[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 165 (Monday, August 26, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 54764-54765]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-21703]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AH70


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designations of 
Critical Habitat for Plant Species From the Islands of Maui and 
Kahoolawe, HI

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening of comment period, and public hearing 
announcement.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) gives notice of a 
public hearing on the proposed critical habitat designations for 61 
plants from the islands of Maui and Kahoolawe, Hawaii. In addition, the 
comment period which originally closed on June 3, 2002, will be 
reopened. The new comment period and hearing will allow all interested 
parties to submit oral or written comments on the proposal. We are 
seeking comments or suggestions from the public, other concerned 
agencies, the scientific community, industry, or any other interested 
parties concerning the proposed rule. Comments already submitted on the 
proposed rule need not be resubmitted as they will be fully considered 
in the final determination.

DATES: The comment period for this proposal now closes on September 30, 
2002. Any comments received by the closing date will be considered in 
the final decision on this proposal. The public hearing will be held 
from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday September 12, 2002, on the 
island of Maui, Hawaii. Prior to the public hearing, the Service will 
be available from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. to provide information and to 
answer questions. The Service will also be available for questions 
after the hearing.

ADDRESSES: The public hearing will be held at the Maui Arts and 
Cultural Center Meeting Room, One Cameron Way, Kahului, Maui, Hawaii. 
Comments and materials concerning this proposal should be sent to the 
Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands 
Office, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3-122, PO Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 
96850. Comments and materials received will be available for public 
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the above 
address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Henson, at the above address, 
(telephone 808/541-3441, facsimile 808/541-3470).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The public hearing for the proposed critical 
habitat designations for 61 plants from the islands of Maui and 
Kahoolawe announced in this Federal Register notice and the public 
hearing for the proposal to designate critical habitat for Blackburn's 
sphinx moth announced in a separate Federal Register notice are 
scheduled for the same date, time, and location on Maui as a matter of 
convenience to the public. We will accept comments at this public 
hearing on the proposed critical habitat designations for 61 plants 
from the islands of Maui and Kahoolawe, as well as the proposal to 
designate critical habitat for Blackburn's sphinx moth.

Background

    On April 3, 2002, we published a revised proposed critical habitat 
rule for 61 of the 70 plant species listed under the Endangered Species 
Act of 1973, as amended (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), known 
historically from the islands of Maui and Kahoolawe (67 FR 15856). The 
original comment period closed on June 3, 2002. The comment period now 
closes on September 30, 2002. Written comments should be submitted to 
us (see ADDRESSES section).
    A total of 70 species historically found on Maui and Kahoolawe were 
listed as endangered or threatened species under the Act between 1991 
and 1999. Some of these species may also occur on other Hawaiian 
islands. Previously, we proposed that designation of critical habitat 
was prudent for 57 (Adenophorus periens, Alectryon macrococcus, 
Argyroxiphium sandwicense ssp. macrocephalum, Asplenium fragile var. 
insulare, Bidens micrantha ssp. kalealaha, Bonamia menziesii, Brighamia 
rockii, Cenchrus agrimonioides, Centaurium sebaeoides, Clermontia 
lindseyana, Clermontia oblongifolia ssp. mauiensis, Colubrina 
oppositifolia, Ctenitis squamigera, Cyanea grimesiana ssp. grimesiana, 
Cyanea lobata, Cyanea mceldowneyi, Cyrtandra munroi, Delissea undulata, 
Diellia erecta, Diplazium molokaiense, Flueggea neowawraea, Geranium 
arboreum, Geranium multiflorum, Hedyotis coriacea, Hedyotis mannii, 
Hesperomannia arborescens, Hesperomannia arbuscula, Hibiscus 
brackenridgei, Ischaemum byrone, Isodendrion pyrifolium, Lipochaeta 
kamolensis, Lysimachia lydgatei, Mariscus pennatiformis, Melicope 
adscendens, Melicope balloui, Melicope knudsenii, Melicope mucronulata, 
Melicope ovalis, Neraudia sericea, Peucedanum sandwicense, 
Phlegmariurus mannii, Phyllostegia mannii, Phyllostegia mollis, 
Plantago princeps, Platanthera holochila, Pteris lidgatei, Remya 
mauiensis, Sanicula purpurea, Schiedea haleakalensis, Schiedea 
nuttallii, Sesbania tomentosa, Solanum incompletum, Spermolepis 
hawaiiensis, Tetramolopium capillare, Tetramolopium remyi, Vigna o-
wahuensis, and Zanthoxylum hawaiiense) of the 70 species reported from 
the islands of Maui and Kahoolawe. No change is made to the 57 proposed 
prudency determinations in the April 3, 2002, revised proposed

[[Page 54765]]

