Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of availability of Final Florida Panther Habitat Preservation Plan

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of

availability of Final Florida Panther Habitat Preservation Plan

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Florida Panther Interagency Committee (FPIC), composed of

representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service),

National Park Service, Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission,

and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, approved the

final Florida Panther Habitat Preservation Plan (Plan) January 3, 1994.

The constituent elements of the Plan include: (1) A characterization

and identification of occupied and potential Florida panther habitat

(grouped into 11 ecological units) in 10 south Florida counties

(Charlotte, Collier, Dade, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Lee,

Manatee, and Sarasota); (2) identification of threats to occupied and

potential Florida panther habitat in south Florida, and (3)

identification of 23 possible Florida panther habitat preservation

options. The overall goal of the Plan is to ensure a sustainable

population of Florida panther in south Florida.

The Plan is available in paper and electronic formats. Copies of

the Plan can be obtained by making requests to the address(es) below.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The following is a brief chronology and

update on the Plan. A Habitat Preservation Working Group, comprised of

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Florida Game and

Fresh Water Fish Commission, and Florida Department of Environmental

Protection, began drafting the Plan April 10, 1991. A Federal Register

Notice announced the draft Plan was available for public review and

comment on February 19, 1993. The Florida Panther Technical Advisory

Council reviewed the draft Plan on April 8, 1993, and provided

technical comments under existing Service policy regarding panther

issues. The comment period closed on April 30, 1993. Thirty-one letters

of support and 33 letters of opposition to the draft Plan were received

before the comment period closed. Three hundred and thirteen letters of

support and 96 letters of opposition were received after the comment

period closed. All comments were taken into consideration in subsequent

revisions of the Plan. The Plan was approved by the FPIC on January 3,

1994. The FPIC chairman and Technical Subcommittee members presented

the final Plan to the public at a town meeting on February 3, 1994, in

Ft. Myers, Florida, as requested by the Florida Farm Bureau. As of this

date, approximately 900 copies of the final Plan have been distributed.

Copies of Plan, as well as a set of maps depicting more detailed

information on areas of Panther habitat, have been deposited at the

main branch of each of the following county libraries: Charlotte,

Collier, Dade, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, Highlands, Lee, Manatee, and

Sarasota. Additional copies of the Plan are available from the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service free of charge (see ADDRESSES below). FPIC

representatives are available, upon written request, to meet with

special interest groups or individuals to discuss the Plan and answer

questions.

For a paper copy of the Plan, or for more information concerning

any of the information presented in this notice, please contact: Mr.

Andrew C. Eller, Jr., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Assistant Florida

Panther Coordinator, 3860 Tollgate Blvd., Suite 37, Naples, Florida

33942, telephone: 813/353-2814.

Florida State University has made the Plan (Volume I) available to

Internet users. Graphics are not included. The system is case sensitive

and commands should be typed in lower case only. There are three

commands: (1) Telnet freenet.fsu.edu; (2) visitor; and (3) panther. For

more details contact Mr. Hilly Levitz at Email: levitz @cs.fsu.edu.

The Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission has made data and

maps used in the development of the Plan available on an electronic

database. For more information contact Mr. Randy Kautz, Office of

Environmental Services, 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, Florida

32399-1600, telephone: 904/488-6661.

Dated: May, 27, 1994.

Warren T. Olds, Jr.,

Acting Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 94-14163 Filed 6-9-94; 8:45 am]

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