12788 FederalRegister / Vol. 55, No. 66 / Thursday,April 5, 1990 I Rulesand Regulations

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERiOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

RIN 1018-AB31

Endangered and Threatened Wildlifeand Plants; Cassla MirabilisDetermined To Be Endangered

AGENCY: FishandWildlife Service,Interior.ACTION: Finalrule.

SUMMARY: TheServicedeterminesCuss/amfrab/Jis (no commonname)tobean endangeredspeciespursuanttotheEndangeredSpeciesAct (Act) of1g73, asamended.Cassiamirabilis isaplant that is endemictothesilica sandsof northernPuertoRicoand is nowlimited to threesitesin this area.Thespeciesis affectedby sandextraction,theexpansionof residentialareas,andindustrialdevelopment.This final rulewill implementtheFederalprotectionandrecoveryprovisionsaffordedby theAct.EFFECTIVE DATE: May 7, 1990.ADDRESSES:Thecompletefile for thisrule is availablefor inspection,byappointment,duringnormalbusinesshoursat the CaribbeanField Office, U.S.FishandWildlife Service,P.O.Box491,Boqueron,PuertoRico00622,andat theService’sSoutheastRegionalOffice,Suite 1282,75 SpringStreet,SW.,Atlanta,Georgia30303.FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Ms. SusanSilanderat theCaribbeanFieldOffice address(809/851—7297) orMr. David P.Flemmingat theAtlantaRegionalOfficeaddress(404/331—3583orFTS 242—3583).SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Cczssiamirabii.c wasfirst collectedbyDr. AgustinStahlin themid-nineteenthcentury.In 1899, Mr. EdwardHellercollectedthespeciesin VegaBaja,anareaof silica sands.Dataobtainedfromherbariumcollectionsindicatethat thisspecieswasat onetimecommonthroughoutthesilica sandsof thenorthcoastof PuertoRico (Vivaldi andWoodbury1981).However,urban,industrial,andagriculturalexpansionhasresultedin the restrictionof thespeciesto two areasin Doradoandscatteredpopulationsalongthesouthernshoreof theTortugueroLagoon.

AlthoughCassiarn/rabBishasbeenplacedby variousauthorsin Cassiaasaspeciesandin Chamaecristabothas aspeciesanda variety(Chamaecristaglandulosavar. rn/rob//is),Liogier and

Martorell (1982),in theirflora of PuertoRicoandadjacentislands,retainthetaxonasa speciesin thegenusCassia.

Coss’iarn/rabBisis a prostrate,ascendingor erectshrubwhichmayreachmorethan 30 inches(1 meter)inheight.Theleavesarealternate,evenlyone-pinnate,Vs to ¼inches(3 to 5millimeters) long, with somescattered-whitish hairs.The petioleshaveonetotwo stipitateglands.Flowersareyellow,solitary,¾inches(about2 centimeters)in diameter,with onepetalmuchlargerthanthe others.Maturefruits (legumes)areglabrous,linear, I to 1Y2 inches(2.5to 4 centimeters)long, ¼inch (5millimeters)wide,flat, elasticallydehiscent,and12 to 15 seeded.Thespeciesis endemicto thesilica sandsofthenortherncoastof PuertoRico. Thesesandsarefine, white,highly permeableandstronglyacid,Theyareunderlainbyanimpermeablehardpanlocatedapproximately12 to 16 inches(30 to 40centimeters)belowthesurface.Manyspeciesarefoundin PuertoRico only onthesewhite siliceoussands.Althoughadry evergreenor littoral forestis foundin thearea,Cassiamirabilis is restrictedto theopenareas.

Cassiamirabiliswasrecommendedfor Federallisting in 1978by theSmithsonianInstitution(AyensuandDeFilipps1978).Thespecieswasincludedamongtheplantsbeingconsideredas endangeredor threatenedspeciesby theService,aspublishedintheFederalRegister(45 PR 82480) datedDecember15, 1980; theNovember28,1983,update(48 FR 53680)of the1960notice: and theSeptember27, 1985,revisednotice(50 FR 39526).The specieswasdesignatedcategoryI (speciesforwhich theServicehassubstantialinformationsupportingtheappropriatenessof proposingto listthemasendangeredor threatened)ineachof thethreenotices.

