Attwater’s Prairie Chicken Recovery Plan Revision
About the Document
Title: Attwater’s Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri) Recovery Plan Revision.
Purpose: The purpose of the revised draft plan is to provide an updated roadmap for recovery and ultimately removal of the Attwater’s prairie-chicken from the endangered species list, in accordance with section 4(f)(1) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 etseq.). The revised plan contains descriptions of the life history, threats, and current conservation of the bird, as well as recovery strategies and actions, and time and cost estimates necessary for recovery. Th e plan may provide ideas for others working in grouse or prairie-chicken recovery, but there is no original research in the document. It is a compilation of information and draws upon a variety of existing research and management documents.
About the Peer Review Process
Type of Review: Influential
Estimated Peer Review Timeline: September – November 2007.
Estimated Dissemination Date: The final recovery plan will be disseminated by February 2008.
Process: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will ask the Attwater’s Prairie-chicken Recovery Team to recommend peer reviewers. Based on the team’s recommendations, at least four peer reviewers will be asked to conduct separate, independent written reviews, which will be submitted to the Service as part of the public review process for the recovery plan. Peer reviewers will be selected based on the following criteria:
- Expertise: Reviewers should have knowledge in one or more of the following areas: conservation biology, grouse conservation and ecology, knowledge of recovery planning, prairie ecology, knowledge of avian captive propagation, and avian diseases.
- 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
A public comment period for the draft revised recovery plan is anticipated to be held from September –November 2007. The availability of the plan will be made public through news releases, newspaper articles, and mailings, and will be posted on Service websites with solicitations for public comment. An outreach plan will be developed to provide ample opportunity for public involvement in the review process. The draft plan will be available through the Service’s species profile for Attwater’s Prairie-Chicken, at: http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/SpeciesReport.do?spcode=B00O.
This peer review plan is made available on this website to allow the public to monitor our compliance with the Office of Management and Budget’s Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review.
Contact: Terry Rossignol, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Attwater’s Prairie-Chicken National Wildlife Refuge, Southwest Region, at Terry_Rossignol@fws.gov, 979/234-3021.