Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for Nineteen Florida Scrub and High Pineland Plants for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for Nineteen Florida Scrub

and High Pineland Plants 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 Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the

availability for public review of a draft recovery plan for nineteen

plants from dry habitats in central Florida (Florida scrub and high

pineland vegetation). This plan is a revision and expansion of a

recovery plan, published in 1990, that covered eleven of these plant

species. 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 October 10, 1995, to receive consideration by the Service.

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

a copy by contacting the Field Supervisor, Jacksonville Field Office,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 6620 Southpoint Drive, South, Suite

310, Jacksonville, Florida 32216 (Telephone: 904-232-2580, FAX 904-232-

2404) or Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, 1875 Century Boulevard, Atlanta, Georgia, 30345

(Telephone: 404-679-7086). Written comments and materials regarding the

plan should be addressed to the Field Supervisor, at the Jacksonville,

Florida address. Comments and materials received are available on

request for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business

hours also at the Jacksonville, Florida address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

David L. Martin at the Jacksonville, Florida address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Restoring endangered or threatened plants and animals to the point

where they are 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 specieis native to the United States. Recovery

plans describe actions considered necessary for conservation of the

species, establish 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 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 take these comments into account in the course of

implementing approved recovery plans.

The nineteen species covered by this recovery plan inhabit dry

upland vegetation, either Florida scrub with shrubby evergreen oaks and

sand pines, or high pineland with longleaf pine, deciduous oaks (either

turkey oak or bluejack oak) and abundant wiregrass. The plants were

added to the Federal List of Endangered (E) and Threatened (T) Plants

as follows: Chionanthus pygamaeus (pygmy fringe tree) (E), Eryngium

cuneifolium (a snakeroot) (E), Hypericum cumulicola (Highlands scrub

hypericum) (E), Paronychia chartacea (papery whitlow-wort) (T),

Polygonella basiramia (a wireweed) (E), Prunus geniculata (scrub plum)

(E), and Warea carteri (Carter's mustard) (E) on January 21, 1987 (52

FR 2227). Lupinus aridorum (scrub lupine) (E) on April 7, 1987 (52 FR

11172). Bonamia grandiflora (Florida bonamia) (T) on November 2, 1987

(52 FR 42068). Liatris ohlingerae (scrub blazing star) and Ziziphus

celata (Florida ziziphus) (E) on July 27, 1989, (54 FR 31190). Cladonia

perforata (Florida perforate cladonia, a lichen) (E), Clitoria fragrans

(pigeon-wings) (T), Crotalaria avonensis (Avon Park harebells) (E),

Eriogonum longifolium var. gnaphalifolium (scrub buckwheat) (T), Nolina

brittoniana (scrub beargrass) (E), Polygala lewtonii (Lewton's

polygala) (E), Polygonella myriophylla (sandlace) (E) on April 27, 1993

(58 FR 25746). Conradina brevifolia (short-leaved rosemary) (E) on July

12, 1993 (58 FR 37432).

The nineteen species became threatened because most of their

habitat was destroyed for agricultural purposes or urban development,

and because some remaining habitat was degraded due to lack of

appropriate prescribed fire. The recovery plan contains six basic

elements: 1. Protect habitat through purchase and other means

(including the Habitat Conservation Plan process for threatened animals

in the Florida scrub habitat); 2. Manage protected habitats; 3.

Conserve germ plasm and establish new populations of Ziziphus celata

and (if possible) Lupinus aridorum; 5. Assess progress and plan post-

recovery monitoring.

The 1990 edition of this recovery plan emphasized the need for land

acquisition to protect these plants. At the time, the State and private

organizations had already made significant acquisitions, and more have

been accomplished since then (including initial land purchase for the

Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge). These land purchases,

accompanied by the other elements of the recovery plan, are likely to

assure the full recovery or at least the downlisting of the large

majority of the nineteen plants.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan. All

comments received by the date specified above will be considered prior

to the approval of the plans.

Authority

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

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

Dated: August 4, 1995.

David J. Wesley,

Field Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 95-19846 Filed 8-10-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-55-M