Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised Determinations of Prudency and Proposed Designations of Critical Habitat for Plant Species From the Islands of Maui and Kahoolawe

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose critical habitat for 61 of the 70 species known historically from the islands of Maui and Kahoolawe that are listed under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. We propose critical habitat designations for 61 species within 13 critical habitat units totaling approximately 51,208 hectares (ha) (126,531 acres (ac)) on the island of Maui, and within 2 critical habitat units totaling approximately 714 ha (1,763 ac) on the island of Kahoolawe. If this proposal is made final, section 7 of the Act requires Federal agencies to ensure that actions they carry out, fund, or authorize do not destroy or adversely modify critical habitat to the extent that the action appreciably diminishes the value of the critical habitat for the survival and recovery of the species. Section 4 of the Act requires us to consider economic and other relevant impacts of specifying any particular area as critical habitat. We solicit data and comments from the public on all aspects of this proposal, including data on the economic and other impacts of the designations. We may revise or further refine this rule, including critical habitat boundaries, prior to final designation based on habitat and plant surveys, public comment on the revised proposed critical habitat rule, and new scientific and commercial information.