In a noticepublishedin theFederalRegisteron February15, 1983(48 FR6752),theServicereportedtheearlieracceptanceof thenew taxain theSmithsonian’s1978book as underpetitionwithin the contextof section4(b)(3)(A) of theAct, asamendedin1982.TheServicesubsequentlymadeannualfindingsin eachOctoberof 1983through1988 that listing Cassiarn/rabiEswaswarrantedbutprecludedby otherpendinglisting actionsof ahigherpriority, andthatadditionaldataon vulnerabilityandthreatswerestillbeinggathered.The Serviceproposedlisting Cassiarn/rabBisonApril 14, 1989(54FR 14976).Thatactionrepresentedthe final findingrequiredfor thepetitionprocess.

Summaryof Commentsand

Recommendations

In theApril 14, 1989,proposedruleandassociatednotifications,allinterestedpartieswererequestedtosubmitfactualreportsof informationthatmight contributeto thedevelopmentof a final rule. AppropriateagenciesoftheCommonwealthof PuertoRico,Federalagencies,scientificorganizations,andotherinterestedpartieswerecontactedandrequestedtocomment.A newspapernoticeinvitinggeneralpublic commentwaspublishedin the “SanJuanStar” on April 29, 1989.Two lettersof commentwerereceivedandarediscussedbelow.A publichearingwasneitherrequestednor held.

Two commentswerereceivedfromU.S. Army Corpsof Engineers(Corps).Neitherhadadditionalinformationonthestatusof theplant.TheJacksonvilleoffice of the Corpsstatedthata nowinactivebeacherosionprojectwaspreviouslyidentifiedaspossiblyimpactingthespecies.lithe projectwereto bereactivatedits impacton thisspeciesshouldbeevaluated.Thespecieswasnot identifiedasbeingpresentin studiescarriedout for theRiodeLa PlataFloodProtectionProject.

TheSanJuanCorpsoffice identifiedaprojectthathadbeensubmittedby theHyatt DoradoBeachHotel for theconstructionof a village complexwithinthe rangeofthespecies.

Summaryof FactorsAffecting theSpecies

After a thoroughreview andconsiderationof all informationavailable,theServicehasdeterminedthatGassiamirabilisshouldbeclassifiedasanendangeredspecies.Proceduresfoundat section4(a)(1)oftheEndangeredSpeciesAct (16 U.S.C.1531et seq.)andregulations(50 CFRpart424) promulgatedto implementthelisting provisionsof theAct werefollowed. A speciesmaybe determinedtobeendangeredor threatenedduetooneor moreof thefive factorsdescribedin section4(a)(1).Thesefactorsandtheir applicationto Cassiamirabilis(Pollard) Urbanareasfollows:

A. Thepresentor threateneddestruction,modification,or curtailmentofits habitator range.Destructionandmodificationof habitathavebeen,andcontinueto be,significantfactorsreducingthenumbersof Cassiamirabilis. Oncedistributedthroughoutthesilica sandsinnorthernPuertoRico,it is now restrictedtothesouthernshoreof TortugueroLagoonandtwo sitesintheDoradoarea.OneDoradositehasbeenproposedfor theconstructionof a

FederalRegister / Vol. 55. No. 66/Thursday. Apr~!5 1990 / Rules and Regulatiors

Ia:~eoff~ebuilding complex.Prcsentusecf this s:tefer groz:n~dossnjtap~~arto adv9rs~iyaftertthess. A~ccond. smefl populationhi Drr-i~.recentlydiscovereddurino a routinee~uluationof alocal higliwe proiectbythePuertoRico Departmentof NaturalResources,will soonbetransptantedtoseveit from compl~t~destruct:on.TheTortugueropopulations.the idr8est,aretrirejtenedcc sandextrac;tior.,s4uatt andthedump:r.~of trdsh 10th~s “e::.

fl ()~~~rL:L.~ut.O]?f~’rs~:~tt:fi~or educat;~.a!

e-~’~’.T~ik~rigfo~thesepurposeshacoct Luco a Je~umeniedcdocr theU .rc of tffl~speciPs.

