[Federal Register: December 26, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 248)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 78763-78765]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26de02-28]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
RIN 1018-AI24
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designations of
Critical Habitat for Plant Species From the Island of Oahu, HI
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period and notice of
availability of draft economic analysis.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the
availability of the draft economic analysis for the proposed
designations of critical habitat for plant species from the island of
Oahu, Hawaii. The
[[Page 78764]]
comment period for the proposed critical habitat designations
originally closed on July 29, 2002. On August 26, 2002, we reopened the
comment period and provided notice that the comment period would close
on September 30, 2002. On October 10, 2002, we announced a public
hearing and reopened the comment period to allow all interested parties
to submit oral or written comments on the proposal until November 30,
2002. We are now providing notice of an extension of the comment period
to allow peer reviewers and all interested parties to comment
simultaneously on the proposed rule and the associated draft economic
analysis. Over a 10-year time period, the total section 7-related
direct costs associated with the plants species listings and critical
habitat are estimated at $1.1 million to $2.3 million. Indirect costs
have the potential to be as much as $100 million, although the
likelihood of this potential being reached is unclear. Comments
previously submitted need not be resubmitted as they will be
incorporated into the public record as part of this extended comment
period and will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.
DATES: We will accept public comments until January 27, 2003.
ADDRESSES: Send your written comments and information to Field
Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Office, 300
Ala Moana Blvd., PO Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96850-0001; or e-mail your
comments to FW1PIE_Oahu_crithab@r1.fws.gov. For further instructions
on commenting, refer to Public Comments Solicited section of this
notice.
To obtain a copy of the draft economic analysis, send a written
request to the address listed above, call 808/541-3441, or visit the
following Internet site: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://pacificislands.fws.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Henson, Field Supervisor, Pacific
Islands Office, at the above address (telephone: 808/541-3441;
facsimile: 808/541-3470).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Between 1991 and 1996, a total of 101 species historically found on
Oahu were listed as endangered or threatened species under the
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (the Act)(16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.). On May 28, 2002, we published in the Federal Register (67 FR
37108) a proposed rule to propose critical habitat for 99 of the 101
plant species historically found on Oahu. Some of these species may
also occur on other Hawaiian islands.
Previously, we proposed that designation of critical habitat was
prudent for 45 (Adenophorus periens, Alectryon macrococcus, Bonamia
menziesii, Cenchrus agrimonioides, Centaurium sebaeoides, Colubrina
oppositifolia, Ctenitis squamigera, Cyanea grimesiana ssp. grimesiana,
Cyperus trachysanthos, Diellia erecta, Diplazium molokaiense, Eugenia
koolauensis, Euphorbia haeleeleana, Flueggea neowawraea, Gouania
meyenii, Gouania vitifolia, Hedyotis coriacea, Hesperomannia
arborescens, Hesperomannia arbuscula, Hibiscus brackenridgei,
Isodendrion laurifolium, Isodendrion longifolium, Isodendrion
pyrifolium, Lobelia niihauensis, Lysimachia filifolia, Mariscus
pennatiformis, Marsilea villosa, Melicope pallida, Nototrichium humile,
Peucedanum sandwicense, Phlegmariurus nutans, Phyllostegia mollis,
Phyllostegia parviflora, Plantago princeps, Platanthera holochila,
Pteris lidgatei, Sanicula purpurea, Schiedea hookeri, Schiedea
nuttallii, Sesbania tomentosa, Silene lanceolata, Solanum sandwicense,
Spermolepis hawaiiensis, Tetramolopium lepidotum ssp. lepidotum, and
Vigna o-wahuensis) of the 101 species reported from the island of Oahu.
