[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 189 (Tuesday, September 30, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51120-51122]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-25837]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for Oahu Plants
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 Oahu
Plants. There are 66 plant taxa included in this plan, all listed as
endangered. All 66 taxa are endemic to Hawaii. Sixty are restricted to
the island of Oahu and six occur on Oahu and other main Hawaiian
Islands.
DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan received by December 29,
1997 will be considered 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, Pacific Islands
Office, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3108, Box 50088, Honolulu, Hawaii
96850 (phone 808/541-3441); and Hawaii State Library, 478 S. King
Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. 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: Scott Johnston, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, at the above Honolulu address.
[[Page 51121]]
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.
This draft Recovery Plan for Oahu Plants covers 66 plant taxa (full
species, subspecies, and varieties), all of which are listed as
endangered. Fifty-six of these taxa are endemic to the island of Oahu.
The following taxa also currently have populations outside of the
island of Oahu: Gouania meyenii and Lobelia niihauensis on Kauai;
Hesperomannia arborescens on Molokai and Maui; Hesperomannia arbuscula
on West Maui; Nototrichium humile and Phyllostegia mollis on East Maui;
and Tetramolopium lepidotum spp. lepidotum on Hawaii. Historically, two
of the taxa were known from Molokai (Eugenia koolauensis and
Phyllostegia mollis), two from Lanai (Hesperomannia arborescens and
Tetramolopium lepidotum ssp. lepidotum), and one each from Kauai
(Phlegmariurus nutans), West Maui (Gouania vitifolia), Niihau (Lobelia
niihauensis), and Hawaii (Gouania vitifolia). The plants covered by the
draft recovery plan are: Abutilon sandwicense (no common name (NCN)),
Alsinidendron obovatum (NCN), Alsinidendron trinerve (NCN), Chamaesyce
celastroides var. kaenana (akoko), Chamaesyce deppeana (akoko),
Chamaesyce herbstii (akoko), Chamaesyce kuwaleana (akoko), Chamaesyce
rockii (akoko), Cyanea acuminata (haha), Cyanea crispa (NCN), Cyanea
grimesiana ssp. obatae (haha), Cyanea humboldtiana (haha), Cyanea
koolauensis (haha), Cyanea longiflora (haha), Cyanea pinnatifida
(haha), Cyanea st.-johnii (haha), Cyanea superba (NCN), Cyanea truncata
(haha), Cyrtandra crenata (haiwale), Cyrtandra dentata (haiwale),
Cyrtandra polyantha (haiwale), Cyrtandra subumbellata (haiwale),
Cyrtandra viridiflora (haiwale), Delissea subcordata (oha), Diellia
falcata (NCN), Diellia unisora (NCN), Dubautia herbstobatae (naenae),
Eragrostis fosbergii (NCN), Eugenia koolauensis (nioi), Gardenia mannii
(nanu), Gouania meyenii (NCN), Gouania vitifolia (NCN ), Hedyotis
degeneri (NCN), Hedyotis parvula (NCN), Hesperomannia arborescens
(NCN), Hesperomannia arbuscula (NCN), Labordia cyrtandrae (kamakahala),
Lepidium arbuscula (anaunau), Lipochaeta lobata var. leptophylla
(nehe), Lipochaeta tenuifolia (NCN), Lobelia gaudichaudii ssp.
koolauensis (NCN), Lobelia monostachya (NCN), Lobelia niihauensis
(NCN), Lobelia oahuensis (NCN), Melicope lydgatei (alani), Melicope
saint-johnii (alani), Myrsine juddii (kolea), Neraudia angulata (NCN),
Nototrichium humile (kului), Phlegmariurus nutans (wawaeiole),
Phyllostegia hirsuta (NCN), Phyllostegia kaalaensis (NCN), Phyllostegia
mollis (NCN), Pritchardia kaalae (loulu), Sanicula mariversa (NCN),
Schiedea kaalae (NCN), Schiedea kealiae (NCN), Silene perlmanii (NCN),
Stenogyne kanehoana (NCN), Tetramolopium filiforme (NCN), Tetramolopium
lepidotum ssp. lepidotum (NCN), Tetraplasandra gymnocarpa (oheohe),
Trematolobelia singularis (NCN), Urera kaalae (opuhe), Viola
chamissoniana ssp. chamissoniana (pamakani), and Viola oahuensis (NCN).
