Availability of a Draft Revised Recovery Plan for the Masked Bobwhite Quail for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Availability of a Draft Revised Recovery Plan for the Masked

Bobwhite Quail for Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability and public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the

availability for public review of a draft recovery plan for the masked

bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus ridgwayi) which the Service listed

as an endangered species on March 11, 1967 (32 FR 4001). Four

populations are known to exist in the wild: Three in Mexico and one on

the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge in the United States. The

total wild population is believed to be less than 1,500 birds. Historic

accounts and collections indicate this subtropical subspecies has

always been restricted to level plains and river valleys in Sonora,

Mexico and extreme south-central Arizona in the United States. The

Service solicits review and comments from the public on this draft

plan.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or

before July 5, 1994 to receive consideration by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft recovery plan may obtain

a copy by contacting the Refuge Manager, Buenos Aires National Wildlife

Refuge P.O. Box 109, Sasabe, Arizona 85633. 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:

Dr. William (Bill) Kuvlesky, Jr., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Biologist, telephone (602) 823-4251 or at the above address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Restoring an endangered or threatened plant or animal to the point

where it is again a secure, self-sustaining member of its ecosystem is

a primary goal of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 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 site specific management actions considered necessary for

conservation and survival of the species, establish objective,

measurable criteria for the recovery levels for downlisting or

delisting species, and estimate time and cost for implementing recovery

measures needed.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended (16 U.S.C.

1531 et seq.) requires development of recovery plans for listed species

unless such a plan would not promote 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. The Service and other

Federal agencies will also take these comments into account in the

course of implementing approved recovery plans.

Habitat of the masked bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus ridgwayi)

is open savanna grassland within dry-tropic scrub. Occupied habitat is

further restricted to elevations ranging between 10 and 1,200 meters

where mean rainfall ranges from 250 to over 500 millimeters. The birds

are associated with weedy bottomlands, grassy and herb-strewn valleys,

and forb-rich plains. This habitat type has declined drastically as a

result of overgrazing by livestock and periods of severe drought. The

recovery plan addresses populations that remain in Mexico and steps

being taken in the United States to reintroduce the species to areas

once occupied in the state of Arizona. Although the goal is to recover

the species to the level where delisting can occur, the recovery plan

emphasizes short term actions deemed necessary to stabilize the species

in the wild and prevent the species, extinction.

The plan will be finalized and approved following incorporation of

comments and materials received during this comment period.

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 the plan's approval.

Authority

The Authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered

Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).

Dated: April 28, 1994.

Lynn B. Starnes,

Acting Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 94-10781 Filed 5-4-94; 8:45 am]

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