Availability of Draft Kauai II: Addendum to the Recovery Plan for the Kauai Plant Cluster (USFWS 1995)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

Availability of Draft Kauai II: Addendum to the Recovery Plan for

the Kauai Plant Cluster (USFWS 1995)

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the availability

for public review of a draft Kauai II: Addendum to the Recovery Plan

for the Kauai Plant Cluster (USFWS 1995). There are 19 taxa of plants

included in this plan, 17 of which are listed as endangered and 2 as

threatened. All 19 are known only from the island of Kauai. This draft

plan addendum supplements the Recovery Plan for the Kauai Plant cluster

finalized in 1995. A limited number of copies of the Kauai Plant

Cluster Recovery Plan are available, although the Service is not

seeking comments on that document.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan received by October 20, 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); Kauai Regional Library, 4344 Hardy

Ave., Lihue, Hawaii 96766. Requests for copies of the draft recovery

plan and written comments and materials regarding this plan should be

addressed to Field Supervisor, Fish and Wildlife Office, at the above

Honolulu address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine Willis, 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 Recovery Plan for the Kauai Plant Cluster, finalized in 1995,

covered 37 plant species. This draft addendum to the Recovery Plan for

the Kauai Plant Cluster covers 19 plant taxa, 17 of which are listed as

endangered and 2 as threatened. All of these taxa are endemic to the

island of Kauai, Hawaiian Islands. The plants listed as endangered are:

Alsinidendron lychnoides (kuawawaenohu), Alsinidendron viscosum (no

common name (NCN)), Cyanea remyi (haha), Cyrtandra cyaneoides (mapele),

Delissea rivularis (oha), Hibiscadelphus woodii (hau kuahiwi), Hibiscus

waimeae ssp. hannerae (koki o keokeo), Kokia kauaiensis (kokio),

Labordia tinifolia var. wahiawaensis (kamakahala), Phyllostegia

knudsenii (NCN), Phyllostegia wawrana (NCN), Pritchardia napaliensis

(loulu), Pritchardia viscosa (loulu), Schiedea helleri (NCN), Schiedea

membranacea (NCN), Schiedea stellarioides (laulihilihi), Viola

kauaensis var. wahiawaensis (nani waialeale). The plants listed as

threatened are: Cyanea recta (haha) and Myrsine linearifolia (kolea).

[[Page 44484]]

The 19 taxa included in this addendum grow mostly in the northern

and northwestern portions of Kauai, and grow in a variety of vegetation

communities (shrublands, forests, and mixed communities), elevational

zones (lowland to montane), and moisture regimes (dry to wet). Only one

species, Pritchardia napaliensis, is found in lowland dry communities.

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 (axis deer, goats, pigs,

sheep, and cattle); erosion of substrate produced by hurricane,

weathering, human- or animal-caused disturbance; and predation by

animals (goats, rats, and slugs). 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 Addendum to the Recovery Plan for the Kauai

Plant Cluster (USFWS 1995) is to provide a framework for the recovery

of these 19 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 Kauai 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 Kauai, 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 (Hibiscadelphus woodii, Hibiscus waimeae ssp.

hannerae, Kokia kauaiensis, Labordia tinifolia var. wahiawaensis,

Myrsine linearifolia, Pritchardia napaliensis, Pritchardia viscosa) and

a minimum of 50 mature individuals per population for short-lived

perennials (Alsinidendron lychnoides, Alsinidendron viscosum, Cyanea

recta, Cyanea remyi, Cyrtandra cyaneoides, Delissea rivularis,

Phyllostegia knudsenii, Phyllostegia wawrana, Schiedea helleri,

Schiedea membranacea, Schiedea stellarioides, Viola kauaensis var.

wahiawaensis). For downlisting, a total of five to seven 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 long-lived

perennials and a minimum of 300 mature individuals per population for

short-lived perennials. 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 long-lived perennials and a

minimum of 300 mature individuals per population for short-lived

perennials. 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: July 28, 1997.

Thomas J. Dwyer,

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

[FR Doc. 97-22149 Filed 8-20-97; 8:45 am]

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