01 p:’eJ~t;r:..Dtsu~’scand‘.1 ~:onha. nc~tbeeodoct~tnentcdas

f.. ors in the deciineof rh;sspecii/~c:rt.;decua~c; tx;3~,’.uu

:rs’::;. TheLe.inion~,cohn ot P iorto Rtco hoeo .optad rc.~!t~ant~atroc’gnizci arAd~:F3V~e. protectioni;r uertaaiC 1 £cnolkv.edittI listed speo:e.s.L-1u~cvet.

Cr’tconweahhlhr. F•~duroli~:~ttfl~Zoul ~ ‘ovh!e hiic ~d:atc prot~-’etton

a:~i.if t~.’ .10 uh~inatekplacedon tho Crmmenweahhlist. it w’c,uldfcuitie~coliarre :~spretacuortaadthepossiiltes for fundtn~neededrotear~’h.

P. Other !?aturc (‘1 o:c.cmtzci— fc’dorscfr~cc/z’:t~,’Its COfl~U7Ll~de.’.;.~ei:ce.Oneofth~riost important factorsaffec~tngtheconrrtuedsurvival of Cassiar’±abils j~it.~limited diotribu~ion.Dci” 150 tc 200piers areknown to occurin 3 areas.Ocr’ popu~ation.unlesstronsphlnte(irtlccrssiuiiv. is de~tinec~to liedint ;-~atedby roadconstruction.Alt}iot’gh theTortugueroLagoonareaisctcsirnatpdby thePuertoRicoDepartmentof NaturalResourcesas a~aturd! ~eserve. theland remainsinpri~dte ownerrhip. Continuedintens:vei.~ndalterationcouldresultin thee’:tinction of thespecies.

Th.~Servicehascarefuli~’assessedtheOcut scientificandcommercialinformationavailableregardingthepast.present.andfuture threatsfacedby thissciectesin determiningto makethis rule[‘nal. Busedon this evaiuaton,thepreferredactionis to list Cassia

asrndanc~ered.The specIesis: strictedto cniv threelocationson thes~:’euussandsof thenorth coast.all ofv h:ch aresubjectto habitatdestructionrd moddicatton.Therefore,endangered

rafhe~thaothra.dencdstatusseemsanaccurateassessmentof thespecies~condition.The reasonsfor not proposingcritical habitat for this speciesactdtocussedbelowin the “Crit:cali i-ibitat” section.

Crificol Habitat

Sc:t.on4la)~3)of thu Act re’~:as thaito themaximumextentprudentanddeterm~nebIe,thu Secretarydesi~na:ecritical habitatat thetime a spentc~sisdeterminedto be endaneeredorthreatened.The Servicefindc thutde~ignat;onof critical h~,bitutis notprudentbr this speciesat this time. Thenumb~rof individuals cf ~‘ass;omir~bi/;s’is sufficiently small thatvandalismcould seriouslr’affect the~ur~ ivul of the species.i-hbiicct~enofcr1l:.ul habit

0t descriptuocsandrrocps

theFederalRegisterwcu~dirr easethelil.elihood of suchactiviiece.‘11w S~:vi~believes that Federalinvoh.‘~rcen~toorcis where thie ~taot coru:1cooDc

ichtfltif;ttd w:thout the de ::n;~or~ofct~ttcalhcbitat. lnvovedparluw ~ndlandownershavebeennotifted of theln~.ationand imp’Irtan.1c of nrotoc~ta:thts soeceshaU~tat.Frut~~tn of th,,sic i’~’ helcitut ~~ll a~s’,hi atProu~ththe recoveryprocessandthrougnthesector.7 ~eopari.L’ stani.’rd

Availahhi ConservalicnMeasures

Co:iservatiottn:aa.~ure~pro’~eJudii’speciesltstedaseodangere.torthreatenedundertheEn1’~rg‘r’-’dSpeciesAct irtclud~r.ccgoif::c.

