[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 11, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52921-52922]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-25149]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Big Island (Island of 
Hawaii); 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 recovery plan for the Big 
Island Plant Cluster. This plan addresses 22 plant taxa from the island 
of Hawaii (Big Island) in the State of Hawaii. Twenty taxa are listed 
as endangered, one is proposed for endangered status, and one is listed 
as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. 
Twelve of the 22 taxa are endemic to the Big Island while an additional 
four, which originally had a wider distribution, are now confined to 
the Big Island. other taxa currently persist on the islands of Niihau, 
Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, and/or Maui as well as the Big Island.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or 
before December 11, 1995 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 Kailua-Kona Public Library, 
75-138 Hualalai Road, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740 (phone 808/329-2196); 
and the Hilo Public Library, 300 Waianuenue Avenue, Hilo, Hawaii 96720 
(Phone 808/933-4650). 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.

[[Page 52922]]


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 
Untied 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 endangered taxa being considered in the Big Island recovery 
plan are: Clermontia linseyana, Clermontia peleana (subsp. peleana, 
subsp. singuliflora), Clermontia pyrularia, Colubrina oppositifolia, 
Cyanea copelandii subsp. copelandii, Cyanea hamatiflora subsp. 
carlsonii, Cyanea shipmanii, Cyanea stictophylla, Cyrtandra giffardii, 
Cyrtandra tintinnabula, Delissea undulata (subsp. niihauensis, subsp. 
kauaiensis, subsp. undulata), Ischaemum byrone, Isodendrion pyrifolium, 
Mariscus fauriei, Nothrocestrum breviflorum, Ochrosia kilaueaensis, 
Plantago hawaiensis, Portulaca sclerocarpa, Pritchardia affinis, 
Tetramolopium arenarium (subsp. arenarium var. arenarium, subsp. 
arenarium var. confertum), subsp. laxum), and Zanthoxylum hawaiiense. 
The threatened taxon in the Big Island Plant Cluster is Silene 
hawaiiensis.
    Twelve of the 22 taxa are endemic to the Big Island while an 
additional four, which originally had a wider distribution, are now 
confined to the Big Island. Other taxa currently persist on the islands 
of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, and/or Maui as well as the Big 
Island. The island of Hawaii is the largest, highest, and youngest of 
the Hawaiian Islands, and was built by at least six volcanic mountains. 
One, the Kilauea volcano, is currently erupting and adding land mass to 
the island. As a result, the taxa included in this plan grow in a 
variety of vegetative communities (grassland, shrubland, and forests, 
elevational zones (coastal to alpine), and moisture regimes (dry to 
wet). They and their habitats are currently threatened by one or more 
of the following: habitat degradation by federal or domestic animals 
(goats, pigs, deer (on Maui and Molokai), cattle and sheep); 
competition for space, light, water, and nutrients by introduced 
vegetation; fire, a threat which is exacerbated by introduced grasses; 
direct human pertubation such as recreational and military activities; 
pest invertebrates; disease; and vulnerability to stochastic events and 
genetic limitations due to small population size.
    Recovery efforts will focus on protection of all the populations 
from current threats via fencing and/or hunting to control ungulates; 
control of alien plants; protection from fire; protection from human 
disturbance; control of rodents, insects, and disease, where 
applicable; collection, storage, and maintenance of genetic material. 
In addition, research concerning the reproductive biology, population 
ecology, and habitat requirements of these taxa may be needed to 
establish further causes of decline as well as requirements for their 
short and long-term survival. Augmentation of small populations that 
are not expanding after protection from threats, and reestablishment of 
new populations within the historical range of the taxa may also be 
needed to achieve recovery goals.

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: October 3, 1995.
Thomas Dwyer,
Acting Regional Director, Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1.
[FR Doc. 95-25149 Filed 10-10-95; 8:45am]
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