Thursday, January 9, 2003 Part II Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Final Designation of Critical Habitat for Three Plant Species From the Island of Lanai, Hawaii; Final Rule VerDate Dec<13>2002 17:20 Jan 08, 2003 Jkt 200001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4717 Sfmt 4717 E:\FR\FM\09JAR2.SGM 09JAR2 1220 Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 6 / Thursday, January 9, 2003 / Rules and Regulations DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR boundaries of the six critical habitat FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul units designated for the three species. Henson, Field Supervisor, Pacific Fish and Wildlife Service This critical habitat designation Islands Office at the above address provides additional protection under (telephone 808/541–3441; facsimile 50 CFR Part 17 section 7 of the Act with regard to 808/541–3470). actions carried out, funded, or SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: RIN 1018–AH10 authorized by a Federal agency. Section 4 of the Act requires us to consider Background Endangered and Threatened Wildlife economic and other relevant impacts and Plants; Final Designation of In the Lists of Endangered and when specifying any particular area as Critical Habitat for Three Plant Species Threatened Plants (50 CFR 17.12), there critical habitat. We solicited data and From the Island of Lanai, Hawaii are 37 plant species that, at the time of comments from the public on all aspects listing, were reported from the island of AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, of the proposed rule, including data on Lanai (Table 1). Seven of these species Interior. economic and other impacts of the are endemic to the island of Lanai, ACTION: Final rule. designation. while 30 species are reported from one or more other islands, as well as Lanai. DATES: This rule becomes effective on SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Each of the 37 species is described in February 10, 2003. Wildlife Service (Service), designate more detail below in the section, critical habitat pursuant to the ADDRESSES: Comments and materials ‘‘Discussion of Plant Taxa.’’ Although Endangered Species Act of 1973, as received, as well as supporting we considered designating critical amended (Act), for three of the 37 documentation, used in the preparation habitat on Lanai for each of the 37 plant species known historically from the of this final rule will be available for species, for the reasons described below, Hawaiian island of Lanai. The three public inspection, by appointment, the final designation includes critical species are Bidens micrantha ssp. during normal business hours at U.S. habitat for only 3 of 37 plant species. kalealaha, Portulaca sclerocarpa, and Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Species that also occur on other islands Tetramolopium remyi. A total of Islands Office, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., may have critical habitat designated on approximately 320 hectares (789 acres) Room 3–122, P.O. Box 50088, Honolulu, other islands in subsequent of land on Lanai fall within the HI 96850–0001. rulemakings. TABLE 1.—SUMMARY OF ISLAND DISTRIBUTION OF 37 SPECIES FROM LANAI Island distribution Species N.W. Isles, Kauai Oahu Molokai Lanai Maui Hawaii Kahoolawe, Niihau Abutilon eremitopetalum (NCN) .... C Adenophorus periens (pendant CHCRRC kihi fern). Bidens micrantha ssp. kalealaha CC (kookoolau). Bonamia menziesii (NCN) ............. CCHCCC Brighamia rockii (pua ala) ............. C H H Cenchrus agrimonioides C H C R NW Isles (H) (kamanomano, sandbur, agri- mony). Centaurium sebaeoides (awiwi) .... CCCCC Clermontia oblongifolia ssp. CC mauiensis (oha wai). Ctenitis squamigera (pauoa) ......... HCCCCH Cyanea grimesiana ssp. CCCC grimesiana (haha). Cyanea lobata (haha) .................... H C Cyanea macrostegia ssp. gibsonii C (NCN). Cyperus trachysanthos (puukaa) .. CCHH Ni (C) Cyrtandra munroi (haiwale) ........... C C Diellia erecta (NCN) ...................... CCCHCC Diplazium molokaiense (NCN) ...... HHHHC Gahnia lanaiensis (NCN) .............. C Hedyotis mannii (pilo) .................... C C C Hedyotis schlechtendahliana var. C remyi (kopa). Hesperomannia arborescens CCHC (NCN). Hibiscus brackenridgei (mao hau HCHCCCKa (R) hele). Isodendrion pyrifolium (wahine HHHHCNi (H) noho kula). Labordia tinifolia var. lanaiensis C (kamakahala). Mariscus fauriei (NCN) .................. C H C Melicope munroi (alani) ................. H C VerDate Dec<13>2002 17:20 Jan 08, 2003 Jkt 200001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4700 E:\FR\FM\09JAR2.SGM 09JAR2 Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 6 / Thursday, January 9, 2003 / Rules and Regulations 1221 TABLE 1.