[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 63 (Thursday, April 1, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17224-17225]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-7349]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of a Technical Agency Draft Recovery Plan
for the Threatened Guaj[oacute]n (Eleutherodactylus cooki) 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
of the technical agency draft recovery plan for the guaj[oacute]n (also
referred to as the Puerto Rican demon). The guaj[oacute]n is one of
sixteen species of frogs from the genus Eleutherodactylus, commonly
known as ``coqu[iacute]es'' that inhabit the island of Puerto Rico, and
is also the second largest species found on the island. The
guaj[oacute]n is extremely limited in its geographic distribution. The
species inhabits localities in the ``Sierra de Panduras'' mountain
range, and the municipalities of Yabucoa, San Lorenzo, Humacao, Las
Piedras, and west to Patillas-San Lorenzo. The guaj[oacute]n, named
after the habitat it occupies, occurs at low and intermediate
elevations, from 18 to 1,183 feet (5.5 to 360.6 meters) above sea
level, where it inhabits caves formed by large boulders of granite rock
known as ``guajonales'' or streams with patches of rock without cave
systems. The technical agency draft recovery plan includes specific
recovery objectives and criteria to be met in order to delist the
guaj[oacute]n under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended
(Act). We solicit review and comment on this technical agency draft
recovery plan from local, State, and Federal agencies, and the public.
DATES: In order to be considered, we must receive comments on the
technical agency draft recovery plan on or before June 1, 2004.
ADDRESSES: If you wish to review this technical agency draft recovery
plan, you may obtain a copy by contacting the Boquer[oacute]n Field
Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 491, Boquer[oacute]n,
Puerto Rico 00622 (telephone (787) 851-7297), or by visiting our
recovery plan Web site at http://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/index.html#plans. If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments
by any one of several methods:
1. You may submit written comments and materials to the Field
Supervisor, at the above address.
2. You may hand-deliver written comments to our Boquer[oacute]n
Field Office, at the above address, or fax your comments to (787) 851-
7440.
3. You may send comments by e-mail to [email protected]. For
directions on how to submit electronic filing of comments, see the
``Public Comments Solicited'' section.
Comments and materials received are available for public inspection
on request, by appointment, during normal business hours at the above
address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jorge Saliva at the above address
(telephone (787) 851-7297, ext. 24).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
We listed the guaj[oacute]n as threatened on June 11, 1997 under
the Act (62 FR 31757). The guaj[oacute]n may be the only species of
Eleutherodactylus in Puerto Rico that exhibits differences between
sexes in color. Females have solid brown coloration, with a uniformly
white undersurface. They have white-rimmed eyes, and large, truncate
disks on their feet. Males have yellow coloration extending from the
vocal sac to the abdomen and flanks. Females are larger than males,
with a mean size (snout-vent length) of 2.01 inches (5.11 cm) for
females and 1.71 inches (4.34 cm) for males. The voice of the
guaj[oacute]n is low and melodious.
For this species, deforestation and earth movement for
agricultural, urban and rural development, and highway construction are
likely the principal causes for decline. In addition, the guaj[oacute]n
is threatened by the use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers in
adjacent areas, illegal garbage dumping, and the effects of
catastrophic natural events such as droughts and hurricanes. Additional
research is planned to look at these and other potential causes for
decline.
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 endangered species program. To help guide the
recovery effort, we are preparing recovery plans for most listed
species. Recovery plans describe actions considered necessary for
conservation of the species, establish criteria for downlisting or
delisting, and estimate time and cost for implementing recovery
measures.
The 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 requires us to provide a
public notice and an opportunity for public review and comment 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 take these comments
into account in the course of implementing approved recovery plans.
The objective of this technical agency draft plan is to provide a
framework for the recovery of the guaj[oacute]n so that protection
under the Act is no longer necessary. As recovery criteria are met, the
status of the species will be reviewed and they will be considered for
removal from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and
Plants (50 CFR part 17).
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
final approval of the draft recovery plan.
Please submit electronic comments as an ASCII file format and avoid
the use of special characters and encryption. Please also include your
name and return address in your e-mail message. If you do not receive a
confirmation from the system that we have received your e-mail message,
contact us directly by calling our Boquer[oacute]n Field Office (see
ADDRESSES section).
Our practice is to make all comments, including names and home
addresses of respondents, available for public review during regular
business hours. Individual respondents may request that we withhold
their home addresses from the record, which we will honor to the extent
allowable by law. In some circumstances, we would withhold also from
the rulemaking record a respondent's identity, as allowable by law. If
you wish for us to withhold your name and/or address, you must state
this prominently at the beginning of your comments. However, we will
not consider anonymous comments. We will make all submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from
[[Page 17225]]
individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of
organizations or businesses, available for public inspection in their
entirety.
Authority
The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533 (f).
Dated: February 19, 2004.
J. Mitch King,
Deputy Regional Director, Southeast Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 04-7349 Filed 3-31-04; 8:45 am]
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