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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Koolau Mountain 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 the Technical/Agency Draft Recovery

Plan for the Koolau Mountain Plant Cluster. There are 11 taxa of plants

included in this plan. All 11 taxa are known to be extant on the island

of Oahu, Hawaii; one species also is found on the islands of Molokai

and Maui, Hawaii.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or

before November 28, 1995.

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 6307, 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

Molokai Public Library, 15 Ala Malama Street, Kaunakakai, Hawaii 96748

(phone 808/553-5483); and, the Wailuku Public Library, 251 High Street,

Wailuku, Maui (phone 808/244-3945). 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 M. Johnston, 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 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 11 taxa being considered in this recovery plan are: Chamaesyce

deppeana ('akoko), Cyanea crispa (no common name (NCN)), Cyanea

truncata (haha), Cyrtandra crenata (ha'iwale), Cyrtandra polyantha

(ha'iwale), Eugenia koolauensis (nioi), Hesperomannia arborescens

(NCN), Lobelia oahuensis (NCN), Melicope lydgatei (alani),

Phlegmariurus nutans (wawae'iole), Tetraplasandra gymnocarpa

('ohe'ohe).

All 11 species covered in this plan are listed as endangered. Ten

of the 11 taxa are known to be extant only on the island of Oahu,

Hawaii; one species, Hesperomannia arborescens, also is found on the

islands of Molokai and Maui. The 11 plant taxa and their habitats have

been variously affected and are threatened by one or more of the

following: Habitat degradation and/or predation by feral ungulates

(goats, pigs, sheep, and cattle); competition for space, light, water,

and nutrients by naturalized, alien vegetation; habitat loss from

fires; predation by rats; human recreational activities; and military

training exercises. Because of the depauperate number of extant

individuals and their severely restricted distributions, populations of

these taxa are subject to an increased likelihood of extinction from

stochastic events.

All 11 of these taxa are known from the Koolau Mountains on the

eastern portion of Oahu. The 11 taxa included in this plan grow in

lowland and mesic forests, and in dry and wet moisture regimes.

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

recovery of these 11 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 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 25, 1995.

Thomas J. Dwyer,

Acting Regional Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific

Region.

[FR Doc. 95-24241 Filed 9-28-95; 8:45 am]

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