[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 188 (Tuesday, September 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51946-51947]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-25964]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of 
Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for Multi-Island 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 Multi-
Island Plants. This plan covers 26 plant taxa, 25 of which are listed 
as endangered and 1 as threatened. All 26 taxa are now found on one or 
more of the 8 main Hawaiian Islands; 2 of the taxa are also found on 
one or more of three Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan received by November 30, 
1998 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 3-122, Box 50088, Honolulu, 
Hawaii 96850 (phone 808/541-3441); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
Regional Office, Ecological Services, 911 N.E. 11th Ave., Eastside 
Federal Complex, Portland, Oregon 97232-4181 (phone 503/231-131); 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 Field Supervisor, 
Ecological Services, at the above Honolulu address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christa Russell, Listing and Recovery 
Programs Lead, 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.
    This draft Recovery Plan for Multi-Island Plants covers 26 plant 
taxa, 25 of which are listed as endangered and 1 as threatened. These 
26 Hawaiian plant taxa are, or were, widely distributed across the 
island chain. All 26 taxa are now found on one or more of the 8 main 
Hawaiian Islands; 2 of the taxa are also found on one or more of three 
Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The species listed as threatened is 
Isodendrion longifolium (aupaka). The plants listed as endangered are:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Scientific name                        Common name
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Achyranthes mutica........................  no common name (NCN)
Adenophorus periens.......................  pendant kihi fern
Bonamia menziesii.........................  (NCN)
Cenchrus agrimonioides....................  kamanomano
Centaurium sebaeoides.....................  awiwi
Cyanea grimesiana ssp. grimesiana.........  haha
Cyperus trachysanthos.....................  puukaa
Diellia erecta............................  NCN
Euphorbia haeleeleana.....................  NCN
Flueggea neowawraea.......................  mehamehame
Hibiscus brackenridgei....................  mao hau hele
Isodendrion laurifolium...................  aupaka
Mariscus pennatiformis....................  NCN
Neraudia sericea..........................  maaloa
Panicum niihauense........................  lauehu
Phyllostegia parviflora...................  (NCN)
Plantago princeps.........................  ale
Platanthera holochila.....................  (NCN)
Sanicula purpurea.........................  (NCN)
Schiedea hookeri..........................  (NCN)
Schiedea nuttallii........................  (NCN)
Sesbania tomentosa........................  ohai
Solanum incompletum.......................  thorny popolo
Spermolepis hawaiiensis...................  (NCN)
Vigna o-wahuensis.........................  Oahu vigna
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The 26 taxa included in this draft plan grow in a variety of 
vegetation (grasslands, shrublands, forests, and mixed communities), 
elevational zones (coastal to subalpine), and moisture regimes (dry to 
wet). Only one species, Solanum incompletum, is found in subalpine 
forest. 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

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vegetation; habitat degradation by wild, feral, or domestic animals 
(deer, mouflon, goats, pigs, sheep and cattle); agricultural and 
recreational activities; habitat loss and damage to plants from fires; 
predation by animals (cattle, deer, mouflon, pigs, goats, sheep, rats, 
slugs and snails, and insects); and natural disasters such as volcanic 
activity. 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 naturally occurring events such as 
hurricanes.
    The objective of the draft recovery plan is to provide a framework 
for the recovery of these 26 taxa so that their protection by the 
Endangered Species Act is no longer necessary. The interim objective is 
to stabilize all existing populations of the Multi-island 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 (Flueggea 
neowawraea, Schiedea hookeri, and Schiedea nuttallii) and a minimum of 
50 mature individuals per population for short-lived perennials 
(Achyranthes mutica, Adenophorus periens, Bonamia menziesii, Cenchrus 
agrimonioides, Cyanea grimesiana ssp. grimesiana, Cyperus 
trachysanthos, Deillia erecta, Euphorbia haeleeleana, Hibiscus 
brackenridgei, Isodendrion laurifolium, Isodendrion longifolium, 
Mariscus pennatiformis, Neraudia sericea, Panicum niihauense, 
Phyllostegia parviflora, Plantago princeps, Platanthera holochila, 
Sanicula purpurea, Sesbania tomentosa, Solanum incompletum, and Vigna 
o-wahuensis). Centaurium sebaeoides and Spermolepis hawaiiensis are 
annuals.
    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 annual 
taxon. Each population should persist at this level for a minimum of 5 
consecutive years before downlisting is considered. A total of 8 to 10 
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 8 to 10 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 5 
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 23, 1998.
David J. Wesley,
Regional Director,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1.
[FR Doc. 98-25964 Filed 9-28-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P