[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 167 (Wednesday, August 28, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53155-53156]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-20965]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS-R1-ES-2013-N105; FXES11130100000C2-134-FF01E00000]
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Recovery Plan for
Phyllostegia hispida; Addendum to the Molokai Plant Cluster Recovery
Plan
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the
availability of our final recovery plan for Phyllostegia hispida (no
common name) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended
(Act). This plant species is endemic to the island of Molokai, Hawaii.
This plan is an addendum to the recovery plan for the Molokai Plant
Cluster, published in September of 1996. The plan includes recovery
objectives and criteria, and specific recovery actions necessary to
achieve downlisting and delisting of the species and its removal from
the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants.
ADDRESSES: An electronic copy of the recovery plan is available at
http://www.fws.gov/endangered/species/recovery-plans.html and http://www.fws.gov/pacific/ecoservices/endangered/recovery/plans.html. Copies
of the recovery plan are also available by request from the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, 300 Ala
Moana Boulevard, Room 3-122, Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96850 (telephone:
808-792-9400).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristi Young, Deputy Field Supervisor,
at the above Honolulu address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Recovery of endangered or threatened animals and plants is a
primary goal of the Endangered Species Act (Act) (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.) and our endangered species program. Recovery means improvement of
the status of listed species to the point at which listing is no longer
required under the criteria set out in section 4(a)(1) of the Act.
Recovery plans describe actions considered necessary for the
conservation of listed species, establish criteria for downlisting or
delisting, and estimate time and cost for implementing the measures
needed for recovery.
The Act requires the development of recovery plans for endangered
or threatened species, unless such a plan would not promote the
conservation of the species. Section 4(f) of the Act requires that
public notice, and an opportunity for public review and comment, be
provided during recovery plan development. The draft recovery plan for
Phyllostegia hispida was published on June 2, 2011, and was available
for public comment through August 1, 2011 (76 FR 31973). We have
considered information we received from public comments and peer
reviewers in our preparation of the final recovery plan, and have
summarized that information in an appendix of the approved recovery
plan. We welcome continuing public comment on this recovery plan, and
we will consider all substantive comments on an ongoing basis to inform
the implementation of recovery activities and future updates to the
recovery plan.
We listed Phyllostegia hispida under the Act as an endangered
species without critical habitat on March 17, 2009 (74 FR 11319).
Phyllostegia hispida is found only on the island of Molokai. Currently
there are less than 10 wild mature individuals, 3 wild seedlings, and
approximately 7 to 10 reintroduced individuals on the island of
Molokai. No known population is entirely protected from the numerous
factors threatening the species' recovery, and the species is
endangered throughout its range. P. hispida is typically found in wet
Metrosideros polymorpha (ohia)--dominated forest, occurring between
1,112 and 1,280 meters (3,650 and 4,200 feet) elevation.
The major threats to all known populations are habitat degradation
by feral pigs (Sus scrofa); habitat degradation by and competition with
invasive introduced plants; predation or herbivory by rats (Rattus
spp.) and nonnative slugs; climate change; habitat degradation by
landslides and flooding; and the negative demographic and genetic
consequences of extremely small population size, as well as the
consequent vulnerability to extinction through deterministic or
stochastic (chance) events. Native caterpillar species may also pose an
herbivory threat to this species.
The short-term recovery objectives for Phyllostegia hispida focus
on stabilizing all existing populations. To be considered stable, the
species must be managed to control threats (e.g., feral ungulates and
invasive plants) and be represented in an ex situ population (such as a
nursery or arboretum). The long-term objectives leading to downlisting
and delisting are an increase in populations and their numbers. This
increase may require
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outplanting, development of appropriate management and monitoring plans
at each site, and conservation agreements with landowners to ensure
threats are controlled in perpetuity.
As the species meets reclassification and recovery criteria, we
will review the species' status and consider the species for
reclassification or removal from the Federal List of Endangered and
Threatened Wildlife and Plants.
Authority: The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533 (f).
Dated: July 30, 2013.
Richard R. Hannan,
Acting Regional Director, Pacific Region, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. 2013-20965 Filed 8-27-13; 8:45 am]
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