Thursday, February 27, 2003 Part II Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Final Designation or Nondesignation of Critical Habitat for 95 Plant Species From the Islands of Kauai and Niihau, HI; Final Rule VerDate Jan<31>2003 13:12 Feb 26, 2003 Jkt 200001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4717 Sfmt 4717 E:\FR\FM\27FER2.SGM 27FER2 9116 Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 39 / Thursday, February 27, 2003 / Rules and Regulations DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR units designated for the 83 species. This FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul critical habitat designation requires the Henson, Field Supervisor, Pacific Fish and Wildlife Service Service to consult under section 7 of the Islands Office at the above address Act with regard to actions carried out, (telephone 808/541–3441; facsimile 50 CFR Part 17 funded, or authorized by a Federal 808/541–3470). agency. Section 4 of the Act requires us SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RIN 1018–AG71 to consider economic and other relevant impacts when specifying any particular Background Endangered and Threatened Wildlife area as critical habitat. This rule also and Plants; Final Designation or In the Lists of Endangered and determines that designating critical Nondesignation of Critical Habitat for Threatened Plants (50 CFR 17.12), there habitat would not be prudent for seven 95 Plant Species From the Islands of are 95 plant species that, at the time of species. We solicited data and Kauai and Niihau, HI listing, were reported from the islands comments from the public on all aspects of Kauai and/or Niihau (Table 1). Fifty- AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, of the proposed rule, including data on seven of these species are endemic to Interior. economic and other impacts of the the islands of Kauai and Niihau, while ACTION: Final rule. designation. 38 species are reported from one or more other islands, as well as Kauai DATES: This rule becomes effective on SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and and/or Niihau. Each of these species is March 31, 2003. Wildlife Service (Service), designate described in more detail below in the critical habitat pursuant to the ADDRESSES: Comments and materials section, ‘‘Discussion of Plant Taxa.’’ Endangered Species Act of 1973, as received, as well as supporting Although we considered designating amended (Act), for 83 of the 95 species documentation, used in the preparation critical habitat on Kauai for each of the known historically from the Hawaiian of this final rule will be available for 95 plant species, for the reasons islands of Kauai and Niihau. A total of public inspection, by appointment, described below, the final designation approximately 21,266 hectares (ha) during normal business hours at U.S. includes critical habitat for 83 of 95 (52,549 acres (ac)) of land on the island Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific plant species. Species that also occur on of Kauai and 144 ha (357 ac) of land on Islands Office, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., other islands may have critical habitat the island of Niihau fall within the Room 3–122, P.O. Box 50088, Honolulu, designated on other islands in boundaries of the 217 critical habitat HI 96850–0001. subsequent rulemakings. TABLE 1.—SUMMARY OF ISLAND DISTRIBUTION OF 95 SPECIES FROM KAUAI AND NIIHAU Island distribution Species N.W. Isles, Kauai Oahu Molokai Lanai Maui Hawaii Kahoolawe, Niihau Acaena exigua (liliwai) .................................................. H H Achyranthes mutica (NCN*) ......................................... H C Adenophorus periens (pendent kihi fern) ..................... CHCRRC Alectryon macrococcus (mahoe) .................................. C C C C Alsinidendron lychnoides (kuawawaenohu) ................. C Alsinidendron viscosum (NCN) ..................................... C Bonamia menziesii (NCN) ............................................ CCHCCC Brighamia insignis (olulu) ............................................. C Ni (C) Centaurium sebaeoides (awiwi) ................................... CCCCC Chamaesyce halemanui (NCN) .................................... C Ctenitis squamigera (pauoa) ........................................ HCCCCH Cyanea asarifolia (haha) .............................................. C Cyanea recta (haha) ..................................................... C Cyanea remyi (haha) .................................................... C Cyanea undulata (NCN) ............................................... C Cyperus trachysanthos (puukaa) .................................. CCHH Ni (C) Cyrtandra cyaneoides (mapele) ................................... C Cyrtandra limahuliensis (haiwale) ................................. C Delissea rhytidosperma (NCN) ..................................... C Delissea rivularis (oha) ................................................. C Delissea undulatra (NCN) ............................................. C H C Ni (H) Diellia erecta (NCN) ...................................................... CCCHCC Diellia pallida (NCN) ..................................................... C Diplazium molokaiense (NCN) ..................................... HHHHC Dubautia latifolia (koholapehu) ..................................... C Dubautia pauciflorula (naenae) .................................... C Euphorbia haeleeleana (akoko) .................................... C C Exocarpos luteolus (heau) ............................................ C Flueggea neowawraea (mehamehame) ....................... C C H C C Gouania meyenii (NCN) ............................................... C C Hedyotis cookiana (awiwi) ............................................ C H H H Hedyotis st.-johnii (Na Pali beach hedyotis) ................ C Hesperomannia lydgatei (NCN) .................................... C Hibiscadelphus woodii (hau kuahiwi) ........................... C Hibiscus brackenridgei (mao hau hele) ........................ HCHCCCKa (R) VerDate Jan<31>2003 13:12 Feb 26, 2003 Jkt 200001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\27FER2.SGM 27FER2 Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 39 / Thursday, February 27, 2003 / Rules and Regulations 9117 TABLE 1.—SUMMARY OF ISLAND DISTRIBUTION OF 95 SPECIES FROM KAUAI AND NIIHAU—Continued Island distribution Species N.W. Isles, Kauai Oahu Molokai Lanai Maui Hawaii Kahoolawe, Niihau Hibiscus clayi (Clay’s hibiscus) .................................... C Hibiscus waimeae ssp. hannerae (kokio keokeo) ........ C Ischaemum byrone (Hilo ischaemum) .......................... C H C C C Isodendrion laurifolium (aupaka) .................................. C C Isodendrion longifolium (aupaka) ................................. C C Isodendrion pyrifolium (wahine noho kula) ................... HHHHCNi (H) Kokia kauaiensis (kokio) ............................................... C Labordia lydgatei (kamakahala) ................................... C Labordia tinifolia var. wahiawaensis (kamakahala) ...... C Lipochaeta fauriei (nehe) .............................................. C Lipochaeta micrantha (nehe) ........................................ C Lipochaeta waimeaensis (nehe) ................................... C Lobelia niihauensis ....................................................... C C Ni (H) Lysimachia filifolia (NCN) ............................................. C C Mariscus pennatiformis (NCN) ..................................... H H C H NW (C) Melicope haupuensis (alani) ......................................... C Melicope knudsenii (alani) ............................................ C C Melicope pallida (alani) ................................................. C C Melicope quadrangularis (alani) ................................... H Munroidendron racemosum (NCN) .............................. C Myrsine linearifolia (kolea) ............................................ C Nothocestrum peltatum (aiea) ...................................... C Panicum niihauense (lau ehu) ...................................... C Ni (H) Peucedanum sandwicense (makou) ............................ C C C C Phlegmariurus mannii (wawaeiole) ............................... H C C Phlegmariurus nutans (wawaeiole) .............................. H C Phyllostegia knudsenii (NCN) ....................................... C Phyllostegia waimeae (NCN) ........................................ C Phyllostegia wawrana (NCN) ........................................ C Plantago princeps (laukahi kuaj) .................................. C C C C H Platanthera holochila (NCN) ......................................... C H C C Poa mannii (Mann’s bluegrass) .................................... C Poa sandvicensis (Hawaiian bluegrass) ....................... C Poa siphonoglossa (NCN) ............................................ C Pritchardia aylmer-robinsonii (wahane) ........................ Ni (C) Pritchardia napaliensis (loulu) ...................................... C Pritchardia viscosa loulu ............................................... C Pteralyxia kauaiensis (kaulu) ........................................ C Remya kauaiensis (NCN) ............................................. C Remya montgomeryi (NCN) ......................................... C Schiedea apokremnos (maolioli) .................................. C Schiedea helleri (NCN) ................................................. C Schiedea kauaiensis (NCN) ......................................... C Schiedea membranacea (NCN) ................................... C Schiedea nuttallii (NCN) ............................................... C C C R Schiedea spergulina var. leiopoda