81 FR 92845 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Jaguar Draft Recovery Plan
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 244 (December 20, 2016)
Fish and Wildlife Service
Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 244 (December 20, 2016)
| Page Range | 92845-92847 | |
| FR Document | 2016-30584 |
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 244 (Tuesday, December 20, 2016)] [Notices] [Pages 92845-92847] From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org] [FR Doc No: 2016-30584] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service [FWS-R2-ES-2016-N121; FXES11130200000C2-XXX-FF02ENEH00] Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Jaguar Draft Recovery Plan AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability; request for comment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of our draft recovery plan for the jaguar, which is listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This species is currently found in 19 countries ranging from the United States to Argentina. The draft recovery plan includes specific recovery objectives and criteria to be met to enable us to remove this species from the list of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants. We request review and comment on this plan from local, State, and Federal agencies; Tribes; and the public. We will also accept any new information on the status of the jaguar throughout its range to assist in finalizing the recovery plan. DATES: To ensure consideration, we must receive written comments on or before March 20, 2017. However, we will accept information about any species at any time. ADDRESSES: If you wish to review the draft recovery plan, you may obtain a copy by any one of the following methods: Internet: Access the file at either web address below http:// ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=A040 (scroll down to Recovery) https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/Jaguar.htm (click Recovery Planning) U.S. mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arizona Ecological Services Office, 9828 North 31st Avenue, #C3, Phoenix, AZ 85051-2517; or Telephone: (602) 242-0210. If you wish to comment on the draft recovery plan, you may submit your comments in writing by any one of the following methods:U.S. mail: Jaguar Recovery Coordinator, at the Phoenix, AZ, address; Hand-delivery: Arizona Ecological Services Office, at the Phoenix, AZ, address; Fax: (602) 242-2513; or Email: [email protected]. For additional information about submitting comments, see the ``Request for Public Comments'' section below. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Steve Spangle, Project Leader Arizona Ecological Services, at the above address and phone number, or by email at [email protected]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Recovery of 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 our endangered species program and the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Recovery means improving the listed species' status to the point at which listing is no longer appropriate under the criteria set out in section 4(a)(1) of the Act. The Act requires developing recovery plans for listed species, unless such a plan would not promote the conservation of a particular species. The jaguar was addressed in ``Listed Cats of Texas and Arizona Recovery Plan (with Emphasis on the Ocelot)'' (1990), but only general information and recommendations to assess jaguar status in the United States [[Page 92846]] and Mexico, and protect and manage occupied and potential habitat in the United States, were presented. No specific recovery recommendations or objectives for the jaguar were provided. In 2007, the USFWS made a determination under section 4(f)(1) of the Act that developing a formal recovery plan at this time would not promote jaguar conservation. The rationale for this determination was that for the purposes of formal recovery planning, the jaguar qualifies as an exclusively foreign species (see Memorandum for details at http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/ arizona/Documents/SpeciesDocs/Jaguar/ Exclusion%20from%20Recovery%20Planning.pdf). The Service was subsequently litigated on this determination and the presiding judge remanded the decision regarding recovery planning back to the Service. Subsequently, in 2010, the Service made a new determination that developing a recovery plan would contribute to jaguar conservation and, therefore, the Service should prepare a recovery plan (http:// www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/Documents/SpeciesDocs/Jaguar/ JaguarRPmemo1-12-10.pdf). Species History The jaguar is fully protected at the national level across most of its range and is recognized by a number of Federal, State, and international lists of protected species. The species was listed as endangered on March 30, 1972 (37 FR 6476), in accordance with the Endangered Species Conservation Act of 1969, a precursor to the Act. The jaguar is currently listed as an endangered species throughout its range under the Act, with critical habitat designated in the southwestern U.S. The species' current recovery priority number is 5C, indicating it has a high degree of threat due to habitat loss, a low potential for recovery, a taxonomic classification as a species, and a state of conflict between it and humans. In addition to the listing under the Act, the jaguar is fully protected at the national level across most of its range, and in Mexico is listed as endangered by the Secretar[iacute]a de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, or Federal Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resource (SEMARNAT 2010). Jaguars in Arizona are also on the Arizona Game and Fish Department's list of ``Species of Greatest Conservation Need.'' The jaguar is the largest felid in the New