Availability of a Technical/Agency Draft Revised Puerto Rican Parrot (Amazona vittata) Recovery Plan for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of a Technical/Agency Draft Revised Puerto Rican

Parrot (Amazona vittata) Recovery Plan for Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability and public comment period.

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SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability

for public review of the technical/agency

[[Page 32887]]

draft revised Puerto Rican parrot recovery plan. As the common name

implies, the Puerto Rican parrot is a bird species endemic to the

commonwealth of Puerto Rico. We solicit review and comment from the

public on this draft plan.

DATES: We must receive comments on the draft recovery plan on or before

a August 17, 1999 to receive consideration by us.

ADDRESSES: You may obtain a copy of the draft recovery plan by

contacting Pablo Torres-Baez, Rio Grande Field Office, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 1600, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico 00745

(telephone 787/887-8769). Send written comments and materials regarding

the plan 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: Mr. Pablo Torres-Baez at the above

address and telephone number (extension 226).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Restoring endangered or threatened animals or plants to the point

where they are again secure, self-sustaining members of their

ecosystems is a primary goal of our endangered species program. To help

guide the recovery effort, we are 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 recognizing the recovery levels for downlisting

or delisting them, and estimate time and cost for implementing the

recovery measures needed.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973, 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 a public notice and an opportunity for public review and

comment be provided during recovery plan development. We will consider

all information presented during a public comment period prior to

approval of each new or revised recovery plan. We and other Federal

agencies will also take these comments into account in the course of

implementing approved recovery plans.

Despite intensive research and management efforts for more than 30

years, the survival of the Puerto Rican parrot is still perilous. Based

upon available information concerning the range, biology, and threats

to its continued survival, it is not yet possible to determine if or

when full recovery of the Puerto Rican parrot is possible. This draft

recovery plan outlines a mechanism that provides for the protection,

maintenance, and enhancement of the only known wild population and the

establishment of new wild populations in the future. We officially

listed the Puerto Rican parrot as an endangered species in 1967 (32 FR

4001). The wild population reached an all time low of about 13

individuals in 1973. The same year, anticipating the possibility of

losing the wild population to a catastrophic event, we initiated a

captive breeding program to ensure survival of the species.

Historically, the once abundant and widespread Puerto Rican parrot

suffered from the negative effects of habitat loss, hunting,

deleterious biological interactions, and the impact of hurricanes. We

will use comments and information provided during this review in

preparing the final recovery plan.

Public Comments Solicited

We solicit written comments on the recovery plan described. We will

consider all comments received by the date specified above 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: June 14, 1999.

Pablo Torres-Baez,

Acting Field Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 99-15505 Filed 6-17-99; 8:45 am]

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