—SUMMARY OF ISLAND DISTRIBUTION OF 37 SPECIES FROM LANAI—Continued Island distribution Species N.W. Isles, Kauai Oahu Molokai Lanai Maui Hawaii Kahoolawe, Niihau Neraudia sericea (NCN) ................ C H C Ka (H) Phyllostegia glabra var. lanaiensis H (NCN). Portulaca sclerocarpa (poe) .......... C C Sesbania tomentosa (ohai) ........... CCCHCCNi (H), Ka (C), NW Isles (C) Silene lanceolata (NCN) ................ HCCH C Solanum incompletum (popolo ku H HHHC mai). Spermolepis hawaiiensis (NCN) ... CCCCCC Tetramolopium lepidotum ssp. CH lepidotum (NCN). Tetramolopium remyi (NCN) ......... C H Vigna o-wahuensis (NCN) ............. HCCCCNi (H), Ka (C) Viola lanaiensis (NCN) .................. C Zanthoxylum hawaiiense (ae) ....... C CHCC Key C (Current)—occurrence last observed within the past 30 years. H (Historical)—occurrence not seen for more than 30 years. R (Reported)—reported from undocumented observations. * NCN—No Common Name. The Island of Lanai introduced to the island. Native the calyx (the outside leaf-like part of Lanai is a small island totaling about vegetation was soon decimated by these the flower) (Bates 1999). 360 square kilometers (sq km) (139 sq nonnative ungulates, and erosion from Abutilon eremitopetalum is known to miles (mi) in area. Hidden from the wind and rain caused further damage to flower during February. Little else is trade winds in the lee or rain shadow of the native forests. Formal ranching was known about the life history of this the more massive West Maui begun in 1902, and by 1910, the species. Its flowering cycles, pollination Mountains, Lanai was formed from a Territorial forester helped to revegetate vectors, seed dispersal agents, longevity, single shield volcano built by eruptions the island. By 1911, a ranch manager specific environmental requirements, at its summit and along three rift zones. from New Zealand, George Munro, and limiting factors are unknown The principal rift zone runs in a instituted forest management practices (Service 1995). northwesterly direction and forms a to recover the native forests and bird Historically, Abutilon eremitopetalum broad ridge whose highest point, species which included fencing and was found in small, widely scattered Lanaihale, has an elevation of 1,027 eradication of sheep and goats from the colonies in the ahupuaa (geographical meters (m) (3,370 feet (ft)). The entire mountains. Mouflon sheep (Ovis areas) of Kalulu, Mahana, Maunalei, ridge is commonly called Lanaihale, musimon) and axis deer (Axis axis) were Mamaki, and Paawili on the northern, after its highest point. Annual rainfall introduced to Lanai in 1954 and 1920 northeastern, and eastern parts of Lanai. on the summit of Lanaihale is 760 to respectively, leading to renewed Currently, about seven individuals are 1,015 millimeters (mm) (30 to 40 inches impacts on the native vegetation. By the known from a single occurrence on (in)), but is considerably less, 250 to 500 1920s, Castle and Cooke had acquired privately owned land in Kahea Gulch on mm (10 to 20 in), over much of the rest more than 98 percent of the island and the northeastern part of the island of the island (Department of Geography established a 6,500 ha (16,000 ac) (Caum 1933; Geographic Decision 1998). pineapple plantation surrounding its Systems International (GDSI) 2000; Geologically, Lanai is part of the four- company town, Lanai City. In the early Hawaii Natural Heritage Program island complex comprising Maui, 1990s, the pineapple plantation closed, (HINHP) Database 2000; Service 1995). Molokai, Lanai, and Kahoolawe, known and two luxury hotels were developed Abutilon eremitopetalum is found in collectively as Maui Nui (Greater Maui). by the private landowner, sustaining the lowland dry forest at elevations between During the last Ice Age about 12,000 island’s economy today (Hobdy 1993). 108 and 660 m (354 and 2,165 ft), on a years ago, when sea levels were about moderately steep north-facing slope on There are no military installations on 160 m (525 ft) below their present level, red sandy soil and rock, usually near the island of Lanai. these four islands were connected by a gulch bottoms. Erythrina sandwicensis broad lowland plain. This land bridge Discussion of Plant Taxa (wiliwili) and Diospyros sandwicensis allowed the movement and interaction (lama) are the dominant trees in open of each island’s flora and fauna and Species Endemic to Lanai forest of the area. Other associated contributed to the present close Abutilon eremitopetalum (NCN) native species include Dodonaea relationships of their biota (Department viscosa (aalii), Nesoluma polynesicum of Geography 1998). Abutilon eremitopetalum is a long- (keahi), Psydrax odorata (alahee), Changes in Lanai’s ecosystem began lived shrub in the mallow family Rauvolfia sandwicensis (hao), Sida with the arrival of the first Polynesians (Malvaceae) with grayish-green, densely fallax (ilima), or Wikstroemia sp. (akia) about 1,500 years ago.