Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Nightingale Reed- Warbler (Acrocephalus luscinia) for Review and Comment

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.

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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 the

nightingale reed-warbler (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 Supervisor-Ecological Services of the Pacific Islands Office at

the Honolulu address given above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Rosa, Assistant Field

Supervisor-Endangered 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 reed-warbler (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

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Alamagan. Habitat loss and exotic predators, such as the brown tree

snake, monitor lizard (Varanus indicus), rat (Rattus spp.), and

domestic cat (Felis catus), continue to be the greatest threats to the

survival of the nightingale reed-warbler.

The nightingale reed-warbler is currently represented by

populations on three islands with a total number of individuals

estimated to be 6,225-6,230 birds. The objective of this plan is to

provide a framework for the recovery of this species so that protection

by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is no longer necessary. Recommended

recovery actions emphasize protection of the existing populations from

introduction of the brown tree snake and from existing threats, such as

other predators, feral ungulates, and habitat alteration. It is

recommended that populations be established on at least three

additional islands in the Mariana Island chain. Further research on

population dynamics is also needed.

Public Comments Solicited

The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan

described. All comments received by the data 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. 97-25839 Filed 9-29-97; 8:45 am]

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