Notice of Availability of the Technical/Agency Draft Recovery Plan for Large-flowered Skullcap for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Notice of Availability of the Technical/Agency Draft Recovery

Plan for Large-flowered Skullcap for Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability and public comment period.

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

for public review of a technical/agency draft recovery plan for large-

flowered skullcap. Large-flowered skullcap (Scutellaria montana

Chapman) is an herbaceous representative of the mint family

(Lamiaceae), with known populations in northern Georgia and

southeastern Tennessee. The Service solicits review and comments from

the public on this draft plan.

DATES: Comments on the technical/agency draft recovery plan must be

received on or before August 2, 1994 to receive consideration by the

Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the technical/agency draft

recovery plan may obtain a copy by contacting the Asheville Field

Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 330 Ridgefield Court,

Asheville, North Carolina 28806 (Telephone 704/665-1195). 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: Mr. J. Allen Ratzlaff at the address

and telephone number shown above (Ext. 229).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Restoring endangered or threatened animals or 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 recognizing 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, 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 a 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.

Based upon available information concerning the range, biology, and

threats to its continued survival, it is not yet possible to determine

if or when full recovery of the large-flowered skullcap is possible.

Accordingly, this draft recovery plan outlines a mechanism that

provides for the protection and maintenance of all known populations,

with emphasis on determining autecological factors necessary to manage

the species. In 1986 the taxon was listed as endangered by the Service.

At that time there were seven populations known in Georgia and three in

Tennessee. The taxon was threatened by habitat loss to timbering or

development. Over 90 percent of the 7,000 individual plants known in

1986 occurred at only two sites, neither of which was completely

protected from known threats. Currently, large-flowered skullcap is

known to occur in two counties in Tennessee and four counties in

Georgia, within a limited area of the Ridge and Valley and Cumberland

Plateau provinces. There are 17 extant populations (12 in Tennessee and

5 in Georgia) that vary greatly in size. Comments and information

provided during this review will be used in preparing the final

recovery plan.

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: May 26, 1994.

Brian P. Cole,

Field Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 94-13533 Filed 6-2-94; 8:45 am]

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