[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 240 (Thursday, December 13, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64451-64452]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-30773]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Notice of Availability of a Draft Addendum to the Recovery Plan 
for the Multi-Island Plants for Public Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the 
availability for public review of a draft Addendum to the Recovery Plan 
for the Multi-Island Plants. There are 10 plant taxa included in this 
plan, all of which are listed as endangered. All 10 taxa are endemic to 
the Maui Nui group of islands in the Hawaiian Islands.

DATE: We will consider comments on the draft addendum received by 
February 11, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft recovery plan addendum are available for 
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the 
following locations: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands 
Fish and Wildlife Office, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3-122, 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 addendum and written comments and materials regarding this 
plan should be addressed to Paul Henson, Field Supervisor, Ecological 
Services, at the above U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Honolulu address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christa Russell, Plant Conservation 
Program Coordinator, at the above U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
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 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 
endangered species program. To help guide the recovery effort, we are 
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 
downlisting or delisting listed species, and estimate time and cost for 
implementing the recovery measures needed.

[[Page 64452]]

    The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act) (16 U.S.C. 
1531 et seq.), 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 requires that public notice 
and an opportunity for public review and comment be provided during 
recovery plan development. We 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.
    This draft Addendum to the Recovery Plan for the Multi-Island 
Plants covers 10 plant taxa, all of which are listed as endangered. 
These 10 Hawaiian plant taxa are endemic to the Maui Nui group of 
islands in the Hawaiian Islands. This group includes Maui, Molokai, 
Lanai, and Kahoolawe. Five taxa are endemic to the island of Maui, 
three taxa are endemic to the island of Lanai, one taxon is endemic to 
Molokai, and one taxon is endemic to the island of Kahoolawe. The 
listed plants are: Clermontia samuellii (oha wai), Cyanea copelandii 
ssp. haleakalaensis (haha), Cyanea glabra (haha), Cyanea hamatiflora 
ssp. hamatiflora (haha), Dubautia plantaginea ssp. humilis (naenae), 
Hedyotis schlechtendahliana var. remyi (kopa), Kanaloa kahoolawensis 
(kohe malama malama o Kanaloa), Labordia tinifolia var. lanaiensis 
(kamakahala), Labordia triflora (kamakahala), and Melicope munroi 
(alani).
    The 10 taxa included in this draft addendum grow in a variety of 
vegetation communities (shrublands and forests), elevational zones 
(coastal to montane), 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 (pigs, goats, and deer); predation by animals 
(deer, pigs, goats, rats, slugs, and insects); substrate loss, and 
collecting for scientific or horticultural purposes. 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 addendum to the recovery plan is to provide a 
framework for the recovery of these 10 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 these 10 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 (Kanaloa 
kahoolawensis and Melicope munroi) and a minimum of 50 mature 
individuals per population for short-lived perennials (Clermontia 
samuelii, Cyanea copelandii ssp. haleakalaensis, Cyanea glabra, Cyanea 
hamatiflora ssp. hamatiflora, Dubautia plantaginea, Hedyotis 
schlechtendahlia var. remyi, Labordia tinifolia var. lanaiensis, and 
Labordia triflora).
    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 and a 
minimum of 300 mature individuals per population for short-lived 
perennials. 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 and a minimum of 
300 mature individuals per population for short-lived perennials. Each 
population should persist at this level for a minimum of 5 consecutive 
years.

Public Comments Solicited

    We solicit written comments on the recovery plan addendum 
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: August 22, 2001.
Rowan W. Gould,
Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 01-30773 Filed 12-12-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P