Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Santa Cruz Cypress (Cupressus Abramsiana) for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Santa Cruz Cypress

(Cupressus Abramsiana) for Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the

availability for public review of a draft Recovery Plan for the Santa

Cruz cypress (Cupressus abramsiana). The Santa Cruz cypress is a tree

restricted to 5 populations totalling approximately 5,100 individuals

in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, California.

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

before August 5, 1997 to receive consideration by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft recovery plan are available for

inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the

following location: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2493 Portola Road,

Suite B, Ventura, California 93003; and the Santa Cruz Public Library,

224 Church St., Santa Cruz, CA 95060. Requests for copies of the draft

recovery plan and written comments and materials regarding this plan

should be addressed to Judy Hohman, Acting Field Supervisor, at the

above Ventura address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Constance Rutherford, Botanist, at the

above Ventura address, (805) 644-1766.

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 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

the 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, 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

public notice and an opportunity for public review and comment be

provided during recovery plan development. The Service will consider

all information presented during the public comment period prior to

approval of each new or revised Recovery Plan. Substantive technical

comments will result in changes to the plans. Substantive comments

regarding recovery plan implementation may not necessarily result in

changes to the recovery plans, but will be forwarded to appropriate

Federal or other entities so that they can take these comments into

account during the course of implementing recovery actions.

Individualized responses to comments will not be provided.

The Santa Cruz cypress is a tree in the Cypress family

(Cupressaceae) currently and historically located in patches within

coastal chaparral and mixed evergreen forests on sandy or gravelly,

well drained soils in Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, California.

This species has been threatened by conversion of habitat to

agriculture, logging, residential development, genetic introgression,

interruption of natural fire patterns, disease and insect infestations,

and invasion of alien plant species.

This plan provides a framework for the recovery of the Santa Cruz

cypress so that protection by the Act is no longer necessary. To

accomplish this objective, needed tasks include: protection from

incompatible land uses (i.e., timber harvest, agriculture,

developments, recreation), implementation of resource management plans

that would manage for long-term viability of the populations (i.e.,

mimic natural fire regime, address genetic introgression, and control

insect infestations), and further research into the biology of the

species and the threats facing it.

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 this plan.

Authority

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

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

Don Weathers,

Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1.

[FR Doc. 97-14669 Filed 6-5-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-55-P