World (Seymour 1989). Rangewide, jaguars measure about 1.5-2.4 meters (5-8 feet) from nose to tip of tail and weigh from 36-158 kilograms (80-348 pounds) (Seymour 1989, Nowak 1999). Males are typically larger than females (Seymour 1989). The overall coat of a jaguar is typically pale yellow, tan, or reddish yellow above, and generally whitish on the throat, belly, insides of the limbs, and underside of the tail, with prominent dark rosettes or blotches throughout (Seymour 1989). Jaguars historically ranged from the southern United States to central Argentina (Swank and Teer 1989, Caso et al. 2008). Currently, they range from the southwestern United States to northern Argentina, and are found in all countries historically occupied except for El Salvador and Uruguay (Zeller 2007). Tobler et al. (2013) estimate that more than 80 percent of the currently occupied range lies in the Amazon. The jaguar is thought to be extant (based on expert opinion) in about 11,700,000 km\2\ (4,517,395 mi\2\), which represents 61 percent of its historical range (Zeller 2007). The jaguar, as a large carnivore, is more vulnerable to extinction than many other land mammals. Loss of habitat, direct killing of jaguars, and depletion of prey are the primary factors contributing to its current status; the jaguar is considered to have a decreasing population trend according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) (Caso et al. 2008). The legal protected status in countries throughout its range does not appear to have secured jaguars in their core or corridor areas. Small and isolated jaguar populations do not appear to be highly persistent (Haag et al. 2010, Rabinowitz and Zeller 2010). Additionally, jaguars require sufficient prey, and when prey is overharvested, jaguars may turn to livestock to meet their dietary needs, resulting in retaliatory killing of jaguars by humans. While the recovery plan and strategy consider the jaguar throughout its range, the Service and Jaguar Recovery Team (JRT) focus the details of this recovery plan on the Northwestern Recovery Unit (NRU). The United States contains only a small proportion of the jaguar's range and habitat, and the Service has limited resources and little authority to address the major threats (killing and habitat destruction) to the jaguar's recovery outside its own borders. Also, our knowledge regarding the status of the species in much of its range is very limited, and we lack the resources and authority to coordinate large- scale international research and recovery for the entire species. The management and recovery of listed species outside of United States borders, including the jaguar, are primarily the responsibility of the countries in which the species occur, with the help, as appropriate, of available technical and monetary assistance from the United States. However, we have an established relationship with Mexico to address a number of issues of mutual concern, including managing cross-border populations of rare and endangered species. Thus, it is appropriate to focus our efforts and resources on conservation of the jaguar in the northwestern part of its range (the NRU) as our contribution toward an international effort to conserve and recover the jaguar rangewide. We therefore focused this plan primarily on the NRU, which covers portions of the United States and Mexico, but also include recommendations for the Pan-American Recovery Unit (PARU), which includes the rest of the species' range. Recovery Plan Goals The recovery goal is to ultimately delist the jaguar. To achieve that goal, viable jaguar populations should be secured throughout their range by removing, reducing, and mitigating the primary threats to the jaguar (habitat loss and fragmentation, illegal killing, and unsustainable depletion of jaguar prey resources). This will require protecting jaguar habitat quantity, quality, and connectivity; providing incentives to protect jaguars and their habitat; reducing human-caused mortality of jaguars, particularly retaliatory killing due to livestock depredation; improving, enacting, and/or enforcing effective laws that regulate illegal killing of jaguars, jaguar prey, and habitat loss; securing adequate funding to implement recovery actions; and maintaining and developing partnerships in the Americas, particularly in Mexico. These protections are needed and must remain in place after delisting to ensure the long-term viability of the species. Due to past habitat loss, it is unlikely that jaguars will be fully self-sustaining throughout their historical range; however, conservation of key jaguar habitat (including core and connective areas) and populations will be critical to the recovery of jaguars. To achieve that goal, the recovery plan for the jaguar identifies the following Recovery Objectives: (1) Ascertain the status and conservation needs of the jaguar. (2) Assess and maintain or improve genetic fitness, demographic conditions, and the health condition of the jaguar. (3) Assess and maintain or improve the status of native prey populations. (4) Assess, protect, and restore quantity, quality, and connectivity of [[Page 92847]] habitat to support viable populations of jaguars. (5) Assess, minimize, and mitigate the effects of expanding human development on jaguar survival and mortality where possible. (6) Minimize direct human-caused mortality of jaguars. (7) Ensure long-term jaguar conservation through adequate funding, public education and outreach, and partnerships. (8) Practice adaptive management in which recovery is monitored and recovery tasks are revised by the USFWS in coordination with the JRT as new information becomes available. The draft recovery plan contains recovery criteria based on stabilizing or improving current populations, protecting habitat, and reducing threats to the species. To achieve recovery criteria, various management actions are