51122 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 189 / Tuesday, September 30, 1997 / Notices

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 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 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 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 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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for

Two Insects and Four Plants From the

Santa Cruz Mountains for Review and

Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service (Service) announces the

availability for public review of a draft

Recovery Plan for Two Insects and Four

Plants from the Santa Cruz Mountains.

The two insects and four plants occur

on sandy soils in the Santa Cruz

Mountains, Santa Cruz County,

California.

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 location: U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service, 2493 Portola

Road, Suite B, Ventura, California 93003

(phone: 805/644–1766). Requests for

copies of the draft recovery plan and

written comments and materials

regarding this plan should be addressed

to, Ms. Diane K. Noda, Field Supervisor,

at the above Ventura address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Connie Rutherford, Botanist, at the

above Ventura 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 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 two insects and three of the four

plants addressed in this recovery plan

are listed as endangered. The fourth

plant (Scotts Valley polygonum) is a

species of concern to the Service.

The Mount Hermon June beetle

(Polyphylla barbata) is known from 28

collection sites in the area generally

bounded by Ben Lomond, Mount

Hermon, and Scotts Valley. Populations

receiving some protection occur on

Quail Hollow Ranch. The remaining

populations occur on private land.

The Zayante band-winged

grasshopper (Trimerotropis infantilis) is

known from 10 collection sites in the

area generally bounded by Ben Lomond,

Mount Hermon, and Mission Springs.

All populations occur on private land.

Ben Lomond spineflower

(Chorizanthe pungens var. hartwegiana)

is known from 21 populations; most

occur between Ben Lomond, Mount

Hermon, and Glenwood. Outlying

populations are located near Bonny

Doon, Boulder Creek, and Big Basin

State Park. Populations receiving some

protection occur on Bonny Doon

Ecologic Preserve, Quail Hollow Ranch,

and Big Basin State Park. The remaining

populations are found on private land.

Scotts Valley spineflower

(Chorizanthe robusta var. hartwegii) is

known from three sites on private land

north of Scotts Valley.

Ben Lomond wallflower (Erysimum

teretifolium) is known from 15
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 189 / Tuesday, September 30, 1997 / Notices 51123

populations; most occur between Ben

Lomond, Mount Hermon, and

Glenwood. Outlying populations are

located near Bonny Doon. Populations

receiving some protection occur on

Bonny Doon Ecologic Preserve and

Quail Hollow Ranch. The remaining

populations are found on private land.

Scotts Valley polygonum (Polygonum

hickmanii) is known from four colonies

north of Scotts Valley, all of which

occur in the same general area as

Chorizanthe robusta var. hartwegii.

These taxa are variously threatened by

one or more of the following: sand

mining, urban development, agricultural

conversion, equestrian use, recreational

activities, alteration in fire cycles, and

competition with nonnatives vegetation.

For the two insect taxa, collection and

pesticide use are recognized as potential

threats. In addition, the very low

numbers of individuals and populations

of some of these taxa put them at great

risk of extinction due to random

naturally occurring events.

The objective of this plan is to

provide a framework for the recovery of

the two insects and the four plants so

that protection by the Act is no longer

necessary. Actions necessary to

accomplish this objective include:

protecting species habitats through

acquisition, conservation easements,

and Habitat Conservation Plans;

managing species habitats; conducting

management-oriented research on the

ecology and biology of the species;

reviewing and revising management and

recovery guidelines; and locating

additional populations.

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 final

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 18, 1997.

Thomas J. Dwyer,

Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Portland,

Oregon.

[FR Doc. 97–25838 Filed 9–29–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for

the Nightingale Reed-Warbler

(Acrocephalus luscinia) for Review and

Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,

Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service (Service) announces the

availability for public review of a draft

recovery plan for the nightingale reedwarbler (Acrocephalus luscinia). This

species is known only from the Mariana

Islands and is currently limited to

essentially 2 islands, with a remnant

population on a third island, in this

archipelago with a total population of

approximately 6,225–6,230 individuals.

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); the Northern Marianas

College Library, P.O. Box 1250, Asterlaje

Campus, Saipan, MP 96950 (phone:

670/234–5498, extension 1121/2); and

University of Guam, RFK Memorial

Library, UOG Station, Mangilao, Guam

96923 (phone: 671/734–9412). Requests

for copies of the draft recovery plan and

written comments and materials

regarding the plan should be addressed

to Brooks Harper, Field SupervisorEcological Services of the Pacific Islands

Office at the Honolulu address given

above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Karen Rosa, Assistant Field SupervisorEndangered Species, at the Honolulu

address given above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Restoring endangered or threatened

animals and plants to the point where

they are again secure, self-sustaining

members of their ecosystem 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, its

Territories and Commonwealths.

Recovery plans describe actions

considered necessary for conservation of

the species, criteria for recognizing the

recovery levels for downlisting or

delisting them, and initial estimates of

times and costs to implement the

recovery measures needed.

The Endangered Species Act of 1973,

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 a public notice and

an opportunity for public review and

comment be provided during recovery

plan development. The Service will

consider all information presented

during a public comment period prior to

approval of each new or revised

recovery plan. Substantive technical

comments will result in changes to the

plan. 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 species being considered in this

recovery plan is the nightingale reedwarbler (Acrocephalus luscinia). The

species is historically known from five

islands in the Marianas archipelago:

Guam, Aguiguan, Saipan, Alamagan,

and Pagan. It is now extirpated from

Guam and Pagan, and near extirpation

on Aguiguan. Destruction of wetland

areas and predation by the introduced

brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) are

believed to have caused the extinction

on Guam. Habitat destruction due to

feral ungulates and, ultimately,

vulcanism, are believed to have

extirpated the Pagan population. Large

areas of reed-warbler habitat were

converted to agriculture during the

German (1899–1917) and Japanese

(1917–1944) administrations and native

forest was further damaged during

World War II battles. Although

populations of reed-warblers flourished

on Saipan with the reversion of former

agricultural land to scrubby habitats

after World War II, this trend has

reversed recently as land has been

developed for agriculture, homesteads,

and tourist-related facilities. Hence, the

amount of suitable habitat has been

declining. Habitat on Aguiguan and

Alamagan has been severely degraded

by the continuing presence of large feral

goat populations. All of these factors

have led to reduction or extirpation of

reed-warbler populations from most of

the Mariana Islands. A small remnant

population persists on Aguiguan, while

larger populations persist on Saipan and