Notice of Availability of a Technical/Agency Draft Recovery Plan for Juglans Jamaicensis (West Indian Walnut or Nogal) for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Availability of a Technical/Agency Draft Recovery Plan

for Juglans Jamaicensis (West Indian Walnut or Nogal) for Review and

Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the

availability for public review of a draft recovery plan for Junglans

jamaicensis (West Indian walnut or nogal). In Puerto Rico this large

tree is known from only 14 individuals at one locality near Adjuntas.

The species is threatened by land-clearing for agriculture and rural

development. 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 20, 1998 to receive consideration by the Service.

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

copy by contacting the Field Supervisor, Boqueron Field Office, P.O.

Box 491, Boqueron, Puerto Rico 00622 (Telephone 787/851-7297). Comments

and materials are available on request for public inspection, by

appointment, during normal business hours at the above-mentioned

address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Susan R. Silander at the address

and telephone shown above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Restoring an endangered or threatened animal or plant to the point

where it is again a secure, self-sustaining member of its ecosystem 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 the conservation of the species, establish criteria for

the recovery levels for the

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downlisting or delisting of 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 public notice and an opportunity for public review and

comments 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.

This Recovery Plan is for Juglans jamaicensis (West Indian walnut

or nogal). Nogal is a large tree which may reach up to 25 meters or 82

feet in height. Twigs, buds, and leaf axes have minute rusty hairs.

Leaves are alternate and compound. The fruit, a drupe, is a walnut

composed of a blackish husk and one large oily, edible seed. The tree

may have once been more widespread in Puerto Rico in the past but much

of the forested areas in the central mountain region were cut for the

planting of coffee. Today it is known from 14 individuals at only one

locality in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. It is also known from the islands of

Hispaniola and Cuba. In Puerto Rico it is threatened by land clearing

for agriculture and rural development.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan

described. All comments received by the date specified above will be

considered for inclusion in the Recovery Plan.

Authority

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

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

Dated: September 10, 1998.

James P. Oland,

Field Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 98-25128 Filed 9-18-98; 8:45 am]

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