ieco~eraa~tion~.ruqe:r’r. ‘r:is f~vFederalprotection.endprohñitiunsagainstcertainpracttcc;.1. ‘o~rdtlitothrouchlistir~tzencouragesandresutshicm~i~sertationacti9nrby FeJ~.,oi,Concrner.wealih,endpt:’. etcgrocps andindividuals. TneEndartpomdSp~ciesA~t;‘.:‘v~’i’sLrpossiblehind acq:ii~~tier.endco’)peratIomwith the Cemrnce~’~’’tti.andrequiresthatrecovcr~’at’ta,nscurriedout for all list:.d spe :je.~.Si iiactorsareinitiated br the ~trviaefollowing listing. Theproecionrei;t.ir~-it.f Fed”raiacenciesandthe~‘reh;bi;~t’~aCulISt takingared:stnt;seU. p:t t.

below.Sect~ea7(a) of theAct. as

reqtaresFederalagenffes to ~‘vriuct’their e:Liar,r with resperito an; s:~>~:cuthat is proposedo~list.’.. es daet’oedor threatenedandW:tO recpcrt atcritical habitat,if an’ is lidesignated.RegulattonciS tornthis interagencycoeoer~tt ta i’’.’.

of theActarecodified at ~J CcR part4C2. Section7(u)r2) requragenciesto ensure•hatact”. a-.’. toauthorize,fund or cars” c a’ .:. : n:likel~to j~opurdizethe ~a.existenceof a listed spuca: todu.ttroy or ndcorselyr:dJ. Ps Crc iihabitat.If aFederalactionocir’ afft’ct alistedspcoiesor its crd. cal 1o’hita~,theresponsibleFeduralagenc’, mu.into formalconsultat;onw:th t°.a

Na crtttcal h..h.tit is ~ic..;cprocuredfor Ccseiczoireb

11s. us

discussedabovc.Fr~eralIr’.veiY”:’,not exnnct.tdwhcro thesoec:c.s0

known to occur.

Thr Act end us :muicment:n~rogt!a~:onstf. ‘endat 51 CF~17.~.I”.tand17.63 set forth a ser:osofd’ner.1tOudeprohibitionsandexc-pz:ons thetapp~vto all end oporedr.tunts, All nun’p.’ohi~etinnsof sectc‘rt c

1~i21at t:’~

impienion’ ‘sty SCCt et I ~ t’. a:The~oprohuitt:ons.to. part. mete

t.ie~~l fur ocr perseneuo~e’::bto: duttoncf ho CooedS~i’e::to

in:;ort of ex~cr’~nnv c: ,io4et’uep 1

a en,..:t it in interst~c‘~a: •~r

ce trourcehi the ccc:.: ct a ccc: :~‘.

o elI or offer 1? C,:5

Colt’ u“rs’.ite or foreign commerce.c’-

r rnive ii from aret-i~under~ad’r..’; ‘eei ttor’ cudred’ev” to

lo ::t1ltt:oII, fc’r en r:.c,nrc! ihtrt~ totot urncttdrticntsfF~h.L. 1UJ—t”O t.t” Ac. orolhbit their mo,.uucs.1

on Factor 1 i’nds -i

~ reu’”t il. rutt)ncl c.1.’.nc up, 0’

U .ne~t”cor uc’strovtu’~in Knrrir.pU:er. of ant Sote iO’V cc s ~‘1 ‘co

i.t’dudng~t:-.tecrtrriunai trtscasshi”The lJ8d amendmcn’rdo no~r~fl,.’ctflU.-.p. :e’~ton for threir ried plants.Gm’rt,t’ aC ~CCt’TOflS coo apply t0 acelitscti lbSecv.ceendComntonw.althe~-:sa”vatienagencies.The Act aed(‘b R .o:: and 760 also pro hi. : in

t-~ t. :‘!pernljts to cacr%’out‘tO’s; ,~‘prel, :Uited actu’.LOt.) iota 1’.