needed. When the status of the jaguar meets these criteria, the species will no longer meet the conditions of being endangered throughout a significant portion of its range and will no longer warrant listing. Request for Public Comments Section 4(f) of the Act requires us to provide public notice and an opportunity for public review and comment during recovery plan development. It is also our policy to request peer review of recovery plans (July 1, 1994; 59 FR 34270). We will summarize and respond to the issues raised by the public and peer reviewers and post our responses on our Web site. Substantive comments may or may not result in changes to the recovery plan; comments regarding recovery plan implementation will be forwarded as appropriate to Federal or other entities so they can be taken into account during the course of implementing recovery actions. Responses to individual commenters will not be provided, but we will provide a summary of how we addressed substantive comments on our Web site (https://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/Jaguar.htm). We invite written comments on the draft recovery plan. In particular, we are interested in additional information regarding the current threats to the species and the costs associated with implementing the recommended recovery actions. Before we approve our final recovery plan, we will consider all comments we receive by the date specified in DATES. Methods of submitting comments are in the ADDRESSES section. Public Availability of Comments Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Comments and materials we receive will be available, by appointment, for public inspection during normal business hours at our office (see ADDRESSES). References Cited A complete list of all references cited herein is available upon request from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Branch of Recovery (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section). Authority We developed our draft recovery plan under the authority of section 4(f) of the Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f). We publish this notice under section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). Dated: November 15, 2016. Benjamin N. Tuggle, Regional Director, Southwest Region, Fish and Wildlife Service. [FR Doc. 2016-30584 Filed 12-19-16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
![Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 244 / Tuesday, December 20, 2016 / Notices 92845
delivered to an address other than those Applicant: Ian Brimhall, Lakeside, AZ; Federal agencies; Tribes; and the public.
listed above (see ADDRESSES). PRT–12330C We will also accept any new
Applicant: Robert Behrend, Wyalusing, information on the status of the jaguar
B. May I review comments submitted by
PA; PRT–12499C throughout its range to assist in
others? Applicant: Clyde Crawford, Baker, MT; finalizing the recovery plan.
Comments, including names and PRT–11873C DATES: To ensure consideration, we
street addresses of respondents, will be Applicant: Andy Albright, Burlington, must receive written comments on or
available for public review at the street NC; PRT–10491C before March 20, 2017. However, we
address listed under ADDRESSES. The Applicant: Christopher Olsen, Bend, will accept information about any
public may review documents and other OR; PRT–06371C species at any time.
information applicants have sent in
B. Endangered Marine Mammals and ADDRESSES: If you wish to review the
support of the application unless our
Marine Mammals draft recovery plan, you may obtain a
allowing viewing would violate the
Privacy Act or Freedom of Information Applicant: British Broadcasting copy by any one of the following
Act. Before including your address, Corporation—Natural World-Otters, methods:
phone number, email address, or other Bristol, UK; PRT–11556C Internet: Access the file at either web
personal identifying information in your The applicant requests a permit to address below http://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/
comment, you should be aware that film up to 40 sea otters (Enhydra lutris profile/speciesProfile?spcode=A040
your entire comment—including your nereis) within a 2-day period from a (scroll down to Recovery) https://
personal identifying information—may boat at between Santa Cruz and Pt. www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/
be made publicly available at any time. Lobos, including Elkhorn Slough Jaguar.htm (click Recovery Planning)
While you can ask us in your comment Estuary, California, for the purpose of U.S. mail: U.S. Fish and Wildlife
to withhold your personal identifying education. This notification covers Service, Arizona Ecological Services
information from public review, we activities to be conducted by the Office, 9828 North 31st Avenue, #C3,
cannot guarantee that we will be able to applicant over a 1-year period. Phoenix, AZ 85051–2517; or
do so. Concurrent with publishing this Telephone: (602) 242–0210.
notice in the Federal Register, we are If you wish to comment on the draft
II. Background forwarding copies of the above recovery plan, you may submit your
To help us carry out our conservation applications to the Marine Mammal comments in writing by any one of the
responsibilities for affected species, and Commission and the Committee of following methods:
in consideration of section 10(a)(1)(A) of Scientific Advisors for their review. • U.S. mail: Jaguar Recovery
the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as Coordinator, at the Phoenix, AZ,
Brenda Tapia, address;
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), and
the Marine Mammal Protection Act of Program Analyst/Data Administrator, Branch • Hand-delivery: Arizona Ecological
of Permits, Division of Management Services Office, at the Phoenix, AZ,
1972, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1361 et Authority.
