[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 189 (Friday, September 30, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-24195]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: September 30, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
50 CFR Part 17

 

Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Kauai Plant Cluster 
for Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the 
availability for public review of a draft Kauai Plant Cluster Recovery 
Plan. There are 37 taxa of plants included in this plan. All but seven 
of the taxa are or were endemic to the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The 
plants that are not endemic to Kauai are or were also found on the 
islands of Niihau, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and/or Hawaii.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or 
before November 29, 1994, to receive consideration by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft recovery plan are available for 
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the 
following locations: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, room 6307, 300 Ala 
Moana Blvd., P.O. Box 50167, Honolulu, Hawaii 96850 (phone 808/541-
2749); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Regional Office, Ecological 
Services, 911 N.E. 11th Ave., Eastside Federal Complex, Portland, 
Oregon 97232-4181 (phone 503/231-6131); the Kauai Public Library, 4344 
Hardy Street, Lihue, Kauai 96766; and, the Wailuku Public Library, 251 
High Street, Wailuku, Maui 96793. Requests for copies of the draft 
recovery plan and written comments and materials regarding this plan 
should be addressed to Brooks Harper, Field Supervisor, at the above 
Honolulu address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Karen W. Rosa, Fish and Wildlife 
Biologist, at the above Honolulu address.

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, establish criteria for the recovery 
levels for downlisting or delisting them, and estimate time and cost 
for implementing the recovery measures needed.
    The Endangered Species Act, 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 
public notice and an opportunity for public review and comment be 
provided during recovery plan development. The Service will consider 
all information presented during the public comment period prior to 
approval of each new or revised Recovery Plan. Substantive technical 
comments will result in changes to the plans. Substantive comments 
regarding recovery plan implementation may not necessarily result in 
changes to the recovery plans, but will be forwarded to appropriate 
Federal or other entities so that they can take these comments into 
account during the course of implementing recovery actions. 
Individualized responses to comments will not be provided.
    The 37 plant taxa being considered in the draft Kauai Plant Cluster 
Recovery Plan are: Brighamia insignis ('olulu), Chamaesyce halemanui 
(no common name (NCN)), Cyanea asarifolia (haha), Cyrtandra 
limahuliensis (ha'iwale), Delissea rhytidosperma (NCN), Diellia pallida 
(NCN), Dubautia latifolia (NCN), Exocarpos luteolus (heau), Hedyotis 
cookiana ('awiwi), Hedyotis st.-johnii (na Pali beach hedyotis), 
Hibiscus clayi (Clay's hibiscus), Lipochaeta fauriei (nehe), Lipochaeta 
micrantha var. exigua (nehe), Lipochaeta micrantha var. micrantha 
(nehe), Lipochaeta waimeaensis (nehe), Lysimachia filifolia (NCN), 
Melicope haupuensis (alani), Melicope knudsenii (alani), Melicope 
pallida (alani), Melicope quadrangularis (alani), Munroidendron 
racemosum (NCN), Nothocestrum peltatum ('aiea), Peucedanum sandwicense 
(makou), Phyllotegia waimeae (NCN), Poa mannii (Mann's bluegrass), Poa 
sandvicensis (Hawaiian bluegrass), Poa siphonoglossa (NCN), Pteralyxia 
kauaiensis (kaulu), Remya kauaienis (NCN), Remya montgomeryi (NCN), 
Schiedea apokremnos (Ma'oli'oli), Schiedea spergulina var. leiopoda 
(NCN), Schiedea spergulina var. spergulina (NCN), Solanum sandwicense 
(popolo' aiakeakua), Stenogyne campanulata (NCN), Wilkesia hobdyi 
(Dwarf 'ili' au) and Xylosma crentaum (NCN).
    All but seven of the taxa are or were endemic to the Hawaiian 
island of Kauai; the exceptions are or were found on the Hawaiian 
islands of Niihau, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and/or the island of Hawaii as 
well as Kauai. The 37 plant taxa and their habitats have been variously 
affected or are currently threatened by one or more of the following: 
habitat degradation by feral and domestic animals (goats, pigs, axis 
and mule deer, cattle, and red jungle fowl); competition for space, 
light, water, and nutrients by introduced vegetation; erosion of 
substrate produced by human- or animal-caused disturbance; recreational 
and agricultural activities; habitat loss from fires; disease; loss of 
pollinators; and predation by animals (goats, rats and mice). Due to 
the small number of existing individuals and their very narrow 
distributions, these taxa and most of their populations are subject to 
an increased likelihood of extinction and/or reduced reproductive vigor 
from stochastic events.
    The taxa included in this plan were historically distributed 
throughout the island of Kauai and grow in a variety of vegetation 
communities (grassland, shrubland, and forests), elevational zones 
(coastal to montane), and moisture regimes (dry to wet). Most of the 
taxa included in this plan persist on steep slopes, precipitous cliffs, 
valley headwalls, and other regions where unsuitable topography has 
prevented agricultural development or where inaccessibility has limited 
encroachment by alien animal and plant taxa.
    The objective of this plan is to provide a framework for the 
recovery of these 37 taxa so that their protection by the Endangered 
Species Act (ESA) is no longer necessary. Immediate actions necessary 
for the prevention of extinction of these taxa include fencing for 
exclusion of ungulates, alien plant control, protection from fire, 
population and plant community monitoring and management, ex situ 
propagation, and augmentation of populations, as appropriate. Long-term 
activities necessary for the perpetuation of these taxa in their 
natural habitats additionally include baseline and long-term research 
regarding growth requirements, public education, maintenance of fenced 
areas, long-term monitoring and management of populations and 
communities, and re-establishment of populations within the historic 
ranges of some taxa. Further research current range, reproduction and 
reproductive status, pollinators, life history, limiting factors, 
habitat requirements, and minimum viable population sizes is needed to 
facilitate appropriate management decisions regarding the long-term 
perpetuation of each of these taxa.

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 these plans.

Authority

    The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered 
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).

    Dated: September 26, 1994.
Michael J. Spear,
Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1.
[FR Doc. 94-24195 Filed 9-29-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M