[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 9, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 6902-6903]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-2492]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Draft Recovery Plan for the Kaua`i Cave Arthropods: the Kaua`i 
Cave Wolf Spider (Adelocosa Anops) and the Kaua`i Cave Amphipod 
(Spelaeorchestia Koloana)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability for review and comment.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, we) announces the 
availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for the Kaua`i Cave Arthropods: 
the Kaua`i Cave Wolf Spider (Adelocosa anops) and the Kaua`i Cave 
Amphipod (Spelaeorchestia koloana) for public review and comment.

DATE: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or before 
April 11, 2005.

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 
Fish and Wildlife Office, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3-122, Box 
50088, Honolulu, Hawaii 96850 (telephone: 808-792-9400) 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 the Field Supervisor, at the 
above Service address. An electronic copy of the draft recovery plan is 
also available at http//endangered.fws.gov/recovery/index.html#plans.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lorena Wada, Fish and Wildlife 
Biologist, at the above Service 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 our 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 the recovery levels for downlisting or 
delisting them, and estimate time and cost for implementing the 
recovery measures needed.
    Section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.) 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 on 
each new or revised recovery plan. Substantive technical comments may 
result in changes to a recovery plan. Substantive comments regarding 
recovery plan implementation may not necessarily result in changes to 
the recovery plans, but will be forwarded to appropriate Federal agency 
or other entities so that they can take these comments into account 
during the course of implementing recovery actions. Individual 
responses to comments will not be provided.
    Two species of cave arthropod, the Kaua`i cave wolf spider and the 
Kaua`i cave amphipod, collectively the Kaua`i cave arthropods, are 
federally listed as endangered. These arthropods are only known from a 
small number of caves in the K[otilde]loa District on the island of 
Kaua`i. Of the caves surveyed to date, the cave wolf spider has only 
been documented to occur in five caves, and currently is only observed 
regularly in one of these caves. The cave amphipod has been documented 
to occur in nine caves, and is currently observed regularly in two of 
these caves.
    The Kaua`i arthropods occur in subterranean passages, cracks, and 
voids (mesocaverns) where there is little or no light penetrance and 
the relative humidity is high and constant (at or approaching 100 
percent). These conditions are most frequently

[[Page 6903]]

encountered in the dark zones of caves and/or mesocaverns. Viable 
populations of these arthropods require a dependable source of nutrient 
input, typically in the form of roots from over-lying perennial plants.
    The primary threats to these species include: Small populations and 
restricted range; urban and agricultural development as well as 
quarrying operations; non-native species preying upon or competing with 
them for limited food resources; human visitation and uses of caves; 
urban and commercial pesticide; biocontrol agents; and extended drought 
which alters the high-humidity environment to which these arthropods 
are adapted, which also facilitates invasion by nonnative species.
    Downlisting to threatened may be considered for both species when 
nine viable populations, spread across the known range, are shown to 
be: (1) Self-sustaining; (2) stable or increasing; (3) protected from 
non-native/predatory species, human visitation to caves, bio-control 
agents, pesticides, development or other damaging land uses; and (4) 
with the habitat being utilized in a fashion consistent with 
conservation, as evidenced by monitoring over a 10-year period.
    Delisting of both species may be considered when 12 viable 
populations, spread across the known range, are shown to be: (1) Self-
sustaining; (2) stable or increasing; (3) protected from non-native/
predatory species, human visitation to caves, bio-control agents, 
pesticides, development or other damaging land uses; and (4) with the 
habitat being utilized in a fashion consistent with conservation, as 
evidenced by monitoring over a 20-year period. In addition, a post-
delisting monitoring plan and agreement to continue post-delisting 
monitoring must be in place and ready for implementation at the time of 
delisting. Monitoring populations following delisting will verify the 
ongoing recovery and conservation of the species and provide a means of 
assessing the continuing effectiveness of management actions.

Public Comments Solicited

    We solicit written comments on the draft recovery plan as 
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: November 18, 2004.
David J. Wesley,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1.
[FR Doc. 05-2492 Filed 2-8-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P