[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 189 (Tuesday, September 30, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51120-51122]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-25837]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for Oahu Plants

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 Recovery Plan for Oahu 
Plants. There are 66 plant taxa included in this plan, all listed as 
endangered. All 66 taxa are endemic to Hawaii. Sixty are restricted to 
the island of Oahu and six occur on Oahu and other main Hawaiian 
Islands.

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, Box 50088, Honolulu, Hawaii 
96850 (phone 808/541-3441); and Hawaii State Library, 478 S. King 
Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. 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: Scott Johnston, Fish and Wildlife 
Biologist, at the above Honolulu address.

[[Page 51121]]

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 draft Recovery Plan for Oahu Plants covers 66 plant taxa (full 
species, subspecies, and varieties), all of which are listed as 
endangered. Fifty-six of these taxa are endemic to the island of Oahu. 
The following taxa also currently have populations outside of the 
island of Oahu: Gouania meyenii and Lobelia niihauensis on Kauai; 
Hesperomannia arborescens on Molokai and Maui; Hesperomannia arbuscula 
on West Maui; Nototrichium humile and Phyllostegia mollis on East Maui; 
and Tetramolopium lepidotum spp. lepidotum on Hawaii. Historically, two 
of the taxa were known from Molokai (Eugenia koolauensis and 
Phyllostegia mollis), two from Lanai (Hesperomannia arborescens and 
Tetramolopium lepidotum ssp. lepidotum), and one each from Kauai 
(Phlegmariurus nutans), West Maui (Gouania vitifolia), Niihau (Lobelia 
niihauensis), and Hawaii (Gouania vitifolia). The plants covered by the 
draft recovery plan are: Abutilon sandwicense (no common name (NCN)), 
Alsinidendron obovatum (NCN), Alsinidendron trinerve (NCN), Chamaesyce 
celastroides var. kaenana (akoko), Chamaesyce deppeana (akoko), 
Chamaesyce herbstii (akoko), Chamaesyce kuwaleana (akoko), Chamaesyce 
rockii (akoko), Cyanea acuminata (haha), Cyanea crispa (NCN), Cyanea 
grimesiana ssp. obatae (haha), Cyanea humboldtiana (haha), Cyanea 
koolauensis (haha), Cyanea longiflora (haha), Cyanea pinnatifida 
(haha), Cyanea st.-johnii (haha), Cyanea superba (NCN), Cyanea truncata 
(haha), Cyrtandra crenata (haiwale), Cyrtandra dentata (haiwale), 
Cyrtandra polyantha (haiwale), Cyrtandra subumbellata (haiwale), 
Cyrtandra viridiflora (haiwale), Delissea subcordata (oha), Diellia 
falcata (NCN), Diellia unisora (NCN), Dubautia herbstobatae (naenae), 
Eragrostis fosbergii (NCN), Eugenia koolauensis (nioi), Gardenia mannii 
(nanu), Gouania meyenii (NCN), Gouania vitifolia (NCN ), Hedyotis 
degeneri (NCN), Hedyotis parvula (NCN), Hesperomannia arborescens 
(NCN), Hesperomannia arbuscula (NCN), Labordia cyrtandrae (kamakahala), 
Lepidium arbuscula (anaunau), Lipochaeta lobata var. leptophylla 
(nehe), Lipochaeta tenuifolia (NCN), Lobelia gaudichaudii ssp. 
koolauensis (NCN), Lobelia monostachya (NCN), Lobelia niihauensis 
(NCN), Lobelia oahuensis (NCN), Melicope lydgatei (alani), Melicope 
saint-johnii (alani), Myrsine juddii (kolea), Neraudia angulata (NCN), 
Nototrichium humile (kului), Phlegmariurus nutans (wawaeiole), 
Phyllostegia hirsuta (NCN), Phyllostegia kaalaensis (NCN), Phyllostegia 
mollis (NCN), Pritchardia kaalae (loulu), Sanicula mariversa (NCN), 
Schiedea kaalae (NCN), Schiedea kealiae (NCN), Silene perlmanii (NCN), 
Stenogyne kanehoana (NCN), Tetramolopium filiforme (NCN), Tetramolopium 
lepidotum ssp. lepidotum (NCN), Tetraplasandra gymnocarpa (oheohe), 
Trematolobelia singularis (NCN), Urera kaalae (opuhe), Viola 
chamissoniana ssp. chamissoniana (pamakani), and Viola oahuensis (NCN).
    The 66 taxa included in this draft plan grow in a variety of 
vegetation communities (shrublands, forests, and mixed communities), 
elevational zones (coastal to subalpine), 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 wild, feral or domestic animals (goats, pigs, and 
cattle); agricultural and recreational activities; habitat loss and 
damage to plants from fires; predation by animals (cattle, pigs, goats, 
rats, slugs and snails, and insects); and natural disasters such as 
hurricanes. In addition, 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 objective of the draft recovery plan is to provide a framework 
for the recovery of these 66 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 Oahu plants. 
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 islands 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 long-lived perennials (Eugenia 
koolauensis, Hesperomannia arborescens, Hesperomannia arbuscula, 
Melicope lydgatei, Melicope saint-johnii, Pritchardia kaalae, 
Tetraplasandra gymnocarpa, and Urera kaalae) and a minimum of 50 mature 
individuals per population for short-lived perennials (Abutilon 
sandwicense, Alsinidendron obovatum, Alsinidendron trinerve, Chamaesyce 
celastroides var. kaenana, Chamaesyce deppeana, Chamaesyce herbstii, 
Chamaesyce kuwaleana, Chamaesyce rockii, Cyanea acuminata, Cyanea 
crispa, Cyanea grimesiana ssp. obatae, Cyanea humboldtiana, Cyanea 
koolauensis, Cyanea longiflora, Cyanea pinnatifida, Cyanea st.-johnii, 
Cyanea superba, Cyanea truncata, Cyrtandra crenata, Cyrtandra dentata, 
Cyrtandra polyantha, Cyrtandra subumbellata, Cyrtandra viridiflora, 
Delissea subcordata, Diellia falcata, Diellia unisora, Dubautia 
herbstobatae, Eragrostis fosbergii, Gardenia mannii, Gouania meyenii, 
Gouania vitifolia, Hedyotis degeneri, Hedyotis parvula, Labordia 
cyrtandrae, Lepidium arbuscula, Lipochaeta lobata var. leptophylla, 
Lipochaeta tenuifolia, Lobelia gaudichaudii ssp. koolauensis, Lobelia 
monostachya, Lobelia niihauensis, Lobelia oahuensis, Myrsine juddii, 
Neraudia angulata, Nototrichium humile, Phlegmariurus nutans,

