Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Golden Paintbrush for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Golden Paintbrush

for Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

for public review of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Golden Paintbrush

(Castilleja levisecta). This threatened herb, native to grasslands in

the Puget Sound region of Washington and adjoining British Columbia, is

known from only 11 small populations and requires site-specific habitat

conservation measures and reintroduction to assure its recovery.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan received by June 4, 1999

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 location: Western Washington Office, North Pacific Coast

Ecoregion, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 510 Desmond Drive SE, Suite

102, Lacey, Washington 98501. Requests for copies of the draft recovery

plan and written comments and materials regarding this plan should be

addressed to Nancy Gloman, Acting Supervisor, at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ted Thomas, Fish and Wildlife

Biologist, at the above Lacey address (phone: 360/753-4327).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Restoring endangered or threatened animals and plants to the point

where they are again secure, self-sustaining organisms within their

ecosystem 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 perennial herb is listed as threatened. It is native to

grasslands within the Puget Lowlands of western Washington, as well as

the southern tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Only 11

populations, all of them small, are known to exist. Five of the

populations are on public lands and generally enjoy some degree of

protection. The main threat to this plant is loss or degradation of its

habitat. Most of the Puget Sound grasslands have been developed for

commercial, residential, or agricultural purposes. Additional loss has

been caused by encroachment of woody plants and weeds into the

grasslands.

The objective of this plan is to conserve the plant so that

protection by the Act is no longer necessary. Actions necessary to

accomplish this objective include ensuring effective management for all

state and Federally-managed sites, securing formal protection for

privately-owned sites, where possible, monitoring protected sites,

reintroducing the plant to suitable or restored habitat, including

habitat within the species' historic range, and storing seed as a hedge

against accidental loss of any of the populations.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service solicits written comments on this draft recovery plan.

All comments received by the date specified above will be considered

prior to final 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).

Dated: March 30, 1999.

Anne Badgley,

Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.

[FR Doc. 99-8177 Filed 4-2-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-55-P