Vol. 80 Thursday, No. 190 October 1, 2015 Part IV Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Status for 16 Species and Threatened Status for 7 Species in Micronesia; Final Rule VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:53 Sep 30, 2015 Jkt 238001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4717 Sfmt 4717 E:\FR\FM\01OCR3.SGM 01OCR3 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES3 59424 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 190 / Thursday, October 1, 2015 / Rules and Regulations DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (TDD) may call the Federal Information of the physical or biological features Relay Service (FIRS) at 800–877–8339. essential to the species’ conservation. Fish and Wildlife Service SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Information regarding the life functions and habitats associated with these life 50 CFR Part 17 Executive Summary functions is complex, and informative Why we need to publish a rule. Under data are largely lacking for the 23 [Docket No. FWS–R1–ES–2014–0038; the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as Mariana Islands species. A careful 4500030113] amended (Act or ESA), a species may assessment of the areas that may have RIN 1018–BA13 warrant protection through listing if it is the physical or biological features endangered or threatened throughout all essential for the conservation of the Endangered and Threatened Wildlife or a significant portion of its range. species and that may require special and Plants; Endangered Status for 16 Listing a species as an endangered or management considerations or Species and Threatened Status for 7 threatened species can only be protections, and thus qualify for Species in Micronesia completed by issuing a rule. Critical designation as critical habitat, will habitat shall be designated, to the require a thorough assessment. We AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, maximum extent prudent and require additional time to analyze the Interior. determinable, for any species best available scientific data in order to ACTION: Final rule. determined to be an endangered or identify specific areas appropriate for threatened species under the Act. critical habitat designation. SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and This rule will finalize the listing of 23 Accordingly, we find designation of Wildlife Service, determine endangered species from the Mariana Islands as critical habitat to be ‘‘not determinable’’ status under the Endangered Species endangered or threatened species, one at this time. Act of 1973, as amended, for 16 plant of which (Cycas micronesica) also The basis for our action. Under the and animal species from the Mariana occurs in the Republic of Palau and the Endangered Species Act, we can Islands (the U.S. Territory of Guam and Federated States of Micronesia (Yap). determine that a species is an the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern For the sake of brevity, throughout this endangered or threatened species based Mariana Islands). We also determine document we refer to these 23 species on any of five factors: (A) The present threatened status for seven plant species simply as the 23 Mariana Islands or threatened destruction, modification, from the Mariana Islands and greater species. Sixteen of these species are or curtailment of its habitat or range; (B) Micronesia in the U.S. Territory of listed as endangered species: Seven Overutilization for commercial, Guam, the U.S. Commonwealth of the plants—Eugenia bryanii (no common recreational, scientific, or educational Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic name (NCN)), Hedyotis megalantha (pau purposes; (C) Disease or predation; (D) of Palau, and the Federated States of dedu, pao doodu), Heritiera The inadequacy of existing regulatory Micronesia (Yap). The effect of this longipetiolata (ufa halumtanu, ufa mechanisms; or (E) Other natural or regulation will be to add these 23 halom tano), Phyllanthus saffordii manmade factors affecting its continued species to the Federal Lists of (NCN), Psychotria malaspinae existence. We have determined that the Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (aplokating palaoan), Solanum 23 Mariana Islands species are and Plants. guamense (Biringenas halumtanu, experiencing population-level impacts DATES: This rule becomes effective birengenas halom tano), and Tinospora as the result of the following current November 2, 2015. homosepala (NCN); and nine animals— and ongoing threats: the Pacific sheath-tailed bat (Mariana • Habitat loss and degradation due to ADDRESSES: This final rule is available subspecies, Emballonura semicaudata development, military activities, and on the Internet at http:// rotensis; payeyi, paischeey), Slevin’s urbanization; nonnative feral ungulates www.regulations.gov and http:// skink (Emoia slevini; gualiik halumtanu, (hoofed mammals, for