The 66 taxa included in this draft plan grow in a variety of
vegetation communities (shrublands, forests, and mixed communities),
elevational zones (coastal to subalpine), and moisture regimes (dry to
wet). These taxa and their habitats have been variously affected or are
currently threatened by one or more of the following: competition for
space, light, water, and nutrients by introduced vegetation; habitat
degradation by wild, feral or domestic animals (goats, pigs, and
cattle); agricultural and recreational activities; habitat loss and
damage to plants from fires; predation by animals (cattle, pigs, goats,
rats, slugs and snails, and insects); and natural disasters such as
hurricanes. In addition, 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 objective of the draft recovery plan is to provide a framework
for the recovery of these 66 taxa so that their protection by the
Endangered Species Act (ESA) is no longer necessary. The interim
objective is to stabilize all existing populations of the Oahu plants.
To be considered stable, each taxon must be managed to control threats
(e.g., fenced) and be represented in an ex situ (such as a nursery or
arboretum) collection. In addition, a minimum total of three
populations of each taxon should be documented on islands where they
now occur or occurred historically. Each of these populations must be
naturally reproducing and increasing in number, with a minimum of 25
mature individuals per population for long-lived perennials (Eugenia
koolauensis, Hesperomannia arborescens, Hesperomannia arbuscula,
Melicope lydgatei, Melicope saint-johnii, Pritchardia kaalae,
Tetraplasandra gymnocarpa, and Urera kaalae) and a minimum of 50 mature
individuals per population for short-lived perennials (Abutilon
sandwicense, Alsinidendron obovatum, Alsinidendron trinerve, Chamaesyce
celastroides var. kaenana, Chamaesyce deppeana, Chamaesyce herbstii,
Chamaesyce kuwaleana, Chamaesyce rockii, Cyanea acuminata, Cyanea
crispa, Cyanea grimesiana ssp. obatae, Cyanea humboldtiana, Cyanea
koolauensis, Cyanea longiflora, Cyanea pinnatifida, Cyanea st.-johnii,
Cyanea superba, Cyanea truncata, Cyrtandra crenata, Cyrtandra dentata,
Cyrtandra polyantha, Cyrtandra subumbellata, Cyrtandra viridiflora,
Delissea subcordata, Diellia falcata, Diellia unisora, Dubautia
herbstobatae, Eragrostis fosbergii, Gardenia mannii, Gouania meyenii,
Gouania vitifolia, Hedyotis degeneri, Hedyotis parvula, Labordia
cyrtandrae, Lepidium arbuscula, Lipochaeta lobata var. leptophylla,
Lipochaeta tenuifolia, Lobelia gaudichaudii ssp. koolauensis, Lobelia
monostachya, Lobelia niihauensis, Lobelia oahuensis, Myrsine juddii,
Neraudia angulata, Nototrichium humile, Phlegmariurus nutans,
[[Page 51122]]
Phyllostegia hirsuta, Phyllostegia kaalaensis, Phyllostegia mollis,
Sanicula mariversa, Schiedea kaalae, Schiedea kealiae, Silene
perlmanii, Stenogyne kanehoana, Tetramolopium filiforme, Tetramolopium
lepidotum ssp. lepidotum, Trematolobelia singularis, Viola
chamissoniana ssp. chamissoniana, and Viola oahuensis).
For downlisting, a total of five to seven populations of each taxon
should be documented on islands where they now occur or occurred
historically. In certain cases, however, a particular taxon may be
eligible for downlisting even if all five to seven of the populations
are on only one island, provided all of the other recovery criteria
have been met and the populations in question are widely distributed
and secure enough that one might reasonably conclude that the taxon is
not in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant part of its
range.
Each of these populations must be naturally reproducing, stable or
increasing in number, and secure from threats, with a minimum of 100
mature individuals per population for long-lived perennials, a minimum
of 300 mature individuals per population for short-lived perennials and
a minimum of 500 mature individuals per population for the annuals.
Each population should persist at this level for a minimum of five
consecutive years before downlisting is considered. A total of eight to
ten populations of each taxon should be documented on islands where
they now occur or occurred historically. As with downlisting, there may
be certain cases in which a particular taxon may be eligible for
delisting even if all eight to ten of the populations are on only one
island, provided all of the other recovery criteria have been met and
the populations in question are widely distributed and secure enough
that one might reasonably conclude that the taxon is not in danger of
extinction throughout all or a significant part of its range. Each of
these populations must be naturally reproducing, stable or increasing
in number, and secure from threats, with a minimum of 100 mature
individuals per population for long-lived perennials, a minimum of 300
mature individuals per population for short-lived perennials and a
minimum of 500 mature individuals per population for the annual taxon.
Each population should persist at this level for a minimum of five
consecutive years.
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 this plan.
Authority
The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: September 24, 1997.
Michael J. Spear,
Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 97-25837 Filed 9-29-97; 8:45 am]
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