No change is made to the 45 proposed prudency determinations in the May
28, 2002, proposed critical habitat rule for plants from Oahu. In
addition, in the May 28, 2002, proposed rule, we proposed that
designation of critical habitat was not prudent for Pritchardia kaalae
because it would likely increase the threats from vandalism or
collection of this species on Oahu. In the same rule, we proposed that
designation of critical habitat was not prudent for Cyrtandra crenata
because it had not been seen recently in the wild and no viable genetic
material of this species is known to exist. We also proposed that
designation of critical habitat is prudent for 54 species (Abutilon
sandwicense, Alsinidendron obovatum, Alsinidendron trinerve, Chamaesyce
celastroides var. kaenana, Chamaesyce deppeana, Chamaesyce herbstii,
Chamaesyce kuwaleana, Chamaesyce rockii, Cyanea acuminata, Cyanea
crispa, Cyanea grimesiana ssp. obatae, Cyanea humboltiana, Cyanea
koolauensis, Cyanea longiflora, Cyanea pinnatifida, Cyanea st.-johnii,
Cyanea superba, Cyanea truncata, Cyrtandra dentata, Cyrtandra
polyantha, Cyrtandra subumbellata, Cyrtandra viridiflora, Delissea
subcordata, Diellia falcata, Diellia unisora, Dubautia herbstobatae,
Eragrostis fosbergii, Gardenia mannii, Hedyotis degeneri, Hedyotis
parvula, Labordia cyrtandrae, Lepidium arbuscula, Lipochaeta lobata
var. leptophylla, Lipochaeta tenuifolia, Lobelia gaudichaudii ssp.
koolauensis, Lobelia monostachya, Lobelia oahuensis, Melicope lydgatei,
Melicope saint-johnii, Myrsine juddii, Neraudia angulata, Phyllostegia
hirsuta, Phyllostegia kaalaensis, Sanicula mariversa, Schiedea kaalae,
Schiedea kealiae, Silene perlmanii, Stenogyne kanehoana, Tetramolopium
filiforme, Tetraplasandra gymnocarpa, Trematalobelia singularis, Urera
kaalae, Viola chamissoniana ssp. chamissoniana, and Viola oahuensis)
for which prudency determinations have not been made previously.
We further proposed designation of critical habitat for 99 plant
species (Abutilon sandwicense, Adenophorus periens, Alectryon
macrococcus, Alsinidendron obovatum, Alsinidendron trinerve, Bonamia
menziesii, Cenchrus agrimonioides, Centaurium sebaeoides, Chamaesyce
celastroides var. kaenana, Chamaesyce deppeana, Chamaesyce herbstii,
Chamaesyce kuwaleana, Chamaesyce rockii, Colubrina oppositifolia,
Ctenitis squamigera, Cyanea acuminata, Cyanea crispa, Cyanea grimesiana
ssp. grimesiana, Cyanea grimesiana ssp. obatae, Cyanea humboltiana,
Cyanea koolauensis, Cyanea longiflora, Cyanea pinnatifida, Cyanea st.-
johnii, Cyanea superba, Cyanea truncata, Cyperus trachysanthos,
Cyrtandra dentata, Cyrtandra polyantha, Cyrtandra subumbellata,
Cyrtandra viridiflora, Delissea subcordata, Diellia erecta, Diellia
falcata, Diellia unisora, Diplazium molokaiense, Dubautia herbstobatae,
Eragrostis fosbergii, Eugenia koolauensis, Euphorbia haeleeleana,
Flueggea neowawraea, Gardenia mannii, Gouania meyenii, Gouania
vitifolia, Hedyotis coriacea, Hedyotis degeneri, Hedyotis parvula,
Hesperomannia arborescens, Hesperomannia arbuscula, Hibiscus
brackenridgei, Isodendrion laurifolium, Isodendrion longifolium,
Isodendrion pyrifolium, Labordia cyrtandrae, Lepidium arbuscula,
Lipochaeta lobata var. leptophylla, Lipochaeta tenuifolia, Lobelia
gaudichaudii ssp. koolauensis, Lobelia monostachya, Lobelia
niihauensis, Lobelia oahuensis, Lysimachia filifolia, Mariscus
pennatiformis, Marsilea villosa, Melicope pallida, Melicope saint-
johnii, Myrsine juddii, Neraudia angulata, Nototrichium humile, Pelea
lydgatei, Peucedanum sandwicense, Phlegmariurus nutans, Phyllostegia
hirsuta, Phyllostegia kaalaensis,
[[Page 78765]]
Phyllostegia mollis, Phyllostegia parviflora, Plantago princeps,
Platanthera holochila, Pteris lidgatei, Sanicula mariversa, Sanicula
purpurea, Schiedea hookeri, Schiedea kaalae, Schiedea kealiae, Schiedea
nuttallii, Sesbania tomentosa, Silene lanceolata, Silene perlmanii,
Solanum sandwicense, Spermolepis hawaiiensis, Stenogyne kanehoana,
Tetramolopium filiforme, Tetramolopium lepidotum ssp. lepidotum,
Tetraplasandra gymnocarpa, Trematalobelia singularis, Urera kaalae,
Vigna o-wahuensis, Viola chamissoniana ssp. chamissoniana, and Viola
oahuensis). We did not propose critical habitat for Pritchardia munroi
and Cyrtandra crenata for the reasons given above.
