Notice of Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Cave Crayfish (Cambarus aculabrum) for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Cave

Crayfish (Cambarus aculabrum) 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 Cave

crayfish (Cambarus aculabrum). The cave crayfish is only known from two

cave streams in Benton County, northwest Arkansas. One of the caves

(Logan) is federally owned as part of the National Wildlife Refuge

System while the other

[[Page 47963]]

cave (Bear Hollow) is privately owned. The surrounding watershed and

recharge area of both caves is in private ownership. This species is

listed as endangered without critical habitat. 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 November 30, 1995, to receive consideration by the Service.

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

a copy by contacting the Jackson Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, 6578 Dogwood View Parkway, Suite A, Jackson, Mississippi

39213. Written comments and materials regarding the plan should be

addressed to the Field 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:

Ms. Theresa Jacobson at the above address (601/965-4900).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Restoring endangered or threatened animals and plants to the point

where they are again secure, self-sustaining members of their

ecosystems 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 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.

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 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 recovery plan is Cambarus

aculabrum. This cave crayfish inhabits streams and pools located in two

Ozarkian solution channels (caves) in the Mississippian cherty-

limestone Boone Formation of Benton county, Arkansas. Cave crayfish

(troglobites) are highly specialized for living in stable cave

environments with low light and low temperatures and as such are unable

to cope with changes in their habitats that may be induced by human

activities. The cave crayfish was listed as endangered in 1993 due to

its limited distribution, with only two known populations containing a

small number of individuals; its limited reproductive potential; the

potential for take by humans; and threat of water quality degradation.

The objective of this proposed plan is reclassification of the cave

crayfish to threatened status. Reclassification will be considered when

the two known populations are self-sustaining and are protected to the

degree that they are secure from present or foreseeable threats.

Actions needed to reach this goal include: (1) protecting populations

and habitat, (2) educating the public on sensitivity of groundwater and

fauna to pollution, (3) monitoring populations and habitat, including

water quality, (4) searching for additional populations, (5) studying

species biology, and (6) monitoring and studying troglophilic

competitors and predators (non-obligate cave inhabitants).

This Plan is being submitted for agency review. After consideration

of comments received during the review period, it will be submitted for

final approval.

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: September 11, 1995.

Paul Hartfield,

Acting Field Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 95-22952 Filed 9-14-95; 8:45 am]

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