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Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Nightingale Reed- Warbler (Acrocephalus luscinia) for Review and Comment

 [Federal Register: September 30, 1997 (Volume 62, Number 189)]
[Notices]
[Page 51123-51124]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30se97-96]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service


Availability of Draft Recovery Plan for the Nightingale Reed-
Warbler (Acrocephalus luscinia) for Review and Comment

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of document availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the
availability for public review of a draft recovery plan for the
nightingale reed-warbler (Acrocephalus luscinia). This species is known
only from the Mariana Islands and is currently limited to essentially 2
islands, with a remnant population on a third island, in this
archipelago with a total population of approximately 6,225-6,230
individuals.

DATES: Comments on the draft recovery plan received by December 29,
1997 will be considered by the Service.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the draft recovery plan are available for
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the
following locations: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands
Office, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Room 3108, P.O. Box 50088, Honolulu,
Hawaii 96850 (phone: 808/541-3441); the Northern Marianas College
Library, P.O. Box 1250, Asterlaje Campus, Saipan, MP 96950 (phone: 670/
234-5498, extension 1121/2); and University of Guam, RFK Memorial
Library, UOG Station, Mangilao, Guam 96923 (phone: 671/734-9412).
Requests for copies of the draft recovery plan and written comments and
materials regarding the plan should be addressed to Brooks Harper,
Field Supervisor-Ecological Services of the Pacific Islands Office at
the Honolulu address given above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Rosa, Assistant Field
Supervisor-Endangered Species, at the Honolulu address given above.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Restoring endangered or threatened animals and plants to the point
where they are again secure, self-sustaining members of their ecosystem
is a primary goal of the Service's endangered species program. To help
guide the recovery effort, the Service is working to prepare recovery
plans for most of the listed species native to the United States, its
Territories and Commonwealths. Recovery plans describe actions
considered necessary for conservation of the species, criteria for
recognizing the recovery levels for downlisting or delisting them, and
initial estimates of times and costs to implement the recovery measures
needed.
    The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.) (Act), requires the development of recovery plans for listed
species unless such a plan would not promote the conservation of a
particular species. Section 4(f) of the Act, as amended in 1988,
requires that a public notice and an opportunity for public review and
comment be provided during recovery plan development. The Service will
consider all information presented during a public comment period prior
to approval of each new or revised recovery plan. Substantive technical
comments will result in changes to the plan. Substantive comments
regarding recovery plan implementation may not necessarily result in
changes to the recovery plan, but will be forwarded to appropriate
Federal or other entities so that they can take these comments into
account during the course of implementing recovery actions.
Individualized responses to comments will not be provided.
    The species being considered in this recovery plan is the
nightingale reed-warbler (Acrocephalus luscinia). The species is
historically known from five islands in the Marianas archipelago: Guam,
Aguiguan, Saipan, Alamagan, and Pagan. It is now extirpated from Guam
and Pagan, and near extirpation on Aguiguan. Destruction of wetland
areas and predation by the introduced brown tree snake (Boiga
irregularis) are believed to have caused the extinction on Guam.
Habitat destruction due to feral ungulates and, ultimately, vulcanism,
are believed to have extirpated the Pagan population. Large areas of
reed-warbler habitat were converted to agriculture during the German
(1899-1917) and Japanese (1917-1944) administrations and native forest
was further damaged during World War II battles. Although populations
of reed-warblers flourished on Saipan with the reversion of former
agricultural land to scrubby habitats after World War II, this trend
has reversed recently as land has been developed for agriculture,
homesteads, and tourist-related facilities. Hence, the amount of
suitable habitat has been declining. Habitat on Aguiguan and Alamagan
has been severely degraded by the continuing presence of large feral
goat populations. All of these factors have led to reduction or
extirpation of reed-warbler populations from most of the Mariana
Islands. A small remnant population persists on Aguiguan, while larger
populations persist on Saipan and

[[Page 51124]]

Alamagan. Habitat loss and exotic predators, such as the brown tree
snake, monitor lizard (Varanus indicus), rat (Rattus spp.), and
domestic cat (Felis catus), continue to be the greatest threats to the
survival of the nightingale reed-warbler.
    The nightingale reed-warbler is currently represented by
populations on three islands with a total number of individuals
estimated to be 6,225-6,230 birds. The objective of this plan is to
provide a framework for the recovery of this species so that protection
by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is no longer necessary. Recommended
recovery actions emphasize protection of the existing populations from
introduction of the brown tree snake and from existing threats, such as
other predators, feral ungulates, and habitat alteration. It is
recommended that populations be established on at least three
additional islands in the Mariana Island chain. Further research on
population dynamics is also needed.

Public Comments Solicited

    The Service solicits written comments on the recovery plan
described. All comments received by the data specified above will be
considered prior to approval of this plan.

Authority

    The authority for this action is section 4(f) of the Endangered
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1533(f).

    Dated: September 24, 1997.
Michael J. Spear,
Regional Director, Region 1, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 97-25839 Filed 9-29-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P

 
 

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