seq.), along with Executive Order 13576, address;
‘‘Delivering an Efficient, Effective, and
[FR Doc. 2016–30514 Filed 12–19–16; 8:45 am] • Fax: (602) 242–2513; or
Accountable Government,’’ and the BILLING CODE 4333–15–P • Email: Jaguar_Recovery@fws.gov.
President’s Memorandum for the Heads For additional information about
of Executive Departments and Agencies submitting comments, see the ‘‘Request
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR for Public Comments’’ section below.
of January 21, 2009—Transparency and
Open Government (74 FR 4685; January FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Fish and Wildlife Service Steve Spangle, Project Leader Arizona
26, 2009), which call on all Federal
agencies to promote openness and [FWS–R2–ES–2016–N121; Ecological Services, at the above address
transparency in Government by FXES11130200000C2–XXX–FF02ENEH00] and phone number, or by email at
disclosing information to the public, we incomingazcorr@fws.gov.
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
invite public comment on these permit SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
and Plants; Jaguar Draft Recovery
applications before final action is taken. Plan Background
Under the MMPA, you may request a
hearing on any MMPA application AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Recovery of endangered or threatened
received. If you request a hearing, give Interior. animals and plants to the point where
specific reasons why a hearing would be ACTION: Notice of availability; request they are again secure, self-sustaining
appropriate. The holding of such a for comment. members of their ecosystems is a
hearing is at the discretion of the primary goal of our endangered species
Service Director. SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife program and the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
Service (Service), announce the seq.). Recovery means improving the
III. Permit Applications availability of our draft recovery plan listed species’ status to the point at
A. Endangered Species for the jaguar, which is listed as which listing is no longer appropriate
endangered under the Endangered under the criteria set out in section
Multiple Applicants Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). 4(a)(1) of the Act. The Act requires
The following applicants each request This species is currently found in 19 developing recovery plans for listed
a permit to import the sport-hunted countries ranging from the United States species, unless such a plan would not
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
trophy of one male bontebok to Argentina. The draft recovery plan promote the conservation of a particular
(Damaliscus pygargus pygargus) culled includes specific recovery objectives species. The jaguar was addressed in
from a captive herd maintained under and criteria to be met to enable us to ‘‘Listed Cats of Texas and Arizona
the management program of the remove this species from the list of Recovery Plan (with Emphasis on the
Republic of South Africa, for the endangered and threatened wildlife and Ocelot)’’ (1990), but only general
purpose of enhancement of the survival plants. We request review and comment information and recommendations to
of the species. on this plan from local, State, and assess jaguar status in the United States
VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:36 Dec 19, 2016 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00076 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\20DEN1.SGM 20DEN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/81_FR_93089/page/1.svg)
![Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 244 / Tuesday, December 20, 2016 / Notices 92847
habitat to support viable populations of Public Availability of Comments FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul
jaguars. Before including your address, phone McGuire, Administrative Officer, at
(5) Assess, minimize, and mitigate the number, email address, or other (405) 826–3036, BLM Oklahoma Field
effects of expanding human personal identifying information in your Office. Persons who use a
development on jaguar survival and comment, you should be aware that telecommunications device for the deaf
mortality where possible. your entire comment—including your (TDD) may call the Federal Information
personal identifying information—may Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339
(6) Minimize direct human-caused to contact the above individual during
mortality of jaguars. be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment normal business hours. The service is
(7) Ensure long-term jaguar to withhold your personal identifying available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
conservation through adequate funding, information from public review, we to leave a message or question with the
public education and outreach, and cannot guarantee that we will be able to above individual. You will receive a
partnerships. do so. reply during normal business hours.
