Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 189 / Tuesday, September 30, 1997 / Notices 51129

appropriately managing their habitat;

and (2) to ensure the long-term

conservation of the three candidates and

additional 20 species of concern by

protecting, enhancing, restoring, and

appropriately managing their habitat.

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 this plan.

Authority

The authority for this action is section

4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16

U.S.C. 1533(f).

Dated: September 24, 1997.

Michael J. Spear,

Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.

[FR Doc. 97–25846 Filed 9–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Notice of Availability of a Draft Big

Island II: Addendum to the Recovery

Plan for the Big Island Plant Cluster

(USFWS 1996)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service announces the availability for

public review of a draft Big Island II:

Addendum to the Recovery Plan for the

Big Island Plant Cluster (USFWS 1996).

There are 13 taxa of plants included in

this plan, all are listed as endangered.

All 13 are known only from the island

of Hawaii (Big Island).

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery

plan received by December 29, 1997

will be considered 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, Pacific

Islands Office, 300 Ala Moana

Boulevard, room 3108, P.O. Box 50088,

Honolulu, Hawaii 96850 (phone 808/

541–3441); Kailua-Kona Public Library

75–138 Hualalai Rd., Kailua-Kona, HI

96740; Hilo Public Library, 300

Waianuenue Ave., Hilo, HI 96720.

Requests for copies of the draft recovery

plan and written comments and

materials regarding this plan should be

addressed to, Field Supervisor,

Ecological Services, at the above

Honolulu address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Karen ‘‘Kitti’’ Jensen, 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.

This addendum to the Recovery Plan

for the Big Island Plant Cluster covers

13 plant taxa, all are listed as

endangered. All of these taxa are

endemic to the island of Hawaii (Big

Island), Hawaiian Islands. The plants

included in the plan are: Clermontia

drepanomorpha (oha wai), Cyanea

platyphylla (haha), Hibiscadelphus

giffardianus (hau kuahiwi),

Hibiscadelphus hualalaiensis (hau

kuahiwi), Melicope zahlbruckneri

(alani), Neraudia ovata (no common

name (NCN)), Phyllostegia racemosa

(kiponapona), Phyllostegia velutina

(NCN), Phyllostegia warshaueri (NCN),

Pleomele hawaiiensis (hala pepe),

Pritchardia schattaueri (loulu), Sicyos

alba (anunu), and Zanthoxylum

dipetalum var. tomentosum (ae).

The 13 taxa included in this

addendum grow in a variety of

vegetation communities (shrublands,

forests, and mixed communities),

elevational zones (lowland to montane),

and moisture regimes (dry to wet).

These taxa and their habitats have been

variously affected or are currently

threatened by one or more of the

following: competition for space, light,

water, and nutrients by introduced

vegetation; habitat degradation by feral

or domestic animals (goats, pigs, sheep

and cattle); agricultural and recreational

activities; habitat loss and damage to

plants from fires; predation by rats and

insects; and natural disasters such as

volcanic activity. In addition, 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 objective of the Addendum to the

Recovery Plan for the Big Island Plant

Cluster (USFWS 1996) is to provide a

framework for the recovery of these 13

taxa so that their protection by the

Endangered Species Act (ESA) is no

longer necessary. The interim objective

is to stabilize all existing populations of

the Big Island II taxa. To be considered

stable, each taxon must be managed to

control threats (e.g., fenced) and be

represented in an ex situ (such as a

nursery or arboretum) collection. In

addition, a minimum total of three

populations of each taxon should be

documented on the Big Island, where

they now occur or occurred historically.

Each of these populations must be

naturally reproducing and increasing in

number, with a minimum of 25 mature

individuals per population for longlived perennials (Hibiscadelphus

giffardianus, Hibiscadelphus

hualalaiensis, Melicope zahlbreuckneri,

Pritchardia schattaueri, and

Zanthoxylum tomentosum var.

dipetalum and a minimum of 50 mature

individuals per population for shortlived perennials (Clermontia

drepanomorpha, Cyanea platyphylla,

Neraudia ovata, Pleomele hawaiiensis,

Phyllostegia racemosa, Phyllostegia

velutina, and Phyllostegia warshaueri)

and a minimum of 100 mature

individuals per population for the

annual taxon Sicyos alba. For

downlisting, a total of five to seven

populations of each taxon should be

documented on the Big Island where

they now occur or occurred historically.

Each of these populations must be

naturally reproducing, stable or

increasing in number, and secure from
51130 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 189 / Tuesday, September 30, 1997 / Notices

threats, with a minimum of 100 mature

individuals per population for longlived perennials, a minimum of 300

mature individuals per population for

short-lived perennials, a minimum of

500 mature individuals per population

for the annual taxon. Each population

should persist at this level for a

minimum of 5 consecutive years before

downlisting is considered. For delisting,

a total of 8 to 10 populations of each

taxon should be documented on Kauai

where they now occur or occurred

historically. Each of these populations

must be naturally reproducing, stable or

increasing in number, and secure from

threats, with a minimum of 100 mature

individuals per population for longlived perennials, a minimum of 300

mature individuals per population for

short-lived perennials, and a minimum

of 500 mature individuals per

population for the annual taxon. Each

population should persist at this level

for a minimum of 5 consecutive years.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service solicits written comments

on the Addendum to the Recovery Plan

described. All comments received by

the date specified above will be

considered prior to approval of this

addendum.