critical habitat rule for plants from Maui and Kahoolawe. We previously 
proposed that designation of critical habitat was not prudent for 
Acaena exigua because it had not been seen recently in the wild, and no 
viable genetic material of this species is known to exist (65 FR 
79192). No change is made to this proposed prudency determination in 
the April 3, 2002, revised proposed critical habitat rule (67 FR 
15856). In the April 3, 2002, revised proposed critical habitat rule, 
we proposed that designation of critical habitat is prudent for six 
other species (Clermontia peleana, Gouania vitifolia, Nototrichium 
humile, Phyllostegia parviflora, Schiedea hookeri, and Tetramolopium 
arenarium) for which prudency determinations have not been made 
previously. We determined that designation of critical habitat was 
prudent for Clermontia samuelii, Cyanea copelandii ssp. halekalaensis, 
Cyanea glabra, Cyanea hamatiflora ssp. hamatiflora, Dubautia 
plantaginea ssp. humilis, and Kanaloa kahoolawensis at the time of 
their listing in 1999.
    We also propose designation of critical habitat for 61 (Alectryon 
macrococcus, Argyroxiphium sandwicense ssp. macrocephalum, Adenophorus 
periens, Bidens micrantha ssp. kalealaha, Bonamia menziesii, Brighamia 
rockii, Cenchrus agrimonioides, Centaurium sebaeoides, Clermontia 
lindseyana, Clermontia oblongifolia ssp. mauiensis, Clermontia 
samuelii, Colubrina oppositifolia, Ctenitis squamigera, Cyanea 
copelandii ssp. haleakalaensis, Cyanea glabra, Cyanea grimesiana ssp. 
grimesiana, Cyanea hamatiflora ssp. hamatiflora, Cyanea lobata, Cyanea 
mceldowneyi, Cyrtandra munroi, Delissea undulata, Diellia erecta, 
Diplazium molokaiense, Dubautia plantaginea ssp. humilis, Flueggea 
neowawraea, Geranium arboreum, Geranium multiflorum, Hedyotis coriacea, 
Hedyotis mannii, Hesperomannia arborescens, Hesperomannia arbuscula, 
Hibiscus brackenridgei, Ischaemum byrone, Isodendrion pyrifolium, 
Kanaloa kahoolawensis, Lipochaeta kamolensis, Lysimachia lydgatei, 
Mariscus pennatiformis, Melicope adscendens, Melicope balloui, Melicope 
knudsenii, Melicope mucronulata, Melicope ovalis, Neraudia sericea, 
Peucedanum sandwicense, Phlegmariurus mannii, Phyllostegia mannii, 
Phyllostegia mollis, Plantago princeps, Platanthera holochila, Pteris 
lidgatei, Remya mauiensis, Sanicula purpurea, Schiedea haleakalensis, 
Schiedea nuttallii, Sesbania tomentosa, Spermolepis hawaiiensis, 
Tetramolopium capillare, Tetramolopium remyi, Vigna o-wahuensis, and 
Zanthoxylum hawaiiense) plant species. Critical habitat is not proposed 
for 9 (Aceana exigua, Adenophorus periens, Clermontia peleana, Delissea 
undulata, Phyllostegia parviflora, Schiedea hookeri, Schiedea 
nuttallii, Solanum incompletum, and Tetramolopium arenarium) of the 70 
species which no longer occur on the islands of Maui and Kahoolawe, and 
for which we are unable to identify any habitat that is essential to 
their conservation on the islands of Maui or Kahoolawe. Thirteen 
critical habitat units, totaling approximately 51,208 hectares (126,531 
acres), are proposed for designation on the islands of Maui and 
Kahoolawe. For locations of these proposed units, please consult the 
proposed rule (67 FR 15856) (April 3, 2002).
    Section 4(b)(5)(E) of the Act, requires that a public hearing be 
held if it is requested within 45 days of the publication of a proposed 
rule. In response to a request from a government agency of the State of 
Hawaii, we will hold a public hearing on the date and at the address 
described in the DATES and ADDRESSES sections above.
    Anyone wishing to make an oral statement for the record is 
encouraged to provide a written copy of their statement and present it 
to us at the hearing. In the event there is a large attendance, the 
time allotted for oral statements may be limited. Oral and written 
statements receive equal consideration. There are no limits to the 
length of written comments presented at the hearing or mailed to us. 
Legal notices announcing the date, time, and location of the public 
hearing will be published in newspapers concurrently with the Federal 
Register notice.
    Persons needing reasonable accommodations in order to attend and 
participate in the public hearing should contact Patti Carroll at 503/
231-2080 as soon as possible. In order to allow sufficient time to 
process requests, please call no later than one week before the hearing 
date.
    Information regarding this proposal is available in alternative 
formats upon request.
    Comments from the public regarding this proposed rule are sought, 
especially regarding:
    (1) The reasons why critical habitat for any of these species is 
prudent or not prudent as provided by section 4 of the Act and 50 CFR 
424.12(a)(1);
    (2) The reasons why any particular area should or should not be 
designated as critical habitat for any of these species, as critical 
habitat is defined by section 3 of the Act;
    (3) Specific information on the amount, distribution, and quality 
of habitat for the 61 species, and what habitat is essential to the 
conservation of the species and why;
    (4) Land use practices and current or planned activities in the 
subject areas, and their possible impacts on proposed critical habitat;
    (5) Any economic or other impacts resulting from the proposed 
designations of critical habitat, including any impacts on small 
entities, energy development, low income households, and local 
governments;
    (6) Economic and other potential values associated with designating 
critical habitat for the above plant species such as those derived from 
non-consumptive uses (e.g., hiking, camping, birding, enhanced 
watershed protection, increased soil retention, ``existence values'', 
and reductions in administrative costs); and
    (7) Information for use, under section 4(b)(2) of the Act, in 
determining if the benefits of excluding an area from critical habitat 
outweigh the benefits of specifying the area as critical habitat.
    Reopening of the comment period will enable us to respond to the 
request for a public hearing on the proposed action. The comment period 
on this proposal now closes on September 30, 2002. Written comments 
should be submitted to the Service office listed in the ADDRESSES 
section.

Author

    The primary author of this notice is Michelle Mansker (see 
ADDRESSES section).

    Authority: The authority for this action is the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

    Dated: August 14, 2002.
David P. Smith,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 02-21703 Filed 8-23-02; 8:45 am]
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