Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Arroyo Southwestern Toad for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Arroyo Southwestern

Toad for Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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

for public review of a draft Recovery Plan for the Arroyo Southwestern

Toad. This toad occurs in coastal montane regions from Monterey County,

California, to Baja California.

DATE: Comments received on the draft recovery plan by August 4, 1998,

will be considered by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft recovery plan are available for

inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the

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

Suite B, Ventura, California 93003 (phone: 805/644-1766); U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, 2730 Loker Avenue West, Carlsbad, California 92008

(phone: 760/431-9440). Requests for copies of the draft recovery plan

and written comments and materials regarding this plan should be

addressed to the Field Supervisor, at the above Ventura address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Grace S. McLaughlin,

Herpetologist, at the Ventura address.

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.

This species is listed as endangered. As of 1994, the arroyo

southwestern toad (Bufo microscaphus californicus) (referred to as

arroyo toad) was known from 22 river basins with a total estimated

breeding population of fewer than 3,000 individuals. The arroyo toad is

endemic to primarily the coastal plain and mountains of central and

southern California and northwestern Baja California. These toads breed

in stream channels and use stream terraces and surrounding uplands for

foraging and wintering. Direct habitat loss due to urbanization,

agriculture, and dam construction is the main cause for the decline of

arroyo toads. Other threats include water diversions, road building,

livestock grazing, mining, recreational activities, loss of habitat due

to exotic plants, and predation by introduced species. Although the

species evolved and has survived in an environment periodically

impacted by fire, flood, and drought, the interactions of such natural

events with human alterations of the habitat may lead to the

extirpation of local populations.

The objective of this plan is to provide a framework for the

recovery of the arroyo toad so that protection by the Act is no longer

necessary. The recovery strategy for the arroyo toad is focused on

providing sufficient breeding and upland habitat to maintain self-

sustaining populations of arroyo toads throughout the historic range of

the species in California, and minimizing or eliminating impacts and

threats to arroyo toad populations. This plan describes a five-part

recovery strategy with specific tasks necessary to maintain healthy

aquatic, riparian and adjacent upland ecosystems that provide habitat

for arroyo toads. The tasks, when implemented, will stabilize and

maintain populations throughout the range of the arroyo toad in

California by protecting sufficient breeding and nonbreeding habitat,

monitor the status of existing populations to ensure

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recovery actions are successful, identify and secure additional

suitable arroyo toad habitat and populations, conduct research to

determine the population dynamics and ecology of the species to guide

management efforts and determine the best methods for reducing threats,

and develop and implement an outreach program.

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).

Michael J. Spear,

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

Oregon.

[FR Doc. 98-11972 Filed 5-5-98; 8:45 am]

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