[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 178 (Thursday, September 14, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47757-47758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-22936]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Notice of Availability of the Agency Draft Recovery Plan for
Cumberland Sandwort 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 an agency draft recovery plan for
Cumberland sandwort (Arenaria cumberlandensis). This endangered species
is known from five populations in Tennessee and Kentucky. It is
restricted to sandstone ledges and rock houses in the Cumberland
Plateau Province of south-central Kentucky and north-central Tennessee.
Specialized habitat requirements, in combination with habitat
alteration, are the primary limiting factors for the species. Threats
to its continued existence include trampling of its habitat by
recreational users and habitat alteration caused by timber harvesting
on adjacent lands. The Service solicits review and comments from the
public on this draft plan.
DATES: Comments on the agency draft recovery plan must be received on
or before December 13, 1995, to receive consideration by the Service.
ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review the agency draft recovery plan may
obtain a copy by contacting the Asheville Field Office, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 160 Zillicoa Street, Asheville, North Carolina 28801
(Telephone 704/258-3939). Written comments and materials regarding the
plan should be addressed to the Field 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:
Mr. Robert Currie at the address and telephone number shown above (Ext.
224).
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, to establish criteria for recognizing
the recovery levels for downlisting or delisting them, and to 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 recovery plan is
Cumberland sandwort (Arenaria cumberlandensis). The area of emphasis
for recovery actions is the Cumberland Plateau Province of south-
central Kentucky and north-central Tennessee. The species is currently
known from four counties in Tennessee (Pickett, Scott, Fentress, and
Morgan) and one county in Kentucky (McCreary). A majority of the sites
are found in sandstone rock houses or on ledges or solution pockets on
sandstone rock faces. All known sites are within the Big South Fork
watershed of the Cumberland River. Habitat requirements include shade,
moisture, relatively constant cool temperatures, and high humidity.
Arenaria cumberlandensis is endangered directly and indirectly by human
activities in and adjacent to its unique habitat. Significant threats
include trampling by hikers, campers, picnickers, individuals
rappelling down the sandstone cliffs, and ``pot hunters'' digging
within rock houses for Native American artifacts. Some sites are
potentially threatened by timber removal in or adjacent to the areas
supporting the species. Increased sunlight on the plants and the
[[Page 47758]]
subsequent alteration of the moisture conditions would probably lead to
extirpation of Arenaria cumberlandensis from the timbered area. Habitat
protection, searches for new populations, the implementation of
appropriate management actions, and the preservation of genetic
material are the major objectives of this recovery plan.
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 plan.
Authority: The authority for this action is Section 4(f) of the
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: September 8, 1995.
Robert R. Currie,
Acting Field Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 95-22936 Filed 9-13-95; 8:45 am]
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