example, deer, www.fws.gov/pacificislands. Comments gholuuf), Mariana eight-spot butterfly pigs, and water buffalo) and nonnative and materials we received, as well as (Hypolimnas octocula marianensis; plants; rats; snakes; wildfire; typhoons; some of the supporting documentation ababbang, libweibwogh), Mariana water extraction; and the synergistic used in preparing this final rule, are wandering butterfly (Vagrans egistina; effects of future climate change. available for public inspection at http:// ababbang, libweibwogh), Rota blue • Predation or herbivory by nonnative www.regulations.gov. All of the damselfly (Ischnura luta; dulalas Luta, feral ungulates, rats, snakes, monitor comments, materials, and dulalas Luuta), fragile tree snail lizards, slugs, flatworms, ants, and documentation that we considered in (Samoana fragilis; akaleha dogas, wasps. this rulemaking are available, by denden), Guam tree snail (Partula • The inadequacy of existing appointment, during normal business radiolata; akaleha, denden), humped regulatory mechanisms to prevent the hours, at: U.S. Fish and Wildlife tree snail (Partula gibba; akaleha, introduction and spread of nonnative Service, Pacific Islands Fish and denden), and Langford’s tree snail plants and animals. Wildlife Office, 300 Ala Moana (Partula langfordi; akaleha, denden). • Direct impacts from ordnance and Boulevard, Room 3–122, Honolulu, HI Seven plant species—Bulbophyllum live-fire from military training, 96850; by telephone at 808–792–9400; guamense (siboyas halumtanu, siboyan recreational vehicles, and exacerbated or by facsimile at 808–792–9581. halom tano), Dendrobium guamense (no vulnerability to threats and, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: common name (NCN), Cycas consequently, extinction, due to small Kristi Young, Acting Field Supervisor, micronesica (fadang, faadang), Maesa numbers of individuals and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific walkeri (NCN), Nervilia jacksoniae populations. Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, 300 (NCN), Tabernaemontana rotensis Peer review and public comment. We Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3–122, (NCN), and Tuberolabium guamense sought comments from independent Honolulu, HI 96850; by telephone at (NCN)—are listed as threatened species. specialists to ensure that all of our 808–792–9400; or by facsimile at 808– Delineation of critical habitat determinations are based on 792–9581. Persons who use a requires, within the geographical area scientifically sound data, assumptions, telecommunications device for the deaf occupied by the species, identification and analyses. We also considered all VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:05 Sep 30, 2015 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\01OCR3.SGM 01OCR3 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with RULES3 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 190 / Thursday, October 1, 2015 / Rules and Regulations 59425 comments and information received plant species are not quite as imperiled tree snail was previously thought to be during the comment periods and public throughout their ranges as previously extirpated (Naval Facilities Engineering hearings. understood at the time of the proposed Command Pacific (NavFac, Pacific) rule. However, these species are still 2014, pp. 5–5, 5–7); and one individual Previous Federal Actions susceptible to habitat destruction and of Heritiera longipetiolata was reported Please refer to the proposed listing modification by nonnative plants and from Rota, an island on which it was rule, published in the Federal Register animals, fire, and the future effects of thought this species was extirpated on October 1, 2014 (79 FR 59364), for climate change on Rota. Additionally, at (Cook 2010, pers. comm. cited in CNMI previous Federal actions for these least 50 percent of their respective Department of Land and Natural species prior to that date. The ranges occur on the island of Guam, Resources (DLNR) 2014, in litt.). These publication of the proposed listing rule where these species once occurred in three island additions have been placed opened a 60-day comment period, abundance but now exist in very low under Islands in the Mariana beginning on October 1, 2014, and numbers of individuals, and face similar Archipelago, Description of the 23 closing on December 1, 2014. In threats as on Rota, in addition to habitat Mariana Islands Species, and Table 1, addition, we published a public notice destruction and modification by urban below. of the proposed rule on October 18, development, military development and (5) We have corrected the common 2014, in the Marianas Variety, Marianas training, brown treesnakes (Boiga names for many of the plant and animal Variety Guam, and the Guam Pacific irregularis), and feral pigs (Sus scrofa). species addressed in this final rule after Daily News newspapers. On January 12, The