[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 189 (Friday, September 30, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-24195]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: September 30, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
50 CFR Part 17
Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Kauai 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 Kauai Plant Cluster Recovery
Plan. There are 37 taxa of plants included in this plan. All but seven
of the taxa are or were endemic to the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The
plants that are not endemic to Kauai are or were also found on the
islands of Niihau, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and/or Hawaii.
DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or
before November 29, 1994, 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 (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); the Kauai Public Library, 4344
Hardy Street, Lihue, Kauai 96766; and, the Wailuku Public Library, 251
High Street, Wailuku, Maui 96793. Requests for copies of the draft
recovery plan and written comments and materials regarding this plan
should be addressed to Brooks Harper, Field Supervisor, at the above
Honolulu address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Karen W. Rosa, 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 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 37 plant taxa being considered in the draft Kauai Plant Cluster
Recovery Plan are: Brighamia insignis ('olulu), Chamaesyce halemanui
(no common name (NCN)), Cyanea asarifolia (haha), Cyrtandra
limahuliensis (ha'iwale), Delissea rhytidosperma (NCN), Diellia pallida
(NCN), Dubautia latifolia (NCN), Exocarpos luteolus (heau), Hedyotis
cookiana ('awiwi), Hedyotis st.-johnii (na Pali beach hedyotis),
Hibiscus clayi (Clay's hibiscus), Lipochaeta fauriei (nehe), Lipochaeta
micrantha var. exigua (nehe), Lipochaeta micrantha var. micrantha
(nehe), Lipochaeta waimeaensis (nehe), Lysimachia filifolia (NCN),
Melicope haupuensis (alani), Melicope knudsenii (alani), Melicope
pallida (alani), Melicope quadrangularis (alani), Munroidendron
racemosum (NCN), Nothocestrum peltatum ('aiea), Peucedanum sandwicense
(makou), Phyllotegia waimeae (NCN), Poa mannii (Mann's bluegrass), Poa
sandvicensis (Hawaiian bluegrass), Poa siphonoglossa (NCN), Pteralyxia
kauaiensis (kaulu), Remya kauaienis (NCN), Remya montgomeryi (NCN),
Schiedea apokremnos (Ma'oli'oli), Schiedea spergulina var. leiopoda
(NCN), Schiedea spergulina var. spergulina (NCN), Solanum sandwicense
(popolo' aiakeakua), Stenogyne campanulata (NCN), Wilkesia hobdyi
(Dwarf 'ili' au) and Xylosma crentaum (NCN).
All but seven of the taxa are or were endemic to the Hawaiian
island of Kauai; the exceptions are or were found on the Hawaiian
islands of Niihau, Oahu, Molokai, Maui, and/or the island of Hawaii as
well as Kauai. The 37 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 (goats, pigs, axis
and mule deer, cattle, and red jungle fowl); 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 and most of their populations 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 Kauai and 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 37 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
regarding growth requirements, 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 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).
Dated: September 26, 1994.
Michael J. Spear,
Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1.
[FR Doc. 94-24195 Filed 9-29-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-M