(8) Practice adaptive management in Comments and materials we receive SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM
which recovery is monitored and will be available, by appointment, for will meet its goals of improving overall
recovery tasks are revised by the public inspection during normal efficiency and reducing costs by co-
USFWS in coordination with the JRT as business hours at our office (see locating with the University of
new information becomes available. ADDRESSES). Oklahoma, other Federal agencies, and
The draft recovery plan contains References Cited the research community. The main
recovery criteria based on stabilizing or office telephone number will be (405)
A complete list of all references cited 579–7100.
improving current populations, herein is available upon request from
protecting habitat, and reducing threats the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Aden L. Seidlitz,
to the species. To achieve recovery Branch of Recovery (see FOR FURTHER Associate State Director.
criteria, various management actions are INFORMATION CONTACT section). [FR Doc. 2016–30530 Filed 12–19–16; 8:45 am]
needed. When the status of the jaguar
BILLING CODE 4310–FB–P
meets these criteria, the species will no Authority
longer meet the conditions of being We developed our draft recovery plan
endangered throughout a significant under the authority of section 4(f) of the DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
portion of its range and will no longer Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f). We publish this
warrant listing. notice under section 4(f) of the Bureau of Land Management
Request for Public Comments Endangered Species Act of 1973, as [LLES961000 L19100000 BK0000 XXX
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). LRCSM1502100, MA–ES–058244, Group No.
Section 4(f) of the Act requires us to Dated: November 15, 2016. 3, Massachusetts]
provide public notice and an Benjamin N. Tuggle,
opportunity for public review and Regional Director, Southwest Region, Fish
Eastern States: Filing of Plat of Survey
comment during recovery plan and Wildlife Service. AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,
development. It is also our policy to [FR Doc. 2016–30584 Filed 12–19–16; 8:45 am] Interior.
request peer review of recovery plans
(July 1, 1994; 59 FR 34270). We will
BILLING CODE 4333–15–P ACTION: Notice of filing of plat of survey;
summarize and respond to the issues Massachusetts.
raised by the public and peer reviewers DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land
and post our responses on our Web site. Management (BLM) will file the plat of
Substantive comments may or may not Bureau of Land Management survey of the lands described below in
result in changes to the recovery plan; the BLM-Eastern States, Washington, DC
[LLNM004000 L18300000.XG0000
comments regarding recovery plan 14XL1109AF] at least 30 calendar days from the date
implementation will be forwarded as of publication in the Federal Register.
appropriate to Federal or other entities Notice of Relocation: Consolidation FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
so they can be taken into account during and Change of Address for Oklahoma Bureau of Land Management, Eastern
the course of implementing recovery Field Office-Tulsa and Moore Field States Office, 20 M Street SE.,
actions. Responses to individual Station Washington DC, 20003. Attn: Cadastral
commenters will not be provided, but
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Survey. Persons who use a
we will provide a summary of how we
Interior. telecommunications device for the deaf
addressed substantive comments on our
ACTION: Notice. (TDD) may call the Federal Information
Web site (https://www.fws.gov/
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339
southwest/es/arizona/Jaguar.htm). SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land to contact the above individual during
We invite written comments on the Management, Oklahoma Field Office, normal business hours. The FIRS is
draft recovery plan. In particular, we are located at 7906 East 33rd Street, Suite available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
interested in additional information 101, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74145, and the to leave a message or question with the
regarding the current threats to the Moore Field Station, located at 200 above individual. You will receive a
species and the costs associated with Northwest 4th Street, Room 2401, reply during normal business hours.
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
implementing the recommended Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102, will SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This
recovery actions. combine and relocate to 201 Stephenson survey was requested by the General
Before we approve our final recovery Parkway, Suite 1200, Norman, Services Administration.
plan, we will consider all comments we Oklahoma 73072.
receive by the date specified in DATES. DATES: The combined offices moved Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Methods of submitting comments are in October 20–23, 2016, and were open for The plat of survey represents the
the ADDRESSES section. business on Monday, October 24, 2016. dependent resurvey of Hanscom Air
VerDate Sep<11>2014 19:36 Dec 19, 2016 Jkt 241001 PO 00000 Frm 00078 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\20DEN1.SGM 20DEN1](https://thefederalregister.org/doc/81_FR_93089/page/3.svg)
Document Created: 2018-02-14 09:09:28
Document Modified: 2018-02-14 09:09:28
| Category | Regulatory Information | |
| Collection | Federal Register | |
| sudoc Class | AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106: | |
| Publisher | Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration | |
| Section | Notices | |
| Action | Notice of availability; request for comment. | |
| Dates | To ensure consideration, we must receive written comments on or before March 20, 2017. However, we will accept information about any species at any time. | |
| Contact | Steve Spangle, Project Leader Arizona | |
| FR Citation | 81 FR 92845 |
2025 Federal Register | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy
USC | CFR | eCFR