporate new information without having to concurrently revise the
recovery plan, unless changes to statutory elements are required. The
implementation strategy will be developed following publication of the
final recovery plan and will be made available on the Service's website
at that time.
Species Background
The Alaska-breeding population of Steller's eider (Polysticta
stelleri), a small sea duck, was listed as a threatened distinct
population segment under the Act in 1997 (62 FR 31748) due to the
contraction of its breeding range in Alaska. Steller's eiders spend the
majority of their lives in the marine environment, occupying
terrestrial habitats only during the nesting season, which occurs from
approximately early June to early September. Nesting in Alaska is
concentrated in tundra wetland habitat near Utqia[gdot]vik, and occurs
at lower densities elsewhere on Alaska's Arctic Coastal Plain. Alaska-
breeding Steller's eiders molt and winter in the southern Bering Sea
and northern Pacific Ocean, where they intermix with Russia-breeding
Steller's eiders. Combined, these two breeding populations comprise the
Pacific-wintering population of Steller's eiders. Considerable
uncertainty about the drivers of population growth and the factors
inhibiting recovery of the Alaska-breeding population exists; however,
known threats include ingestion of lead ammunition, shooting,
collisions with human-built structures, human disturbance in nesting
areas, nest predation, and changes to the ecological community in the
nesting area (e.g., less extreme cycles of lemming abundance). Refer to
the Species Status Assessment Report (USFWS 2019) for a full discussion
of the population's biology and threats.
Draft Recovery Plan
Recovery Criteria
The ultimate recovery goal is to remove the Alaska-breeding
population of Steller's eiders from the Federal List of Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife (delist) by ensuring the long-term viability of the
population in the wild. In the draft plan, we have identified the
following two recovery criteria alternatives, based on the best
available information about the species.
1. If the abundance of the Pacific-wintering population is known to
be increasing or stable, over 20 years the number of Steller's eiders
must be >=50, 200, and 100, near Utqia[gdot]vik, in the Utqia[gdot]vik
Triangle, and in the Arctic Coastal Plain study areas, respectively, or
the total number of Steller's eiders breeding in Alaska must be >=350,
with a wide enough distribution to ensure adequate redundancy and
representation; or
2. If the trend of the Pacific-wintering population is unknown or
decreasing, over 20 years the number of Steller's eiders breeding in
Alaska must be >=75, 300, and 150, near Utqia[gdot]vik, in the
Utqia[gdot]vik triangle, and in the Arctic Coastal Plain study areas,
respectively, or the total number of Steller's eiders breeding in
Alaska must be >=525, with a wide enough distribution to ensure
adequate redundancy and representation.
Additionally, threats including (but not limited to) ingestion of
lead ammunition, mortality from shooting, collisions with structures,
human disturbance in the breeding area, nest predation, and changes to
the ecological community must be found to not affect the ability of the
population to meet and maintain the demographic criteria above.
Recovery Strategy
To achieve the recovery criteria, the recovery strategy for Alaska-
breeding Steller's eiders includes working with Federal agencies and
other partners to improve survival and reproductive rates by
eliminating known threats such as lead contamination, shooting,
collisions, and disturbance, and protect both breeding and non-breeding
habitats. Considerable uncertainty about the ecology, population
dynamics, and constraints to population growth remains; therefore, a
number of recovery actions are focused on monitoring population size
and continuing research to improve our understanding of Steller's eider
ecology, threats, and efficacy of management actions.
Availability of Public 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 of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Gregory Siekaniec,
Regional Director, Alaska Region.
[FR Doc. 2021-13153 Filed 6-22-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
