Notice To Extend the Public Comment Period for the Draft Recovery Plan for the Vernal Pools of Southern California

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice To Extend the Public Comment Period for the Draft Recovery

Plan for the Vernal Pools of Southern California

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gives notice that the

comment period announced in the September 26, 1997 notice of

availability the Draft Recovery Plan for Vernal Pools of Southern

California will be extended an additional 30 days. The Service

experienced difficulty in distributing copies of the draft plan. This

plan addresses the endangered Eryngium aristulatum var. parishii (San

Diego button celery), Orcuttia californica (California Orcutt grass),

Pogogyne abramsii (San Diego mesa mint), Pogogyne nudiuscula (Otay mesa

mint), San Diego fairy shrimp (Branchinecta sandiegonensis) and

Riverside fairy shrimp (Streptocephalus wootonii), and the proposed

threatened Navarretia fossalis (spreading navarretia). These five plant

species and two shrimp species collectively occur on scattered and

limited habitat on Federal and private lands remaining on the coastal

terraces of Goleta and Isla Vista in Santa Barbara County, California

to the Simi Hills of eastern Ventura County and the Santa Clarita

region of Los Angeles County, east through Orange and western Riverside

Counties, and the more extensive vernal pool complexes of San Diego

County. The Service extends the current 90-day comment period and

solicits review and comment from the public on this draft plan.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan received by February 12,

1998 will be considered by the Service.

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

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

Service, 2730 Loker Avenue West, Carlsbad, California 92008. Telephone

requests may be made by calling 760/431-9440.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ann Kreager at the above address and

telephone number.

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

prepares 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

necessary to reclassify them from endangered to threatened or remove

them from the list, and estimate the time and cost for implementing the

needed recovery measures.

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.

Southern California vernal pools are habitat to at least 12 endemic

plants and three endemic fairy shrimp species. Six of the endemic

species are federally endangered: Eryngium aristulatum var. parishii

(San Diego button celery), Orcuttia californica (California Orcutt

grass), Pogogyne abramsii (San Diego mesa mint), Pogogyne nudiuscula

(Otay mesa mint), San Diego fairy shrimp (Branchinecta sandiegonensis)

and the Riverside fairy shrimp (Streptocephalus wootonii); and one is

proposed for threatened status: Navarretia fossalis (spreading

navarretia).

Vernal pool habitat in southern California has suffered extensive

loss and degradation. The objective of this plan is to stabilize and

protect existing populations of Eryngium aristulatum var. parishii,

Pogogyne abramsii, Pogogyne nudiuscula, Orcuttia californica,

Navarretia fossalis, and San Diego and Riverside fairy shrimps. It is

also the intent of this plan to establish new protected populations

within their historic ranges, so that the listed species may be

considered for reclassification to threatened status and the proposed

rule for Navarretia fossalis may be withdrawn.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan

described herein. 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: December 30, 1997.

David L. McMullen,

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland Oregon.

[FR Doc. 98-749 Filed 1-12-98; 8:45 am]

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