Draft Revised Recovery Plan for the Apache Trout
About the Document
Title: Draft Revised Recovery Plan for the Apache trout (Oncorhynchus apache)
Purpose: The plan will provide a roadmap for recovery and ultimately removal of the Apache trout from the threatened and endangered species list, in accordance with section 4(f)(1) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The plan contains descriptions of the life history, threats, and current conservation of the Apache trout, as well as objective and measurable recovery criteria, recommended recovery actions, and the time and cost estimates of recovery.
About the Peer Review Process
Type of Review: Influential
Date of Peer Review: July – September 2007
Estimated Dissemination Date : The Final Revised Recovery Plan for the Apache trout is estimated to be disseminated by January 2008.
Process: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is soliciting comments from up to five independent scientific reviewers on the draft revised recovery plan. The scientific peer review will be held concurrently with the public review of the draft revised plan which is planned for July – September 2007.
The Service asked the Apache Trout Recovery Team members and affiliates to recommend peer reviewers that were objective and preferably well known and widely respected experts in pertinent disciplines. We then asked a subset of those recommended reviewers if they were available to review the draft revised recovery plan within the given time frame. Criteria for reviewer selections included:
- Expertise: Reviewers should have knowledge in one or more of the following areas: conservation biology, Arizona native fishes conservation and ecology, knowledge of recovery planning, hydrology, and water management.
- Independence: Reviewers should not be employed by the Service. Academic and consulting scientists should have sufficient independence from the Service or the Department if the government supports their work.
- Objectivity: Reviewers should be recognized by their peers as being objective, open-minded, and thoughtful. The reviewers should be comfortable sharing their knowledge and identifying their knowledge gaps.
- Advocacy: Reviewers should not be known or recognized for an affiliation with an advocacy position regarding the protection of this species under the Endangered Species Act.
- Conflict of Interest: Reviewers should not have any financial or other interest that conflicts or that could impair their objectivity.
About Public Participation
The public will have an opportunity to provide comments on the Draft Revised Recovery Plan for the Apache trout during a 60 day comment period that began July 27 2007 . The public will be notified of the availability of the draft plan through a press release and publication of a notice in the Federal register. The Service will incorporate all comments into the final Revised Recovery Plan and notify the public of its completion and availability on the Service’s web site. Both the draft and final plans will be available at http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/SpeciesReport.do?spcode=E00D. See also the Apache trout species’ profile via the Arizona Ecological Service Field Office web site at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/ApacheTrout.htm
Contact: L. Stewart Jacks, Arizona Fishery Resources Office, at Stewart_Jacks@fws.gov or 982-338-4288.