95-24089. Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Molokai Plant Cluster for Review and Comment  

  • [Federal Register Volume 60, Number 188 (Thursday, September 28, 1995)]
    [Notices]
    [Pages 50212-50213]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 95-24089]
    
    
    
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    DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
    
    Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Molokai 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 Molokai Plant Cluster 
    Recovery Plan. There are 16 taxa of plants included in this plan. 
    Fourteen of the 16 taxa are known to be extant only on the island of 
    Molokai, Hawaii; one species also is found on the islands of Hawaii and 
    Oahu, the other is also on the island of Lanai.
    
    dates: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or 
    before November 27, 1995.
    
    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 
    Office, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, room 6307, P.O. Box 50167, Honolulu, 
    Hawaii 96850 (phone 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 (phone 503/231-6131); and 
    Molokai Public Library, 15 Ala Malama Street, Kaunakakai, Hawaii 96748 
    (phone 808/553-5483). Requests for copies of the draft recovery plan 
    and written comments and materials regarding this plan should be 
    addressed to Brooks Harper, Field Supervisor, Ecological Services, at 
    the above Honolulu address.
    
    for further information contact: Craig Rowland, Fish and Wildlife 
    Biologist, at the above Honolulu 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 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 plan, 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 16 taxa being considered in this recovery plan are: Bidens 
    wiebkei (ko'oko'olau), Brighamia rockii (pua 'ala), Canavalia 
    molokaiensis ('awikiwiki), Clermontia oblongifolia ssp. brevipes ('oha 
    wai), Cyanea mannii (haha), Cyanea procera (haha), Hedyotis mannii 
    (pilo), Hibiscus arnottianus ssp. immaculatus (koki'o ke'oke'o), 
    Melicope reflexa (alani), Phyllostegia mannii (no common name (NCN)), 
    Pritchardia munroi (loulu), Schiedea lydgatei (NCN), Silene alexandri 
    (NCN), Silene lanceolata (NCN), Stenogyne bifida (NCN), and 
    Tetramolopium rockii (NCN).
        Tetramolopium rockii is listed as threatened, while the remaining 
    15 taxa are listed as endangered. Fourteen of the 16 taxa are known to 
    be extant only on the island of Molokai, Hawaii; one species also is 
    found on the islands of Oahua and Hawaii, the other is also on Lanai. 
    The 16 plant taxa and their habitats have been variously affected and 
    are threatened by 1 or more of the following: habitat degradation and/
    or predation by wild, feral, or domestic animals (axis deer, goats, 
    pigs, sheep, and cattle); competition for space, light, water, and 
    nutrients by naturalized, alien vegetation; habitat loss from fires; 
    predation by rats; human recreational activities; and military training 
    exercises. Because of the depauperate number of extant individuals and 
    their severely restricted distributions, populations of these taxa are 
    subject to an increased likelihood of extinction from stochastic 
    events.
        Fifteen of these taxa are known from East Molokai and one is also 
    known from West Molokai. The 16 taxa included in this plan grow in a 
    variety of vegetation communities (grassland, shrubland, and forests), 
    elevational zones (coastal to montane), and moisture regimes (dry to 
    wet).
        The objective of this plan is to provide a framework for the 
    recovery of these 16 taxa so that their protection by the Endangered 
    Species Act (ESA) 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 baseline and long-term research, 
    public education, maintenance of fenced areas, long-term monitoring and 
    management of populations and communities, and re-establishment of 
    populations within the historic ranges of some taxa. Further research 
    regarding current range, 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).
    
    
    [[Page 50213]]
    
        Dated: September 20, 1995.
    Michael J. Spear,
    Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Region.
    [FR Doc. 95-24089 Filed 9-27-95; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 4310-55-M
    
    

Document Information

Published:
09/28/1995
Department:
Interior Department
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice of document availability.
Document Number:
95-24089
Dates:
Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or before November 27, 1995.
Pages:
50212-50213 (2 pages)
PDF File:
95-24089.pdf