Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Florida Salt Marsh Vole (Microtus Pennsylvanicus Dukecampbelli), for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Florida Salt Marsh

Vole (Microtus Pennsylvanicus Dukecampbelli), 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 the Florida

salt marsh vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus dukecampbelli), a federally

endangered rodent that is known from only one site in Waccasassa Bay,

near Cedar Key, Levy County, Florida. 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 April 21, 1997 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,

Fish and Wildlife Service, 6620 Southpoint Drive South, Suite 310,

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

2404). 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: Linda Finger at the above address

(Telephone: 904-232-2580 ext. 107).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Restoring endangered or threatened plants and animals to the point

where they are secure self-sustaining members

[[Page 7794]]

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 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 Florida salt marsh vole inhabits one known coastal marsh site

in Levy County, Florida. The vole is limited by two factors, an

extremely restricted range encompassing only one known population, and

the threat of losing this population to a storm event or population

fluctuations.

The immediate goal of this recovery plan is to prevent extinction

of the salt marsh vole by protecting the existing population. The

actions needed to recover this species are: (1) Protect existing

population, (2) conduct surveys to locate additional populations, and

(3) conduct life history studies.

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).

David Hankla,

Field Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 97-4094 Filed 2-19-97; 8:45 am]

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