Notice of Availability of a Draft Revised Recovery Plan for the Green Pitcher Plant for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Notice of Availability of a Draft Revised Recovery Plan for the

Green Pitcher Plant 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 revised recovery plan for the

green pitcher plant (Sarracenia oreophila). Populations are known to

occur in northeast Alabama (Cherokee, DeKalb, Etowah, Jackson, and

Marshall Counties), north Georgia (Towns County), and southwest North

Carolina (Clay County). A historical record exists for Tennessee.

Habitat for the green pitcher plant varies somewhat with populations

located in moist upland areas and others along boggy, sandy stream

edges. With the exception of a few sites on State park land,

populations occur on privately owned lands. The Service solicits review

and comment from the public on this draft plan.

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

before July 1, 1994 to receive consideration by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review a 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:

Ms. Carry Norquist at the above address (601/965-4900).

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 U.S. Fish and Wildlife 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 them, and

estimate time and cost for implementing the recovery measures needed.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended (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. Section 4(f) of the Act, as amended in 1988,

requires that a public notice and an opportunity for public review and

comment to 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.

The species considered in this draft recovery plan is the green

pitcher plant (Sarracenia oreophila). This carnivorous plant occurs in

moist upland areas and along boggy, sandy stream edges of northeastern

Alabama, north Georgia, and southwest North Carolina. The green pitcher

plant was listed as endangered in 1979 due to its limited distribution,

and loss or decline in populations due to agricultural conversion,

increased rural residential development, encroachment by woody plants

due to hydrological alterations and fire suppression, and commercial

and amateur collecting.

The objective of this proposed plan is to delist the green pitcher

plant. Delisting will be considered when a minimum of 18 viable

populations, representing the diversity of habitats and the geographic

range of the species, are protected and managed as necessary to ensure

their continued existence. Actions needed to reach this goal include:

(1) Protecting, managing, and monitoring populations, (2) surveying for

new populations, (3) gathering additional baseline and hydrological

information, (4) studying pollination biology and conducting genetic

analyses of populations, (5) monitoring transplant and reestablishment

experiments, (6) preserving genetic stock, and (7) continuing public

education efforts.

This Plan is the second revision of the original and is being

submitted for technical and agency reviews. 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: April 28, 1994.

Robert Bowker,

Field Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 94-11462 Filed 5-10-94; 8:45 am]

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