SPECIES RECOVERY GOALS. The overall goal for recovery of the four endangered fishes is to achieve naturally self- sustaining populations and to protect the habitat on which those populations depend. Recovery plans for these species have been developed under Section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1990a, 1990b, 1991, 1998), and the final rule determining critical habitat was published in the Federal Register on March 21, 1994 (59 FR 13374; Appendix). The recovery plans provide a biological and research-oriented approach to recovery and include a recommendation for detailed management and site-specific implementation plans. They refer to species recovery in both the Upper and Lower basins, but fail to include specific demographic criteria for self-sustaining, viable populations and site-specific management actions/tasks to minimize or remove threats. On August 1, 2002, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) completed final recovery goals for the endangered fishes that will serve as amendments and supplements to the existing recovery plans (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2002a, 2002b, 2002c, 2002d). According to Section 4(f)(1) of the Endangered Species Act, these recovery goals describe what is necessary for downlisting and delisting each of the species by identifying site-specific management actions/tasks necessary to minimize or remove threats; establishing objective, measurable criteria that consider demographic and genetic needs for self-sustaining, viable populations; and providing estimates of the time to achieve recovery. In the context of the recovery goals, recovery of humpback chub, bonytail, and razorback sucker is considered across the Upper and Lower basins (each basin is treated as a “recovery unit”), with separate recovery criteria developed for each of the two recovery units. Recovery of Colorado pikeminnow is considered necessary only for the Upper Colorado River Basin (including the San Xxxx River subbasin). The Recovery Program and the San Xxxx River Basin Recovery Implementation Program provide for the coordinated implementation of management actions/tasks that contribute to recovery in the Upper Basin recovery unit.
