[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 25, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3548-3550]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-1290]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Notice of Availability of the Draft Barton Springs Salamander
Recovery Plan; Notice of Initiation of a 5-Year Status Review for the
Barton Springs Salamander (Eurycea sosorum)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability and notice of review.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the
availability for public review of the Draft Barton Springs Salamander
Recovery Plan (Draft Recovery Plan). The Barton Springs salamander
(Eurycea sosorum) is known to occur near four springs outlets that
collectively make up Barton Springs in Austin, Texas. The Service
solicits review and comment from the public on this Draft Recovery
Plan. The Service also announces a 5-year status review of the Barton
Springs salamander under section 4(c)(2)(A) of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973 (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). The purpose of reviews
conducted under this section of the Act is to ensure that the
classification of the species as threatened or endangered on the List
of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants (List) is accurate. A
5-year review is based on the best scientific and commercial data
available at the time of the review. Therefore, we are requesting
submission of any such information on the Barton Springs salamander
that has become available since its original listing as an endangered
species in 1997. If the present classification of this species is not
consistent with the best scientific and commercial information
available, the Service will recommend whether or not a change is
warranted in the Federal classification of Barton Springs salamander.
Any change in Federal classification would require a separate rule-
making process.
DATES: Comments on the Draft Recovery Plan are due by March 28, 2005 to
assure consideration. Information and materials for consideration in
this 5-year review of the Barton Springs salamander must be received no
later than March 28, 2005. However, we will continue to accept new
information about any listed species at any time.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the Draft Recovery Plan may obtain
it from the Internet at http://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/. You may
also request a copy from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Austin
Ecological Services Field Office, 10711 Burnet Road, Suite 200, Austin,
Texas, 78758. Comments and materials concerning this Draft Recovery
Plan and/or the 5-year status review may be mailed to ``Field
Supervisor'' at the address above. Information received in response to
this notice and review will be available for public inspection, by
appointment, during normal business hours at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Pine, Austin Ecological
Services Field Office, at the above address; telephone (512) 490-0057,
facsimile (512) 490-0974.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Draft Recovery Plan
The Barton Springs salamander was listed as endangered on May 30,
1997, under authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended
(62 FR 23377). The water that discharges from Barton Springs is
essential to the survival of the salamander. Barton Springs is a
segment of the Edwards Aquifer, a karst limestone aquifer containing a
complex system of caves, sinkholes, fractures, and faults. The Edwards
Aquifer is particularly vulnerable to contamination and land use
changes that degrade the quality of stormwater runoff. The primary
threat facing the survival and recovery of this species is the
degradation of water quality and quantity of water that feeds Barton
Springs. This degradation has resulted from urbanization over the
Barton Springs watershed (including roadway, residential, commercial,
and industrial development). The Draft Recovery Plan includes
information about the species, provides recovery objectives and
criteria, and describes the actions needed to recover the species such
that it no longer warrants listing as endangered or threatened.
The Draft Recovery Plan proposes reclassification of the Barton
Springs salamander from endangered to threatened when the following
criteria have been met: (1) Mechanisms (such as laws, rules,
regulations, and cooperative agreements) are in place to ensure
nondegradation of water quality in the Barton Springs watershed; (2) a
plan to avoid, respond to, and remediate hazardous materials spills
within the Barton Springs watershed is in place with high priority
measures implemented to minimize risks to the Barton Springs
salamander; (3) measures to ensure that continuous, natural springflows
are maintained at all four spring outlets are in place and effective;
(4) a healthy, self-sustaining natural population of Barton Springs
salamanders is maintained within its historical range; (5) measures to
remove local threats to the Barton Springs ecosystem have been
implemented; (6) at least two genetically representative captive
populations of Barton Springs salamanders have been established in
secure locations with the completion of a captive propagation and
contingency plan.
The Draft Recovery Plan proposes the delisting of the Barton
Springs salamander when the downlisting criteria have been achieved and
the following additional criteria have been met: (1) Water quality
protection mechanisms are shown to be effective and commitments are in
place to continue protection; (2) measures to implement the
catastrophic spill avoidance, response and remediation plans are
ensured; (3) measures to maintain adequate springflows are shown to be
effective; (4) the Barton Springs salamander population is shown to be
viable and stable or increasing; (5) measures to remove local threats
to the Barton Springs ecosystem are shown to be effective and a
commitment is in place to continue the appropriate management of the
surface habitat; and (6) captive breeding is shown to be effective and
reliable and commitments are in place to maintain adequate captive
populations for any needed restoration work.
Because the Barton Springs salamander relies on continuous flow of
clean spring water, many of the high-priority recovery tasks outlined
in the Draft Recovery Plan include actions to ensure adequate water
quality and quantity within the Barton Springs watershed such as: (1)
Developing and implementing catastrophic spill avoidance, response, and
remediation plans; (2) implementing programs to protect sensitive
environmental features important to salamander habitat or the effective
recharge of clean water such as caves, sinkholes, fissures, springs,
and riparian zones; (3) developing and implementing programs to
identify and correct problems from point and non-point source pollution
discharges; and (4) creating a regional management
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program that will be used to ensure the protection of aquifer level and
springflows under normal and drought conditions. Other high-priority
recovery actions include ensuring protection for existing spring
habitats and establishing and maintaining adequate captive breeding
populations.
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 native to the United States.
Recovery plans describe actions considered necessary for conservation
of listed species, establish criteria for downlisting or delisting
those species, and estimate time and cost for implementing the
necessary 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, as amended in 1988,
requires that public notice and an opportunity for public review and
comment be provided during recovery plan development. The Service
considers all information presented during a public comment period
prior to approval of each new or revised recovery plan. The Service and
others also take these comments into account in the course of
implementing recovery plans.