Authority

The authority for this action is section

4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, 16

U.S.C. 1533(f).

Dated: September 24, 1997.

Thomas J. Dwyer,

Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.

[FR Doc. 97–25847 Filed 9–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of an Environmental

Assessment and Finding of No

Significant Impact, and Receipt of an

Application for an Incidental Take

Permit for a Residential Development

Proposal called Tidewater

Condominiums, in the City of Orange

Beach, Baldwin County, Alabama

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

Tidewater Associates, L.L.C.

(Applicant), seeks an incidental take

permit (ITP) from the Fish and Wildlife

Service (Service), pursuant to Section

10(a)(1)(B) of the Endangered Species

Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), as

amended (Act). The ITP would

authorize for a period of 30 years the

incidental take of an endangered

species, the Alabama beach mouse,

Peromyscus polionotus ammobates

(ABM). While surveys did not confirm

the presence of ABM on the Applicant’s

4.3-acre tract, ABM have been trapped

on land adjacent to the Applicant’s in

Orange Beach, Alabama. It was the

Applicant’s decision to go forward with

the Section 10 process. The project

would be called Tidewater

Condominiums and consists of 102

residential units. The residential

component will include a single, 12-

story condominium complex with 102

units. Associated landscaped grounds

and parking areas, recreational

amenities, and a dune walkover

structure would also be constructed. A

more detailed description of the

mitigation and minimization measures

to address the effects of the Project to

the protected species are outlined the

Applicant’s Habitat Conservation Plan

(HCP) and in the SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION section below.

The Service also announces the

availability of an environmental

assessment (EA) and HCP for the

incidental take application. Copies of

the EA and/or HCP may be obtained by

making a request to the Regional Office

(see ADDRESSES). Requests must be in

writing to be processed. This notice also

advises the public that the Service has

made a preliminary determination that

issuing the ITP is not a major Federal

action significantly affecting the quality

of the human environment within the

meaning of Section 102(2)(C) of the

National Environmental Policy Act of

1969, as amended (NEPA). The Finding

of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is

based on information contained in the

EA and HCP. The final determination

will be made no sooner than 30 days

from the date of this notice. This notice

is provided pursuant to Section 10 of

the Act and NEPA regulations (40 CFR

1506.6). The Service specifically

requests comment on the

appropriateness of the ‘‘No Surprises’’

assurances should the Service

determine that an ITP will be granted

and based upon the submitted HCP.

Although not explicitly stated in the

HCP, the Service has, since August

1994, announced its intention to honor

a ‘‘No Surprises’’ Policy for applicants

seeking ITPs. Copies of the Service’s

‘‘No Surprises’’ Policy may be obtained

by making a written request to the

Regional Office (see ADDRESSES). The

Service is soliciting public comments

and review of the applicability of the

‘‘No Surprises’’ Policy to this

application and HCP.

DATES: Written comments on the ITP

application, EA, and HCP should be

sent to the Service’s Regional Office (see

ADDRESSES) and should be received on

or before October 30, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Persons wishing to review

the application, HCP, and EA may

obtain a copy by writing the Service’s

Southeast Regional Office, Atlanta,

Georgia. Documents will also be

available for public inspection by

appointment during normal business

hours at the Regional Office, 1875

Century Boulevard, Suite 200, Atlanta,

Georgia 30345 (Attn: Endangered

Species Permits), or Field Supervisor,

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Post

Office Drawer 1190, Daphne, Alabama

36526. Written data or comments

concerning the application, EA, or HCP

should be submitted to the Regional

Office. Requests for the documentation

must be in writing to be processed.

Comments must be submitted in writing

to be processed. Please reference permit

number PRT–832539 in such comments,

or in requests of the documents

discussed herein.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Rick G. Gooch, Regional Permit

Coordinator, (see ADDRESSES above),

telephone: 404/679–7110; or Ms. Celeste

South, Fish and Wildlife Biologist,

Daphne, Alabama, Field Office (see

ADDRESSES above), telephone: 334/441–

5181.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

Alabama beach mouse (ABM),

Peromyscus polionotus ammobates, is a

subspecies of the common oldfield

mouse, Peromyscus polionotus, and is

restricted to the dune systems of the

Gulf Coast of Alabama. The known

current range of ABM extends from Fort

Morgan eastward to the western

terminus of Alabama Highway 182,

including the Perdue Unit on the Bon

Secour National Wildlife Refuge. The

sand dune systems inhabited by this

species are not uniform; several habitat

types are distinguishable. The species

inhabits primary dunes, interdune areas,

secondary dunes, and scrub dunes. The

depth and area of these habitats from

the beach inland varies. Population

surveys indicate that this subspecies is

usually more abundant in primary

dunes than in secondary dunes, and

usually more abundant in secondary

dunes than in scrub dunes. Optimal

habitat consists of dune systems with all

dune types. Though fewer ABM inhabit

scrub dunes, these high dunes can serve

as refugia during devastating hurricanes

that overwash, flood, and destroy or

alter secondary and frontal dunes. ABM