[[Page 51122]]

Phyllostegia hirsuta, Phyllostegia kaalaensis, Phyllostegia mollis, 
Sanicula mariversa, Schiedea kaalae, Schiedea kealiae, Silene 
perlmanii, Stenogyne kanehoana, Tetramolopium filiforme, Tetramolopium 
lepidotum ssp. lepidotum, Trematolobelia singularis, Viola 
chamissoniana ssp. chamissoniana, and Viola oahuensis).
    For downlisting, a total of five to seven populations of each taxon 
should be documented on islands where they now occur or occurred 
historically. In certain cases, however, a particular taxon may be 
eligible for downlisting even if all five to seven of the populations 
are on only one island, provided all of the other recovery criteria 
have been met and the populations in question are widely distributed 
and secure enough that one might reasonably conclude that the taxon is 
not in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant part of its 
range.
    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 long-lived perennials, a minimum 
of 300 mature individuals per population for short-lived perennials and 
a minimum of 500 mature individuals per population for the annuals. 
Each population should persist at this level for a minimum of five 
consecutive years before downlisting is considered. A total of eight to 
ten populations of each taxon should be documented on islands where 
they now occur or occurred historically. As with downlisting, there may 
be certain cases in which a particular taxon may be eligible for 
delisting even if all eight to ten of the populations are on only one 
island, provided all of the other recovery criteria have been met and 
the populations in question are widely distributed and secure enough 
that one might reasonably conclude that the taxon is not in danger of 
extinction throughout all or a significant part of its range. 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 long-lived 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 five 
consecutive years.

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. 97-25837 Filed 9-29-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P