[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 188 (Thursday, September 28, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50212-50213]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-24089]



-----------------------------------------------------------------------


DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

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

agency: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

action: Notice of document availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

summary: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the 
availability for public review of a draft Molokai Plant Cluster 
Recovery Plan. There are 16 taxa of plants included in this plan. 
Fourteen of the 16 taxa are known to be extant only on the island of 
Molokai, Hawaii; one species also is found on the islands of Hawaii and 
Oahu, the other is also on the island of Lanai.

dates: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or 
before November 27, 1995.

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, Pacific Islands 
Office, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, room 6307, 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); and 
Molokai Public Library, 15 Ala Malama Street, Kaunakakai, Hawaii 96748 
(phone 808/553-5483). Requests for copies of the draft recovery plan 
and written comments and materials regarding this plan should be 
addressed to Brooks Harper, Field Supervisor, Ecological Services, at 
the above Honolulu address.

for further information contact: Craig Rowland, 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 plan, 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 16 taxa being considered in this recovery plan are: Bidens 
wiebkei (ko'oko'olau), Brighamia rockii (pua 'ala), Canavalia 
molokaiensis ('awikiwiki), Clermontia oblongifolia ssp. brevipes ('oha 
wai), Cyanea mannii (haha), Cyanea procera (haha), Hedyotis mannii 
(pilo), Hibiscus arnottianus ssp. immaculatus (koki'o ke'oke'o), 
Melicope reflexa (alani), Phyllostegia mannii (no common name (NCN)), 
Pritchardia munroi (loulu), Schiedea lydgatei (NCN), Silene alexandri 
(NCN), Silene lanceolata (NCN), Stenogyne bifida (NCN), and 
Tetramolopium rockii (NCN).
    Tetramolopium rockii is listed as threatened, while the remaining 
15 taxa are listed as endangered. Fourteen of the 16 taxa are known to 
be extant only on the island of Molokai, Hawaii; one species also is 
found on the islands of Oahua and Hawaii, the other is also on Lanai. 
The 16 plant taxa and their habitats have been variously affected and 
are threatened by 1 or more of the following: habitat degradation and/
or predation by wild, feral, or domestic animals (axis deer, goats, 
pigs, sheep, and cattle); competition for space, light, water, and 
nutrients by naturalized, alien vegetation; habitat loss from fires; 
predation by rats; human recreational activities; and military training 
exercises. Because of the depauperate number of extant individuals and 
their severely restricted distributions, populations of these taxa are 
subject to an increased likelihood of extinction from stochastic 
events.
    Fifteen of these taxa are known from East Molokai and one is also 
known from West Molokai. The 16 taxa included in this plan grow in a 
variety of vegetation communities (grassland, shrubland, and forests), 
elevational zones (coastal to montane), and moisture regimes (dry to 
wet).
    The objective of this plan is to provide a framework for the 
recovery of these 16 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, 
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 
regarding 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).


[[Page 50213]]

    Dated: September 20, 1995.
Michael J. Spear,
Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Region.
[FR Doc. 95-24089 Filed 9-27-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M