The Draft Recovery Plan is being submitted for review to all
interested parties and for independent peer review. After consideration
of comments received during the review period, and including new
information and materials provided for the 5-year status review, the
Draft Recovery Plan will be prepared for final approval.
5-Year Status Review
Under the Act, the Service maintains a list of endangered and
threatened wildlife and plant species at 50 CFR 17.11 (for animals) and
17.12 (for plants). Section 4(c)(2)(A) of the Act requires that we
conduct a status review of listed species at least once every five
years. Then, on the basis of such reviews under section 4(c)(2)(B), we
determine whether or not any species should be removed from the List
(delisted), or reclassified from endangered to threatened or from
threatened to endangered (downlisted). Delisting a species must be
supported by the best scientific and commercial data available and only
considered if such data substantiates that the species is neither
endangered nor threatened for one or more of the following reasons: (1)
The species is considered extinct; (2) the species is considered to be
recovered; and/or (3) the original data available when the species was
listed, or the interpretation of such data, were in error. Any change
in Federal classification would require a separate rulemaking process.
The regulations in 50 CFR 424.21 require that we publish a notice in
the Federal Register announcing those species currently under active
review.
The City of Austin initiated Barton Springs salamander surveys in
1993, and is currently conducting monthly surveys of salamanders at all
known salamander locations. Although monitoring of the status of the
Barton Springs salamander is an ongoing process, the Service is now
initiating an active, periodic review on the status of the Barton
Springs salamander in accordance with section 4(c)(2)(A) of the Act.
This information may include population trend data and information on
the threats faced by the salamander. The recovery planning process is
an appropriate time to conduct an active review of a species' status,
as the Service is actively seeking all relevant information on the
salamander and the threats it faces. This notice announces our active
review of the Barton Springs salamander, which is currently listed as
endangered.
What Information Is Considered in the Review?
A 5-year review considers all new information available at the time
of the review. These reviews will consider the best scientific and
commercial data that has become available since the current listing
determination or most recent status review of each species, such as:
A. Species biology including, but not limited to, population
trends, distribution, abundance, demographics, and genetics;
B. Habitat conditions including, but not limited to, amount,
distribution, and suitability;
C. Conservation measures that have been implemented to benefit the
species;
D. Threat status and trends (see five factors under heading ``How
do we determine whether a species is endangered or threatened?''); and
E. Other new information, data, or corrections including, but not
limited to, taxonomic or nomenclatural changes, identification of
erroneous information contained in the List, and improved analytical
methods.
How Is Barton Springs Salamander Currently Listed?
The List is found in 50 CFR 17.11 (wildlife) and 17.12 (plants).
Amendments to the List through final rules are published in the Federal
Register. The List is also available on our internet site at http://endangered.fws.gov/wildlife.html#Species. The Barton Springs salamander
is listed as endangered. It occurs only in the state of Texas. The
final rule listing it as endangered was published in the Federal
Register in 1997 (62 FR 23377 23392).
Definitions Related to This Notice
The following definitions are provided to assist those persons
considering submission of information regarding the species being
reviewed:
A. Species includes any species or subspecies of fish, wildlife, or
plant, and any distinct population segment of any species of
vertebrate, which interbreeds when mature.
B. Endangered means any species that is in danger of extinction
throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
C. Threatened means any species that is likely to become an
endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a
significant portion of its range.
How Do We Determine Whether a Species Is Endangered or Threatened?
Section 4(a)(1) of the Act establishes that we determine whether a
species is endangered or threatened based on one or more of the five
following factors:
A. The present or threatened destruction, modification, or
curtailment of its habitat or range;
B. Over-utilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or
educational purposes;
C. Disease or predation;
D. The inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or
E. Other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued
existence.
Section 4(a)(1) of the Act requires that our determination be made
on the basis of the best scientific and commercial data available.
What Could Happen as a Result of This Review?
If new information concerning Barton Springs salamander indicates a
change in classification may be warranted, we may propose a new rule
that could do one of the following: (a) Reclassify the species from
endangered to threatened; or (b) remove the species from the List. If
we determine that a change in classification is not warranted for
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Barton Springs salamander, it will remain on the List under its current
status. Information provided during this 5-year review could also
affect the recommendations of the recovery plan for this species.
Public Comments and New Information Solicited
The Service solicits written comments on the draft recovery plan
described above. All comments received by the date specified above will
be considered prior to approval of the recovery plan.
To ensure that the 5-year status review is complete and based on
the best available scientific and commercial information, we are also
soliciting new information from the public, concerned governmental
agencies, Tribes, the scientific community, industry, environmental
entities, and any other interested parties concerning the status of the
Barton Springs salamander.
Comments on the draft recovery plan and information and/or
materials for the 5-year review should be provided to the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Austin Ecological Services Field Office (see
ADDRESSES section). Information submitted should be supported by
documentation such as maps, bibliographic references, methods used to
gather and analyze the data, and/or copies of any pertinent
publications, reports, or letters by knowledgeable sources. Our
practice is to make comments, including names and home addresses of
respondents, available for public review during regular business hours.
Respondents may request that we withhold a respondent's identity, as
allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold your name or address, you
must state this request prominently at the beginning of your comment.
We will not, however, consider anonymous comments. To the extent
consistent with applicable law, we will make all submissions from
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or
businesses, available for public inspection in their entirety. Comments
and materials received will be available for public inspection, by
appointment, during normal business hours (see ADDRESSES section).
Authority
This document is published under the authority of the Endangered
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: December 3, 2004.
H. Dale Hall,
Regional Director, Region 2, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 05-1290 Filed 1-24-05; 8:45 am]
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