1~1~,,flfci”hi PCCiOSurtd’e: ce”taii:

t; ‘: a, ‘nres, It is anfic’n,jf ad t’i;tt f’t~

‘:;“.it~ for Case/aflhiFdjII:5 wilta ‘. ;~ht or tsuued,Sifl~C tic.’

op ‘ . to! known to he 10 rulit’.it.n’;a cor,monin thewild. Rotot,

.~‘t’~of therrt~vttatenson pl’il:si a: r~g:~d~gthet’. ni ~‘ En’

.H fe theOffice ni Monaco: “:

Ac”. ~ L’S. Fioti end~~‘ihiLfc5, “cc, pfl !Jax 3~O7,A:’liretar.,

n:ne3 (703,~?.38--2iu4~.

.1 .~ ~ 1ranmer.taiFoii~vAct

•‘

i ~‘ .; ct tI.,J .3r1 Lttt’ij,’.1po’.np,a

‘a . . es defi’u;d und’ S fbi:Lie NatanalEnv;tonnt.tt:t.o

V /“ KO;. neednot hi’ p; ,cta il”..

0 con’ . ~ta wini r”~ut.aUjns~Oto:’’

pt’ tO t 5OtitOfl t~t~of the1,: . .~u ht)C;.1,., Act of 1973. ~:,

‘\ u,.,::ceuc.thni:i tb’S .. . 0 ‘5 s ~ia’.nsfor th~’Uet’rmtnaO~~r,Wa., .‘~1’,i:c’i in theFederalRe~E~t~0or.0: t,Unjr 2~.1093 (~Ft: 4924u.

i~ef,,,reret’s

7’ .-a. E~.‘‘p.1 Re’t J’!t’t :IIJLJI. Irn1 ‘U’’.: .‘‘r. t~iarc~threat,’i~tstlaatA(1t~1

12790 FederalRegister / Vol. 55, No. 66 / Thursday,April 5, 1990 / Rulesand Regulations

UnitedStatss.SmithsonianInstitutionandWorld Wildlife Fund,Washington.DC xv+ 403 pp.

Liogier, HA., andL.F. Martorell. 1962. Floraof PuertoRico andadjacentislands:asystematicsynopsis.Universityof PuertoRico, Rio Piadras, PuertoRico. 342pp.

Vivaldi, J.L.. andR.O. Woodbury.1981. Statusreporton Chamaecristaglandulosavar.mimbilcs~

tLrd) Irwin & Barneby.

Unpublish~. tusreportsubmittedto theU.S. Fishand . .‘ ‘Ilife Service,Atlanta,Georgia.36 pp.

Author

The primaryauthor. this final rule isMs. SusanSilander,Car..“can FieldOffice, U.S. FishandWildh .. Service,

P.O.Box 491, Boquerón,PuertoRico00622 (809/851—7297).

List of Subjectsin 50 CFRPart17

Endangeredandthreatenedspecies,Fish, Marinemammals,Plants(agriculture).

RegulationPromulgation

Accordingly, part17, subchapterB ofchapter1, title 50 of theCodeof FederalRegulationsis amended,as setforthbelow:

PART 17—[AMENDED]

1. The authoritycitation for part 17continuestoreadasfollows:

Authority: 16 U.S.C.I “ft i—t1407; 16 U.S.C.1531—1543;16 U.S.C.4..ji—4245;Pub.L. 99—625,100 Stat.3500, calessotherwisenoted.

2. Amend § 17.12(h)by addingthefollowing, in iaphabeticalorderunderCaesalpini: .eae,to theList ofEndanger.JandThreatenedPlants:

§ 17.12 Lndangered and threatenedplants.

Species

Scientific name Common nameHistoric range Statue When listed Cntical habitat Specialrules

Caesalpiniaceae’Cassia family.Cass’a mirabil’s ;‘ ‘.~O) U.S.A. (PR) “ 379 NA NA.

Dated:March15, 19~()Richar~lActingL~~ui’. rish and Wildlife Service.

[FR Doc. 90—7810 Filed 4—4—90t 8:45am]BIWNO CODE 4310-55-N