We proposed critical habitat designations for 99 species within 25
critical habitat units totaling approximately 45,067 hectares (111,364
acres) on the island of Oahu.
Critical habitat receives protection from destruction or adverse
modification through required consultation under section 7 of the Act
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) with regard to actions carried out, funded, or
authorized by a Federal agency. Section 4(b)(2) of the Act requires
that the Secretary designate or revise critical habitat based upon the
best scientific and commercial data available, and after taking into
consideration the economic impact of specifying any particular area as
critical habitat. We have prepared a draft economic analysis of the
proposed critical habitat designation. The draft economic analysis is
available on the Internet and from the mailing address listed below in
the Public Comments Solicited section.
The public comment period for the May 28, 2002, proposal originally
closed on July 29, 2002. On August 26, 2002, we published in the
Federal Register (67 FR 54766) a notice reopening the comment period
for the proposed designations and non-designations of critical habitat
for plant species on the island of Oahu, as well as for the proposed
designations and non-designations of critical habitat for plant species
on the islands of Kauai, Niihau, Molokai, Maui, Kahoolawe, and Hawaii,
and we announced that the comment period would close on September 30,
2002. On October 10, 2002, we announced a public hearing and reopened
the comment period to allow all interested parties to submit oral or
written comments on the proposal until November 30, 2002 (67 FR 63066).
We are now announcing the availability of the draft economic analysis
and the extension of the comment period for the proposed designations
and non-designations of critical habitat for plant species on the
island of Oahu. We will accept public comments on the proposal and the
associated draft economic analysis for plants species from the island
of Oahu until the date specified above in DATES. The extension of the
comment period gives all interested parties the opportunity to comment
on the proposal and the associated draft economic analysis for plant
species from the island of Oahu. Comments already submitted on the
proposed designations and non-designations of critical habitat for
plant species from the island of Oahu need not be resubmitted as they
will be fully considered in the final determinations.
Public Comments Solicited
We specifically request comments on the following matters addressed
in the ``Indirect Costs'' section of the draft economic analysis:
(1) The likelihood of adverse impacts on hunting resulting from
changes in game management, and the likelihood of such changes in game
management;
(2) The likelihood of adverse impacts on military readiness and
military communications;
(3) The likelihood of mandated conservation management on private
land by the State of Hawaii or the courts;
(4) The likelihood of redistricting of land to Conservation
District status;
(5) The likelihood of reduced property values; and
(6) The likelihood of increased costs, delays and denials in permit
applications by Federal, State and county authorities, all as a result
of the proposed critical habitat designations.
We seek comments on the likelihood of these impacts, including the
reasons they might or might not occur, and the likely direct and
indirect costs or other effects if the impacts do occur, including the
basis for the costs or other effects. To the extent that those
submitting comments have specific information related to their
comments, we encourage its inclusion.
If you wish to provide written comments, you may submit your
comments and materials concerning this proposal by any of several
methods:
(1) You may submit written comments and information to the Field
Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Office, 300
Ala Moana Blvd., PO Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96850-0001.
(2) You may send comments by electronic mail (e-mail) to: FW1PIE--
Oahu_crithab@r1.fws.gov. If you submit comments by e-mail, please
submit them as an ASCII file and avoid the use of special characters
and any form of encryption. Please also include ``Attn: RIN 1018-AI24''
and your name and return address in your e-mail message. If you do not
receive a confirmation from the system that we have received your e-
mail message, contact us directly by calling our Honolulu Fish and
Wildlife Office at telephone number 808/541-3441.
(3) You may hand-deliver comments to our Honolulu Fish and Wildlife
Office at the address given above under (1).
Comments and materials received, as well as supporting
documentation used in preparation of the proposal to designate critical
habitat, will be available for inspection, by appointment, during
normal business hours at the address under (1) above.
Copies of the draft economic analysis are available on the Internet
at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=leavingFR.html&log=linklog&to=http://pacificislands.fws.gov or by request from the Field
Supervisor at the address and phone number listed in ADDRESSES.
Author(s)
The primary author of this document is Michelle Mansker (See
ADDRESSES section).
Authority
The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 1973
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: December 16, 2002.
Craig Manson,
Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.
[FR Doc. 02-32522 Filed 12-24-02; 8:45 am]
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