Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of Comment Period for the Agency Draft Recovery Plan for Solidago Houghtonii (Houghton's Goldenrod)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reopening of

Comment Period for the Agency Draft Recovery Plan for Solidago

Houghtonii (Houghton's Goldenrod)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of reopening of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) gives notice that

the comment period for the Service's agency draft recovery plan for

Solidago houghtonii (Houghton's goldenrod) is reopened for 60 days to

allow comments on the draft plan to be submitted by all interested

parties.

DATES: The comment period is reopened on July 15, 1994 and will close

on September 13, 1994.

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

a copy by Contacting Chief, Division of Endangered Species, U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building, 1 Federal

Drive, Fort Snelling, Minnesota 55111-4056 (telephone: 612/725-3276;

fax: 612/725-3526). Written comments and materials regarding the plan

should be addressed to Zella E. Ellshoff, Regional Botanist, 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:

Zella E. Ellshoff at the above address and telephone number.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

The Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, 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. 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. 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 threatened Solidago houghtonii (Houghton's goldenrod) occurs on

Federal, State, municipal, and private lands only in nine Michigan

counties on or near Lakes Huron and Michigan and at one site in

Genessee County, New York. As described in the draft recovery plan for

this plant, recovery efforts are expected focus on actions necessary to

conserve known occurrences, maintain ecosystem processes, and enable

each occurrence to be naturally self-sustaining.

The Federal Register notice announcing the availability for public

review and comment of the agency draft recovery plan for S. houghtonii

was published on September 17, 1993. The original comment period ended

on October 18, 1993. Since publication of this original notice, some

parties have requested an extension or reopening of the comment period

to allow sufficient time for public input. The Service believes that a

number of parties interested in reviewing the draft plan may not have

received the notice in sufficient time to review it and submit comments

during the original comment period. The Service, therefore, finds that

reopening the public comment period will benefit the recovery planning

process and, hence, issues this notice. All comments on the draft

recovery plan received on or before September 13, 1994 will receive

consideration by the Service prior to approval of the plan.

Author

The primary author of this notice is Zella E. Ellshoff, at the

above address and telephone number.

Authority

The authority for this action is Section 4(f) of the Endangered

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

Dated: July 8, 1994.

Marvin E. Moriarty,

Acting Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 94-17190 Filed 7-14-94; 8:45 am]

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