[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 94 (Tuesday, May 14, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24324-24325]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-11992]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Maui Plant Cluster
for Review and Comment
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the
availability for public review of a draft Maui Plant Cluster Recovery
Plan. This plan addresses 21 taxa of plants. Twelve of the taxa are or
were endemic to the Hawaiian island of Maui. The plants that are not
endemic to Maui are or were also found on the islands of Niihau, Kauai,
Oahu, Molokai, Lanai and Hawaii.
DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or
before July 15, 1996 to receive consideration by the Service.
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, room 6307, 300 Ala
Moana Blvd., P.O. Box 50167, Honolulu, Hawaii 96850 [telephone (808)
541-2749); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Regional Office, Ecological
Services, 911 N.E. 11th Ave., Eastside Federal Complex, Portland,
Oregon 97232-4181 [telephone (503) 231-6131]; the Wailuku Public
Library, 251 High Street, Wailuku, Maui 96793; the Kauai Public
Library, 4344 Hardy Street, Lihue, Kauai 96766; and, the Kailua-Kona
Public Library, 75-138 Hualalai Road, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740.
Requests for copies of the draft recovery plan and written comments and
materials regarding this plan should be addressed to Brooks Harper,
Field
[[Page 24325]]
Supervisor, at the above Honolulu address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather McSharry, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, at the above Honolulu address, telephone (808) 541-2749.
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 Service's endangered species
program. To help guide the recovery effort, the Service is 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.
The Endangered Species Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
(Act), 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 as amended in 1988 requires that
public notice and an opportunity for public review and comment be
provided during recovery plan development. The Service 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.
Individualized responses to comments will not be provided.
The 21 taxa being considered in this recovery plan are: Acaena
exigua (liliwai), Alectryon macrococcus (mahoe), Argyroxiphium
sandwicense ssp. macrocephalum (Haleakala silversword, 'ahinahina),
Bidens micrantha ssp. kalealaha (ko'oko'olau), Clermontia oblongifolia
ssp. mauiensis ('oha wai), Cyanea lobata (haha), Cyanea mceldowneyi
(haha), Geranium arboreum (nohoanu), Geranium multiflorum (nohoanu),
Hedyotis coriacea (kio'ele), Huperzia mannii (wawae'iole), Lipochaeta
kamolensis (nehe), Lysimachia lydgatei (no common name (NCN)), Melicope
adscendens (alani), Melicope balloui (alani), Melicope mucronulata
(alani), Melicope ovalis (alani), Remya mauiensis (NCN), Scaevola
coriacea (Dwarf naupaka), Schiedea haleakalensis (NCN) and
Tetramolopium capillare (NCN).
Twelve of the taxa are or were endemic to the Hawaiian island of
Maui; the exceptions are or were found on the Hawaiian islands of
Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai and Hawaii as well as Maui. The 21
plant taxa and their habitats have been variously affected or are
currently threatened by one or more of the following: habitat
degradation by feral and domestic animals (e.g., goats, pigs, axis deer
and cattle); competition for space, light, water, and nutrients by
introduced vegetation; erosion of substrate produced by human- or
animal-caused disturbance; recreational and agricultural activities;
habitat loss from fires; disease; loss of pollinators; and predation by
animals (goats, rats and mice). Due to the small number of existing
individuals and their very narrow distributions, these taxa are subject
to an increased likelihood of extinction and/or reduced reproductive
vigor from stochastic events.
The taxa included in this plan were historically distributed
throughout the island of Maui, and nine of the taxa also occur on one
or more of the islands of Niihau, Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai and
Hawaii. They grow in a variety of vegetation communities (grassland,
shrubland, and forests), elevational zones (coastal to montane), and
moisture regimes (dry to wet). Most of the taxa included in this plan
persist on steep slopes, precipitous cliffs, valley headwalls, and
other regions where unsuitable topography has prevented agricultural
development or where inaccessibility has limited encroachment by alien
animal and plant taxa.
The objective of this plan is to provide a framework for the
recovery of these 21 taxa so that their protection by the Act is no
longer necessary. Immediate actions necessary for the prevention of
extinction of these taxa include fencing for exclusion of ungulates,
alien plant control, protection from fire, population and plant
community monitoring and management, ex situ propagation, and
augmentation of populations, as appropriate. Long-term activities
necessary for the perpetuation of these taxa in their natural habitats
additionally include public education, maintenance of fenced areas,
long-term monitoring and management of populations and communities, and
reestablishment of populations within the historic ranges of some taxa.
Further research on current range, growth requirements, reproduction
and reproductive status, pollinators, life history, limiting factors,
habitat requirements, and minimum viable population sizes is needed to
facilitate appropriate management decisions regarding the long-term
perpetuation of each of these taxa.
Public Comments Solicited
The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan
described. All comments received by the date specified above will be
considered prior to approval of these plans.
Authority: The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: May 8, 1996.
Thomas Dwyer,
Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1,
Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 96-11992 Filed 5-13-96; 8:45 am]
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