[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 188 (Thursday, September 28, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 57004]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-15956]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
Revised Recovery Plan for Hawaiian Forest Birds
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of document availability.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (``we'') announces the
availability of the Revised Recovery Plan for Hawaiian Forest Birds.
There are 21 bird taxa included in this revised recovery plan; 19 are
listed as endangered, 1 is a candidate species for Federal listing, and
1 is a species of concern. These taxa represent four bird families,
with the majority being Hawaiian Honeycreepers (subfamily Drepanidinae,
family Fringillidae). This is a new recovery plan for two of the listed
birds, the O[revaps]ahu [revaps]elepaio (Chasiempsis sandwichensis
ibidis) and O`ahu [revaps]alauahio (Paroreomyza maculata).
ADDRESSES: Printed copies of this revised recovery plan will be
available in 4 to 6 weeks 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, Hawaii 96850 (telephone:
808-792-9400; fax: 808-792-9580); and the Hawaii State Library, 478 S.
King Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813. An electronic copy of the revised
recovery plan is now available online at: http://endangered.fws.gov/
recovery/index.html#plans.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marilet A. Zablan, Endangered Species
Recovery Program Leader, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, at
808-792-9400.
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. The
Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) (ESA) requires the
development of recovery plans for listed species unless such a plan
would not promote the conservation of a particular species. Recovery
plans help guide the recovery effort by describing actions considered
necessary for the conservation of the species, establishing criteria
for downlisting or delisting listed species, and estimating time and
cost for implementing the measures needed for recovery.
Section 4(f) of the ESA requires that public notice and an
opportunity for public review and comment be provided during recovery
plan development. In fulfillment of this requirement, the Draft Revised
Recovery Plan for Hawaiian Forest Birds was available for public
comment from October 16 through December 15, 2003 (68 FR 59635).
Information presented during the public comment period has been
considered in the preparation of this revised recovery plan, and is
summarized in the appendix to the plan. We will forward substantive
comments regarding recovery plan implementation to appropriate Federal
or other entities so that they can take these comments into account
during the course of implementing recovery actions.
Of the 21 birds addressed by this revised recovery plan, the 19
federally listed as endangered are: O[revaps]ahu [revaps]elepaio,
kama[revaps][oacute] or large Kaua[revaps]i thrush (Myadestes
myadestinus), oloma[revaps]o or Moloka[revaps]i thrush (Myadestes
lanaiensis rutha), puaiohi or small Kaua[revaps]i thrush (Myadestes
palmeri), Kaua[revaps]i [revaps]o[revaps]o (Moho braccatus),
[revaps]o[revaps]u (Psittirostra psittacea), palila (Loxioides
bailleui), Maui parrotbill (Pseudonestor xanthophrys), Kaua[revaps]i
[revaps]akialoa (Hemignathus procerus), Kaua[revaps]i nukupu[revaps]u
(Hemignathus lucidus hanapepe), Maui nukupu[revaps]u (Hemignathus
lucidus affinis), [revaps]akiapola[revaps]au (Hemignathus munroi),
Hawai[revaps]i creeper (Oreomystis mana), O[revaps]ahu [revaps]alauahio
or O[revaps]ahu creeper, [revaps]o[revaps]o [revaps]a[revaps]a or
kakawahie or Moloka[revaps]i creeper (Paroreomyza flammea),
Hawai[revaps]i [revaps]akepa (Loxops coccineus coccineus), Maui
[revaps]akepa (Loxops coccineus ochraceus), [revaps]akohekohe or
crested honeycreeper (Palmeria dolei), and po [revaps]ouli
(Melamprosops phaeosoma). The candidate species is the [revaps]akikiki
or Kaua[revaps]i creeper (Oreomystis bairdi), and the species of
concern is the Bishop's [revaps]o[revaps]o (Moho bishopi).
These taxa and their habitats have been variously affected or are
currently threatened by one or more of the following: habitat
degradation by wild, feral, or domestic animals (pigs, goats, and
deer); predation by introduced animals (rats, cats, and mongoose);
avian disease (malaria and avian pox); habitat loss due to agriculture,
ranching, forest cutting, and urbanization; and habitat modification
due to the invasion of nonnative plants. In addition, due to the small
number of existing individuals and their very narrow distribution,
these taxa are subject to an increased likelihood of extinction from
random, naturally-occurring events such as hurricanes.
The objective of this revised recovery plan is to ensure the long-
term conservation and recovery of these 21 taxa of Hawaiian forest
birds, and to enable the eventual delisting of the 19 listed as
endangered. This recovery will be accomplished through a variety of
recovery actions including: measures to protect habitat where the taxa
occur, restoration of degraded habitat, removal of feral ungulates from
habitat areas, control of introduced rodents and feral cats that feed
on forest birds, control of invasive plant species, reduction in
numbers of mosquito breeding sites, captive propagation and
translocation, and the development of means to address threats of avian
disease. Management emphasis may differ among species, as taxa are
affected differently and to varying degrees by different limiting
factors. Habitat management and restoration will encourage the
expansion of current populations into unoccupied habitat. However, the
establishment of new populations using various translocation and/or
captive propagation techniques will be needed in some cases to
accelerate population expansion and to establish new populations in
suitable habitat.
Authority: The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).
Dated: August 15, 2006.
Carolyn A. Bohan,
Acting Regional Director, Region 1, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E6-15956 Filed 9-27-06; 8:45 am]
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