Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Waianae Plant Cluster for Review and Comment

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

50 CFR Part 17

Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Waianae 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 Waianae Plant Cluster

Recovery Plan. There are 31 taxa of plants included in this plan.

Twenty-six taxa are either endemic to, or have their largest or best

known populations in, the Waianae Mountain Range on the western side of

the island of Oahu, 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). 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 draft Wainae Plant Cluster Recovery Plan addresses 31 plant

taxa that have been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species

Act of 1973, as amended (Act), in four listing actions between

September 1991 and June 1994: Abutilon sandwicense, Alsinidendron

obovatum, Alsinidendron trinerve, Centaurium sebaeoides (`awiwi),

Chamaesyce celastroides var. Kaenana (`akoko), Chamaesyce kuwaleana

(`akoko), Cyanea grimesiana ssp. obatae (haha), Cyanea pinnatifida

(haha), Cyanea superba, Diellia falcata, Diellia unisora, Dubautia

herbstobatae (na'ena'e), Gouania meyenii, Gouania vitifolia, Hedyotis

degeneri, Hedyotis parvula, Hesperomannia arbuscula, Lipochaeta lobata

var. leptophylla (nehe), Lipochaeta tenuifolia (nehe), Lobelia

niihauensis, Neraudia angulata, Nototrichium humile (kulu'i),

Phyllostegia mollis, Sanicula mariversa, Schiedea kaalae, Silene

perlmanii, Stenogyne kanehoana, Tetramolopium filiforme, Tetramolopium

lepidotum ssp. lepidotum Urera kaalae (opuhe), and Viola chamissoniana

ssp. chamissoniana (pamakani). Twenty-six taxa are either endemic to,

or have their largest or best known populations in, the Waianae

Mountain Range on the western side of the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

The 31 plant tasa and their habitats have been adversely threatened

in various degrees by one or more of the following: trampling and

predation by introduced ungulates (pigs, cattle, goats); habitat

degradation and competition for space, light, water, and nutrients by

naturalized, alien vegetation; and habitat loss from fires. A few of

these taxa may have been subjected to overcollection and are subject to

trampling by human beings along trails. Because of the small number of

extant individuals and severely restricted distributions, populations

of these tasa are subject to an increased likelihood of extinction from

stochastic events.

The ultimate objective of this plan is to provide a framework for

the eventual recovery of these 31 taxa, preferably 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 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).

Dated: September 26, 1994.

Michael J. Spear,

Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 1.

[FR Doc. 94-24196 Filed 9-29-94; 8:45 am]

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