Notice of Availability of a Draft Revised Recovery Plan for Liatris helleri (Heller's Blazing Star) for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Availability of a Draft Revised Recovery Plan for

Liatris helleri (Heller's Blazing Star) 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 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the

availability for public review of a draft revised recovery plan for

Liatris helleri (Heller's blazing star). Heller's blazing star is a

perennial herb that grows on high cliffs, rock ledges, and balds in the

Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. We solicit review and

comments from the public on this draft revised plan.

DATES: Your comments on the draft revised recovery plan must be

received on or before August 23, 1999 in order to receive

consideration..

ADDRESSES: If you wish to review the draft revised recovery plan, you

may obtain a copy by contacting the Asheville Field Office. U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service, 160 Zillicoa Street, Asheville, North Carolina

28801 (Telephone 828/258-3939). Written comments and materials

regarding the plan should be addressed to the State 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: Ms. Nora Murdock at the address and

telephone number shown in the ADDRESSES section (Ext. 231).

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, 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. The Service will

consider all information presented during a public comment period prior

to the 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.

The primary species considered in this draft revised recovery plan

is iatris helleri (Heller's blazing star). The areas of emphasis for

recovery actions are the North Carolina counties of Avery, Caldwell,

Burke, and Ashe. Habitat protection, population augmentation and

reintroduction, and the preservation of genetic material are the major

objectives of this recovery plan.

Public Comments Solicited

We solicit written comments on the recovery plan described. All

comments received by the date specified above will be considered prior

to approval of the final plan.

Authority

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

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

Dated: June 16, 1999.

Nora A. Murdock,

Acting State Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 99-16103 Filed 6-23-99; 8:45 am]

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