[Federal Register: February 9, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 26)]
[Notices]
[Page 6902-6903]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr09fe05-75]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Draft Recovery Plan for the Kaua`i Cave Arthropods: the Kaua`i
Cave Wolf Spider (Adelocosa Anops) and the Kaua`i Cave Amphipod
(Spelaeorchestia Koloana)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability for review and comment.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service, we) announces the
availability of the Draft Recovery Plan for the Kaua`i Cave Arthropods:
the Kaua`i Cave Wolf Spider (Adelocosa anops) and the Kaua`i Cave
Amphipod (Spelaeorchestia koloana) for public review and comment.
DATE: Comments on the draft recovery plan must be received on or before
April 11, 2005.
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
Fish and Wildlife Office, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3-122, Box
50088, Honolulu, Hawaii 96850 (telephone: 808-792-9400) and Hawaii
State Library, 478 S. King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. Requests for
copies of the draft recovery plan and written comments and materials
regarding this plan should be addressed to the Field Supervisor, at the
above Service address. An electronic copy of the draft recovery plan is
also available at http//endangered.fws.gov/recovery/
index.html#plans.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lorena Wada, Fish and Wildlife
Biologist, at the above Service 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 our endangered species program. To help
guide the recovery effort, we are 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.
Section 4(f) of the Endangered Species Act, (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.) requires that public notice, and an opportunity for public review
and comment, be provided during recovery plan development. We will
consider all information presented during the public comment period on
each new or revised recovery plan. Substantive technical comments may
result in changes to a recovery plan. Substantive comments regarding
recovery plan implementation may not necessarily result in changes to
the recovery plans, but will be forwarded to appropriate Federal agency
or other entities so that they can take these comments into account
during the course of implementing recovery actions. Individual
responses to comments will not be provided.
Two species of cave arthropod, the Kaua`i cave wolf spider and the
Kaua`i cave amphipod, collectively the Kaua`i cave arthropods, are
federally listed as endangered. These arthropods are only known from a
small number of caves in the K[otilde]loa District on the island of
Kaua`i. Of the caves surveyed to date, the cave wolf spider has only
been documented to occur in five caves, and currently is only observed
regularly in one of these caves. The cave amphipod has been documented
to occur in nine caves, and is currently observed regularly in two of
these caves.
The Kaua`i arthropods occur in subterranean passages, cracks, and
voids (mesocaverns) where there is little or no light penetrance and
the relative humidity is high and constant (at or approaching 100
percent). These conditions are most frequently
[[Page 6903]]
encountered in the dark zones of caves and/or mesocaverns. Viable
populations of these arthropods require a dependable source of nutrient
input, typically in the form of roots from over-lying perennial plants.
The primary threats to these species include: Small populations and
restricted range; urban and agricultural development as well as
quarrying operations; non-native species preying upon or competing with
them for limited food resources; human visitation and uses of caves;
urban and commercial pesticide; biocontrol agents; and extended drought
which alters the high-humidity environment to which these arthropods
are adapted, which also facilitates invasion by nonnative species.
Downlisting to threatened may be considered for both species when
nine viable populations, spread across the known range, are shown to
be: (1) Self-sustaining; (2) stable or increasing; (3) protected from
non-native/predatory species, human visitation to caves, bio-control
agents, pesticides, development or other damaging land uses; and (4)
with the habitat being utilized in a fashion consistent with
conservation, as evidenced by monitoring over a 10-year period.
Delisting of both species may be considered when 12 viable
populations, spread across the known range, are shown to be: (1) Self-
sustaining; (2) stable or increasing; (3) protected from non-native/
predatory species, human visitation to caves, bio-control agents,
pesticides, development or other damaging land uses; and (4) with the
habitat being utilized in a fashion consistent with conservation, as
evidenced by monitoring over a 20-year period. In addition, a post-
delisting monitoring plan and agreement to continue post-delisting
monitoring must be in place and ready for implementation at the time of
delisting. Monitoring populations following delisting will verify the
ongoing recovery and conservation of the species and provide a means of
assessing the continuing effectiveness of management actions.
Public Comments Solicited
We solicit written comments on the draft recovery plan as
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: November 18, 2004.
David J. Wesley,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1.
[FR Doc. 05-2492 Filed 2-8-05; 8:45 am]
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