Notice of Availability of the Agency Draft Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis) Revised Recovery Plan for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Availability of the Agency Draft Indiana Bat (Myotis

sodalis) Revised 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: The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the

availability for public review of the Agency Draft Indiana Bat (Myotis

sodalis) Revised Recovery Plan. The species has been documented in 26

states in eastern North America. The Service solicits review and

comment from the public on this draft plan.

DATES: Comments on the agency draft revised recovery plan must be

received on or before June 8, 1999 to receive consideration by the

Service.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the draft revised recovery plan

may obtain a copy from the Service's website at www.fws.gov/r3pao/

bat.pdf, or purchase a copy by contacting the Fish and Wildlife

Reference Service, 5430 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 110, Bethesda, Maryland

20814 (telephone: 301/492-6403 or 800/582-3421). Written comments and

materials regarding the plan should be addressed to: Field Supervisor,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 608 East Cherry Street, Room 200,

Columbia, Missouri 65201 (telephone 573/876-1911). Comments and

materials received will be available for public inspection by

appointment, during normal business hours, at the above U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Paul McKenzie at the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service above address, or telephone 573/876-1911, ext. 107.

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 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 in the United States. Recovery

plans describe actions considered necessary for conservation of the

species, establish criteria that identifies recovery levels necessary

to reclassify to threatened or delist them, and estimate time and cost

to implement the recovery measures needed. The Service revises existing

recovery plans to reflect important new biological information (i.e.,

substantially rewriting some portions of the plan) or significant

conceptual changes that need to be made.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act) as amended 916 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 also take these comments into account in the

course of implementing approved recovery plans.

The document under review is the Agency Draft Indiana Bat (Myotis

sodalis) Revised Recovery Plan. The species was listed as endangered on

March 11, 1967 (32 FR 4001), under the Endangered Species Preservation

Act of October 15, 1966 (80 Stat. 926; 16 U.S.C. 668a[c]). Based on

censuses taken at hibernacula, the total, known Indiana bat population

was estimated at 353,000 bats in 1995-1997. This represents a decline

of about 60 percent since population surveys began in the 1960s. The

most severe declines have occurred in Kentucky, where 180,000 bats were

lost between 1960 and 1997, and in Missouri, where 250,000 bats were

lost between 1980 and 1997.

Indiana bats winter in caves or mines that satisfy their highly

specific needs

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for cold (but not freezing) temperatures during hibernation. The fact

that Indiana bats congregate and form large aggregations in only a

small percentage of known caves suggests that very few caves meet their

requirements. Exclusion of Indiana bats from hibernacula by blockage of

entrances, gates that do not allow for bat flight or proper air flow,

and human disturbance to hibernating bats have been major documented

causes of Indiana bat declines.

During the summer, Indiana bats roost in trees and forage for

insects primarily in riparian and upland forest. The most important

characteristics of roost trees are probably structural (i.e.,

exfoliating bark with space for bats to roost between the bark and the

bole of the tree). To a limited extent, tree cavities and crevices are

also used for roosting. Maternity colonies use multiple primary roost

trees which are used by a majority of the bats most of the summer, and

a number of ``secondary'' roosts that are used intermittently and by

fewer bats, especially during periods of precipitation or extreme

temperatures. Thus, there may be more than a dozen roosts used by some

Indiana bat maternity colonies. Indiana bats feed exclusively on flying

insects.

The Indiana Bat Recovery Plan was approved by the Service in 1983.

In October 1966, the Service solicited input from Service personnel,

species experts, and state agencies within the range of the species on

the Technical Draft Indiana Bat Revised Recovery Plan, prepared by the

Indiana Bat Recovery Team. The agency draft incorporates most of the

comments and suggestions received on the technical draft. The agency

draft identifies priority research tasks that will help determine the

limiting factors for the species. This is essential before adequate

steps can be taken to halt the continued decline in the species'

numbers. The current agency draft reflects an increased emphasis on

necessary following discussions among members of the Indiana Bat

Recovery Team and comments received from reviewers of the technical

draft.

The primary objectives of the agency draft revised recovery plan

are to: (1) Summarize research findings that have accumulated since the

original plan was approved in 1983, (2) identify priority research

tasks intended to pinpoint reasons for the species' continued

precipitous decline, and (3) establish realistic objectives that will

lead to the recovery and eventual delisting of the species. The species

may be reclassified to threatened following documentation of stable or

increasing populations for three consecutive census periods (6 years)

and permanent protection [i.e., public ownership or long-term easement/

lease, and gate/fence [where necessary and feasible)] at all Priority

One hibernacula. Delisting will be considered when the reclassification

criteria are met, in addition to protection and documentation of stable

or increasing populations for three consecutive census periods at 50

percent of the Priority Two hibernacula in each state, and the overall

population level must be restored to that of 1980. The year 1980 was

chosen as the baseline for the Indiana bat because some of the

currently known major hibernacula were not known prior to 1980, and it

is the first year that systematic surveys were conducted at all major

hibernation sites. In addition, the 1980 level is believed to be

sufficient to maintain enough genetic diversity to enable the species

to persist over a large geographical area and avoid extinction.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan

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

considered prior to approval of the revised recovery plan.

Authority

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

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

Dated: April 2, 1999.

Charles M. Wooley,

Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Region 3, Fort

Snelling, Minnesota.

[FR Doc. 99-8818 Filed 4-8-99; 8:45 am]

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