[Federal Register: June 29, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 124)] [Notices] [Page 35277-35278] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr29jn98-101] ======================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service Notice of Availability of a Revised Draft Recovery Plan for the Mobile River Basin Aquatic Ecosystem for Review and Comment AGENCY: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of document availability and public comment period. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the availability for public review of a revised draft recovery plan for the Mobile River Basin aquatic ecosystem, a drainage basin encompassing much of south and central Alabama, with portions extending into east Mississippi, northwest Georgia, and southeast Tennessee. The revised draft plan addresses the recovery objectives, criteria, and tasks for 15 freshwater species, including 3 fish, 11 mussels, and 1 aquatic snail, and complements recovery plans previously developed for another 17 freshwater species within the Mobile River Basin, including 2 turtles, 7 fish, 6 mussels, and 2 plants. The Service solicits review and comment from the public on this revised draft plan. DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or before September 1, 1998 to receive consideration by the Service. ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft recovery plan may obtain a copy by contacting the Jackson Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 6578 Dogwood View Parkway, Suite A, Jackson, Mississippi 39213. Written comments and materials regarding the plan should be addressed to the Field Supervisor at the above address. Comments and materials received are available on request for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the above address. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Hartfield at the above address (601/965-4900, ext. 25). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Restoring 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 the Service's endangered species program. To help guide the recovery effort, the Service is working to prepare recovery plans for most of the listed species native to the United States. Recovery plans describe actions considered necessary for conservation of the species, establish criteria for the recovery levels for downlisting or delisting listed species, and estimate time and cost for implementing the recovery measures needed. The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) (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, as amended in 1988, requires that public notice and an opportunity for public review and comment be provided during recovery plan development. The Service will consider all information presented during a public comment period prior to approval of each new or revised recovery plan. Substantive technical comments will result in changes to the plan. Substantive comments regarding recovery plan implementation may not necessarily result in changes to the recovery plan, but will be forwarded to appropriate Federal or other entities so that they can take these comments into account during the course of implementing recovery actions. Individualized responses to comments will not be provided. The draft Mobile River Basin Aquatic Ecosystem Recovery Plan was initially released for public review and comment on September 28, 1994. The current revised draft plan evolved from four years of information sharing, discussion, and review of aquatic resources and conflicts by a group of Mobile River Basin stakeholders that included private landowners, industry representatives, environmental organizations, and State and Federal agencies. The revised draft recovery plan provides recovery objectives and criteria for the goldline darter (Percina aurolineata), Cherokee darter (Etheostoma scotti), Etowah darter (Etheostoma etowahae), Alabama moccasinshell (Medionidus acutissimus), orange-nacre mucket (Lampsilis perovalis), fine-lined pocketbook (Lampsilis altilis), southern acornshell (Epioblasma othcaloogensis), upland combshell (Epioblasma metastriata), Coosa moccasinshell (Medionidus parvulus), ovate clubshell (Pleurobema perovatum), southern clubshell (Pleurobema decisum), dark pigtoe (Pleurobema furvum), southern pigtoe (Pleurobema georgianum), triangular kidneyshell (Ptychobranchus greeni), and the tulotoma snail (Tulotoma magnifica). The goldline darter was listed as threatened in 1992 due to a suspected decline in historic range, population fragmentation and isolation, and existing threats to extant populations due to water quality degradation. The threatened Cherokee darter and endangered Etowah darter were listed in 1994 because of nonpoint source pollution threats to limited stream populations. In 1993, eight of the 11 mussels were listed as endangered, and three as threatened due to habitat loss and fragmentation resulting from [[Page 35278]] impoundment and their vulnerability to nonpoint source pollution and other threats. The tulotoma snail was listed as endangered in 1991 due to the loss of more than 90 percent of its historic habitat, and the isolation and vulnerability of surviving populations. The recovery objectives of the revised draft plan are to protect the Basin's native aquatic fauna and flora by achieving higher levels of innovative land and water stewardship; reclassify and delist the tulotoma snail; delist the goldline, Etowah, and Cherokee darters; and prevent the extinction of the eight endangered mussels and the continued decline of the three threatened mussels. Actions needed to achieve these objectives include protection of fluvial habitats and water quality, development of mitigation strategies for in stream habitats, community based watershed stewardship planning and action, concerted public education efforts, and basic research on freshwater species endemic to the basin. This revised plan is being submitted for technical/agency review. After consideration of comments received during the review period, it will be submitted for final approval. Public Comments Solicited The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan described. All comments received by the date specified above will be considered prior to approval of the plan. Authority The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f). Dated: June 22, 1998. Robert Bowker, Field Supervisor. [FR Doc. 98-17180 Filed 6-26-98; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-55-P