Notice of Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Alamosa and Socorro Springsnails for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Notice of Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Alamosa

and Socorro Springsnails 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 recovery plan for the Alamosa

springsnail (Tryonia alamosae) and the Socorro springsnail (Pyrgulopsis

noemexicana) which the Service listed as endangered species on

September 30, 1991 (56 FR 43649). These two species occur in slow-

velocity water near thermal springheads and/or associated springruns in

Socorro County, New Mexico. 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 May 16, 1994 to receive consideration by the Service.

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

a copy by contacting the State Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, New Mexico Ecological Services State Office, 3530 Pan American

Highway NE., suite D, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87107. Written comments

and materials regarding the plan should be addressed to the State

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: Gerald L. Burton, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service Biologist; telephone (505) 883-7877 or at the above

address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Restoring an endangered or threatened plant or animal to the point

where it is again a secure, self-sustaining member of its ecosystem 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 site specific management

actions considered necessary for conservation and survival of the

species, establish objective, measurable criteria for the recovery

levels for downlisting or delisting species, 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 public notice and an opportunity for public review and

comment be provided during recovery plan development. The Service and

other Federal agencies will also take these comments into account in

the course of implementing approved recovery plans.

The Alamosa springsnail and Socorro springsnail were listed as

endangered on October 30, 1991. The draft recovery plan includes new

scientific information about the two species gathered since 1991 and

provides management procedures for protecting their habitat and

expanding their range and abundance to the extent that no natural or

human-caused disturbance will result in irrevocable losses.

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 the 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: March 10, 1994.

John G. Rogers,

Regional Director.

[FR Doc. 94-6212 Filed 3-16-94; 8:45 am]

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