2016-06069: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation and Nondesignation of Critical Habitat on Molokai, Lanai, Maui, and Kahoolawe for 135 Species

Summary

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, designate or revise critical habitat for 125 listed species on the islands of Maui, Molokai, and Kahoolawe in the State of Hawaii. We are designating critical habitat for 50 plant and animal species, and revising critical habitat for 85 plant species. In total, approximately 157,002 acres (ac) (63,537 hectares (ha)) on the islands of Molokai, Maui, and Kahoolawe fall within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation. Although we proposed critical habitat on 25,413 ac (10,284 ha) on the island of Lanai, this area is excluded from final designation under section 4(b)(2) of the Endangered Species Act. In addition, under section 4(b)(2), approximately 59,479 ac (24,070 ha) on the islands of Maui and Molokai are excluded from critical habitat designation. These exclusions mean that we are not designating critical habitat for 10 of the species included in our proposed rule. We also removed 29,170 ac (11,805 ha) of areas we determined do not meet the definition of critical habitat. In this final rule, we accept name changes or corrections for 10 endangered plants and 2 endangered birds. The effect of this rule is to conserve these 125 species and their habitats under the Endangered Species Act.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

What this changes

Amends 1 part of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

• 50 CFR 17 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants