[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 188 (Thursday, September 28, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 57004]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15956]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Revised Recovery Plan for Hawaiian Forest Birds

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (``we'') announces the 
availability of the Revised Recovery Plan for Hawaiian Forest Birds. 
There are 21 bird taxa included in this revised recovery plan; 19 are 
listed as endangered, 1 is a candidate species for Federal listing, and 
1 is a species of concern. These taxa represent four bird families, 
with the majority being Hawaiian Honeycreepers (subfamily Drepanidinae, 
family Fringillidae). This is a new recovery plan for two of the listed 
birds, the O[revaps]ahu [revaps]elepaio (Chasiempsis sandwichensis 
ibidis) and O`ahu [revaps]alauahio (Paroreomyza maculata).

ADDRESSES: Printed copies of this revised recovery plan will be 
available in 4 to 6 weeks by request from the 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; fax: 808-792-9580); and the Hawaii State Library, 478 S. 
King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. An electronic copy of the revised 
recovery plan is now available online at: http://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/index.html#plans.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marilet A. Zablan, Endangered Species 
Recovery Program Leader, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, at 
808-792-9400.

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. The 
Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) (ESA) requires the 
development of recovery plans for listed species unless such a plan 
would not promote the conservation of a particular species. Recovery 
plans help guide the recovery effort by describing actions considered 
necessary for the conservation of the species, establishing criteria 
for downlisting or delisting listed species, and estimating time and 
cost for implementing the measures needed for recovery.
    Section 4(f) of the ESA requires that public notice and an 
opportunity for public review and comment be provided during recovery 
plan development. In fulfillment of this requirement, the Draft Revised 
Recovery Plan for Hawaiian Forest Birds was available for public 
comment from October 16 through December 15, 2003 (68 FR 59635). 
Information presented during the public comment period has been 
considered in the preparation of this revised recovery plan, and is 
summarized in the appendix to the plan. We will forward substantive 
comments regarding recovery plan implementation to appropriate Federal 
or other entities so that they can take these comments into account 
during the course of implementing recovery actions.
    Of the 21 birds addressed by this revised recovery plan, the 19 
federally listed as endangered are: O[revaps]ahu [revaps]elepaio, 
kama[revaps][oacute] or large Kaua[revaps]i thrush (Myadestes 
myadestinus), oloma[revaps]o or Moloka[revaps]i thrush (Myadestes 
lanaiensis rutha), puaiohi or small Kaua[revaps]i thrush (Myadestes 
palmeri), Kaua[revaps]i [revaps]o[revaps]o (Moho braccatus), 
[revaps]o[revaps]u (Psittirostra psittacea), palila (Loxioides 
bailleui), Maui parrotbill (Pseudonestor xanthophrys), Kaua[revaps]i 
[revaps]akialoa (Hemignathus procerus), Kaua[revaps]i nukupu[revaps]u 
(Hemignathus lucidus hanapepe), Maui nukupu[revaps]u (Hemignathus 
lucidus affinis), [revaps]akiapola[revaps]au (Hemignathus munroi), 
Hawai[revaps]i creeper (Oreomystis mana), O[revaps]ahu [revaps]alauahio 
or O[revaps]ahu creeper, [revaps]o[revaps]o [revaps]a[revaps]a or 
kakawahie or Moloka[revaps]i creeper (Paroreomyza flammea), 
Hawai[revaps]i [revaps]akepa (Loxops coccineus coccineus), Maui 
[revaps]akepa (Loxops coccineus ochraceus), [revaps]akohekohe or 
crested honeycreeper (Palmeria dolei), and po [revaps]ouli 
(Melamprosops phaeosoma). The candidate species is the [revaps]akikiki 
or Kaua[revaps]i creeper (Oreomystis bairdi), and the species of 
concern is the Bishop's [revaps]o[revaps]o (Moho bishopi).
    These taxa and their habitats have been variously affected or are 
currently threatened by one or more of the following: habitat 
degradation by wild, feral, or domestic animals (pigs, goats, and 
deer); predation by introduced animals (rats, cats, and mongoose); 
avian disease (malaria and avian pox); habitat loss due to agriculture, 
ranching, forest cutting, and urbanization; and habitat modification 
due to the invasion of nonnative plants. In addition, due to the small 
number of existing individuals and their very narrow distribution, 
these taxa are subject to an increased likelihood of extinction from 
random, naturally-occurring events such as hurricanes.
    The objective of this revised recovery plan is to ensure the long-
term conservation and recovery of these 21 taxa of Hawaiian forest 
birds, and to enable the eventual delisting of the 19 listed as 
endangered. This recovery will be accomplished through a variety of 
recovery actions including: measures to protect habitat where the taxa 
occur, restoration of degraded habitat, removal of feral ungulates from 
habitat areas, control of introduced rodents and feral cats that feed 
on forest birds, control of invasive plant species, reduction in 
numbers of mosquito breeding sites, captive propagation and 
translocation, and the development of means to address threats of avian 
disease. Management emphasis may differ among species, as taxa are 
affected differently and to varying degrees by different limiting 
factors. Habitat management and restoration will encourage the 
expansion of current populations into unoccupied habitat. However, the 
establishment of new populations using various translocation and/or 
captive propagation techniques will be needed in some cases to 
accelerate population expansion and to establish new populations in 
suitable habitat.

    Authority: The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the 
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).

    Dated: August 15, 2006.
Carolyn A. Bohan,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E6-15956 Filed 9-27-06; 8:45 am]
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