[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 191 (Wednesday, October 2, 2002)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 61845-61846]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-25039]


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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; Designating 
Critical Habitat for Plant Species from the Islands of Maui and 
Kahoolawe, HI

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; reopening and extension of comment period and 
notice of availability of draft economic analysis.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the 
availability of the draft economic analysis for the proposed 
designations of critical habitat for plant species from the islands of 
Maui and Kahoolawe, Hawaii. In earlier Federal Register notices 
published August 26, 2002, we reopened the comment period and provided 
notice of a public hearing (67 FR 54764 and 67 FR 54766) for the 
proposed designations or non-designations of critical habitat for these 
plants. We are now providing notice of extending the comment period to 
allow peer reviewers and all interested parties to comment 
simultaneously on the proposed rule and the associated draft economic 
analysis. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted as they 
will be incorporated into the public record as part of this extended 
comment period and will be fully considered in preparation of the final 
rule.

DATES: We will accept public comments until November 1, 2002.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and information should be submitted to 
Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands 
Office, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., P.O. Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96850-0001. 
For further instructions on commenting, refer to Public Comments 
Solicited section of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Henson, Field Supervisor, Pacific 
Islands Office, at the above address (telephone: 808/541-3441; 
facsimile: 808/541-3470).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Seventy plant species reported from the islands of Maui and 
Kahoolawe were listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), between 1991

[[Page 61846]]

and 1999 (56 FR 1450, 56 FR 47686, 56 FR 55770, 57 FR 20589, 57 FR 
20772, 57 FR 46325, 59 FR 9304, 59 FR 10305, 59 FR 14482, 59 FR 32932, 
59 FR 49025, 59 FR 49860, 59 FR 56333, 59 FR 62346, 61 FR 53108 and 64 
FR 48307). Seventeen of these species are endemic to the islands of 
Maui and/or Kahoolawe, while 53 species are reported from one or more 
other islands, as well as Maui and/or Kahoolawe.
    In other published proposals (65 FR 7919), we proposed that 
critical habitat was prudent for 37 plants from the islands of Maui and 
Kahoolawe. In a November 7, 2000 (65 FR 66808), we proposed that 
critical habitat was prudent for 11 plants that are reported from Maui 
and Kahoolawe as well as from Kauai and Niihau. In addition, at the 
time we listed Clermontia samuelii, Cyanea copelandii ssp. 
haleakalaensis, Cyanea glabra, Cyanea hamatiflora ssp. hamatiflora, 
Dubautia plantaginea ssp. humilis, and Kanaloa kahoolawensis, on 
September 3, 1999 (64 FR 48307), we determined that designation of 
critical habitat was prudent for these six taxa from Maui and 
Kahoolawe. No change is made to these 54 prudency determinations in 
this revised proposal, and they are hereby incorporated by reference 
(64 FR 48307; 65 FR 66808; 65 FR 79192).
    In the December 18, 2000, proposed rule, we determined that 
critical habitat was not prudent for Acaena exigua, a species known 
only from Kauai and Maui, because it had not been seen recently in the 
wild, and no viable genetic material of this species was known to 
exist. No change is made here to the December 18, 2000, prudency 
determination for this species and it is hereby incorporated by 
reference (65 FR 79192).
    We propose critical habitat designations for 61 species within 13 
critical habitat units totaling approximately 51,208 hectares (ha) 
(126,531 acres (ac)) on the island of Maui, and within 2 critical 
habitat units totaling approximately 714 ha (18,972 ac) on the island 
of Kahoolawe (67 FR 15856).
    Critical habitat receives protection from destruction or adverse 
modification through required consultation under section 7 of the Act 
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) with regard to actions carried out, funded, or 
authorized by a Federal agency. Section 4(b)(2) of the Act requires 
that the Secretary shall designate or revise critical habitat based 
upon the best scientific and commercial data available, and after 
taking into consideration the economic impact of specifying any 
particular area as critical habitat. We have prepared a draft economic 
analysis of the proposed critical habitat designation. The draft 
economic analysis is available on the Internet and from the mailing 
address in the Public Comments Solicited section below.
    The public comment period for the April 3, 2002, proposal 
originally closed on June 3, 2002 (67 FR 15856). On August 26, 2002, we 
published a Federal Register notice (67 FR 54766) of the reopening of 
the comment period for the proposed designations and non-designations 
of critical habitat for plant species on the islands of Maui and 
Kahoolawe, as well as for the proposed designations and non-
designations of critical habitat for plant species on the islands of 
Kauai, Niihau, Molokai, Maui, Kahoolawe, Hawaii, and Oahu; and we 
announced that the comment period would close on September 30, 2002. On 
August 26, 2002, we also published a Federal Register notice (67 FR 
54764) that announced the reopening of the comment period and gave 
notice of a public hearing for the proposed designations and non-
designations of critical habitat for plant species on the islands of 
Maui and Kahoolawe. The public hearing was held on September 12, 2002, 
on the island of Maui. We are now announcing the availability of the 
draft economic analysis and the extension of the comment period for the 
proposed designations and non-designations of critical habitat for 
plant species on the islands of Maui and Kahoolawe. We will accept 
public comments on the proposal and the associated draft economic 
analysis for the islands of Maui and Kahoolawe until November 1, 2002. 
The extension of the comment period gives all interested parties the 
opportunity to comment on the proposal and the associated draft 
economic analysis for the islands of Maui and Kahoolawe. Comments 
already submitted on the proposed designations and non-designations of 
critical habitat for plant species from the islands of Maui and 
Kahoolawe need not be resubmitted as they will be fully considered in 
the final determinations.

Public Comments Solicited

    We will accept written comments and information during this re-
opened comment period. If you wish to comment, you may submit your 
comments and materials concerning this proposal by any of several 
methods:
    (1) You may submit written comments and information to the Field 
Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Office, 300 
Ala Moana Blvd., P.O. Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96850-0001.
    (2) You may send comments by electronic mail (e-mail) to: [email protected]. If you submit comments by e-mail, please submit 
them as an ASCII file and avoid the use of special characters and any 
form of encryption. Please also include ``Attn: RIN 1018--AH70'' and 
your name and return address in your e-mail message. If you do not 
receive a confirmation from the system that we have received your e-
mail message, contact us directly by calling our Honolulu Fish and 
Wildlife Office at telephone number 808/541-3441.
    (3) You may hand-deliver comments to our Honolulu Fish and Wildlife 
Office at the address given above.
    Comments and materials received, as well as supporting 
documentation used in preparation of the proposal to designate critical 
habitat, will be available for inspection, by appointment, during 
normal business hours at the address under (1) above. Copies of the 
draft economic analysis are available on the Internet at http://pacificislands.fws.gov or by request from the Field Supervisor at the 
address and phone number under (1 and 2) above.

Author(s)

    The primary author of this notice is John Nuss, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Regional Office, 911 NE 11th Avenue, 4th Floor, 
Portland, OR 97232-4181.

Authority

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

    Dated: September 25, 2002.
Paul Hoffman,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 02-25039 Filed 10-1-02; 8:45 am]
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