Notice of Availability of a Draft Revised Recovery Plan for the Florida Panther for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Notice of Availability of a Draft Revised Recovery Plan for the

Florida Panther 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

Florida panther, Felis concolor coryi. A single population estimated to

number 30 to 50 adults represents the sole known remaining population

in the wild. This population utilizes approximately 3 million acres of

habitat on public and privately owned lands in south Florida. Existing

data indicate that the Florida panther will likely go extinct without

actions to restore genetic health to the population. The draft plan is

an abbreviated revision of the 1987 revised plan. It was prepared

specifically to incorporate a task designed to restore and maintain the

historic genetic character of the Florida panther. The Service solicits

review and comments from the public on this draft revision.

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

before October 31, 1994 to receive consideration by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft recovery plan may do so

by appointment, during normal business hours at the following four U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service locations: Jacksonville Field Office, 6620

South point Drive, South, Suite 310, Jacksonville, Florida 32216-0912

(Telephone 904/232-2580); Vero Beach Field Office, 1360 US Highway 1,

Suite 5, Vero Beach, Florida 32961-2676 (Telephone 407/562-3909);

Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, 3860 Tollgate Blvd., Suite

30, Naples, Florida 33942 (Telephone 813/353-8442); Florida Panther

Coordinator, 117 Newins-Ziegler Hall, University of Florida,

Gainesville, Florida 32611-0450 (Telephone 904/392-1961). Copies can be

purchased by contacting the Fish and Wildlife Reference Service, 5430

Grosvenor Lane, Suite 110, Bethesda, Maryland 20814 (Telephone 301/492-

6403 or 800/582-3421). Written comments and materials regarding the

plan should be addressed to the Florida Panther Coordinator at the

above Gainesville, Florida address. Comments and materials received are

available on request for public inspection, by appointment, during

normal business hours at the above Gainesville, Florida address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dennis Jordan, Florida Panther Coordinator, at the above Gainesville,

Florida address (telephone 904/392-1961).

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 costs 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.

The species considered in this draft revised recovery plan is the

Florida panther, Felis concolor coryi. A single population estimated to

number 30 to 50 adults represents the sole known remaining population

in the wild. This population utilizes approximately 3 million acres of

habitat on public and privately owned lands in south Florida. Existing

data indicate that the Florida panther will likely go extinct without

actions to restore genetic health to the population. The subject plan

represents an abbreviated revision to the 1987 revised plan and was

undertaken specifically to incorporate into the recovery program a task

designed to restore and maintain the historic genetic character of the

Florida panther. Available biological data indicated that perhaps even

if all other major tasks contained in the present recovery program are

successfully implemented, the continued existence of the panther would

be doubtful without specific actions to restore genetic health to the

panther. The identification and implementation of actions needed to

accomplish this task would be guided by the analysis and evaluation of

various alternatives that may be available.

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: August 31, 1994.

David J. Wesley,

Field Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 94-22659 Filed 9-13-94; 8:45 am]

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