Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised 12-Month Finding for the Beaver Cave Beetle (Pseudanophthalmus major, 59711-59714 [E6-16540]
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regime, and habitat conditions are
generally upward trending, with
management by private and public land
managers incorporating strategies that
enhance the availability of permanent
water and suitable habitat for Cow Head
tui chub.
As discussed under Factor B, the Cow
Head tui chub is not a commercial or
recreational fish species and there are
only a few documented scientific
collections since 1939. Future
collections for scientific purposes
presumably would be limited, and
overutilization is not likely to threaten
the Cow Head tui chub with extinction
in the foreseeable future.
As discussed under Factor C, no
disease or predator currently threatens
the Cow Head tui chub. Furthermore,
the introduction and establishment of a
disease or nonnative predator into the
Cow Head Basin is not likely to occur
and, in the unlikely event it were to
occur, is not likely to threaten the Cow
Head tui chub with extinction in the
foreseeable future.
As discussed under Factor D, there
are currently no recognized threats to
the continued existence of the Cow
Head tui chub identified under the other
factors that require or would be
ameliorated by further regulation.
Further, the chub has persisted, with
populations still occurring throughout
its historic range, with the existing
regulatory mechanisms. Therefore, we
conclude that the possible inadequacy
of existing regulatory mechanisms is not
likely to threaten the Cow Head tui chub
with extinction in the foreseeable
future.
As discussed under Factor E, we have
not identified additional factors that rise
to a level likely to threaten the Cow
Head tui chub with extinction
throughout all or a significant portion of
its range. Extreme natural drought has
the potential to severely constrain the
distribution of the Cow Head tui chub
and its available habitat as it has in the
past, and droughts are likely to occur
periodically in the future. However, the
Cow Head tui chub has demonstrated
considerable resiliency in its ability to
survive substantial regional droughts
experienced over the last century, all
under the current management regime.
Permanent habitat provided by
perennial spring-fed stream reaches in
five subdrainages of the Cow Head
Basin is likely to remain available in the
foreseeable future. Therefore, natural
drought and the additional factors
discussed in Factor E are not likely to
threaten the Cow Head tui chub with
extinction in the foreseeable future.
Based on the lack of present or
foreseeable threats to its continued
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existence, we have determined that the
Cow Head tui chub is not likely to
become in danger of extinction in the
foreseeable future throughout all or a
significant portion of its range (section
3(6) of the Act) and, therefore, does not
meet the Act’s definition of threatened
or endangered. Consequently, we
withdraw our 1998 proposal to list the
Cow Head tui chub as endangered (63
FR 15152, March 30, 1998).
We will continue to monitor the
status of the species and to accept
additional information and comments
from all concerned governmental
agencies, the scientific community,
industry, or any other interested party
concerning this finding. We will
reconsider this determination in the
event that new information indicates
that such an action is appropriate.
References Cited
A complete list of all references cited
is available at the Service’s Klamath
Falls Fish and Wildlife Office (see
ADDRESSES).
Author
The primary authors of this notice are
the staff of the Service’s Klamath Falls
Fish and Wildlife Office (see ADDRESSES
above).
Authority
The authority of this action is section
4(b)(6)(B)(ii) of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: September 28, 2006.
Marshall Jones,
Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service.
[FR Doc. E6–16544 Filed 10–10–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
and Plants; Revised 12-Month Finding
for the Beaver Cave Beetle
(Pseudanophthalmus major)
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of revised 12-month
petition finding.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (Service), announce our
revised 12-month finding for a petition
to list the Beaver Cave beetle
(Pseudanophthalmus major) under the
Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). After a review
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59711
of the best available scientific and
commercial information, we conclude
that this species is not likely to become
an endangered or threatened species
within the foreseeable future throughout
all or a significant portion of its range.
Therefore, we find that proposing a rule
to list the species is not warranted, and
we no longer consider it to be a
candidate species for listing. However,
the Service will continue to seek new
information on the taxonomy, biology,
and ecology of this species, as well as
potential threats to its continued
existence.
DATES: This finding was made on
October 11, 2006. Although no further
action will result from this finding, we
request that you submit new
information concerning the taxonomy,
biology, ecology, and status of the
Beaver Cave beetle, as well as potential
threats to its continued existence,
whenever such information becomes
available.
ADDRESSES: The complete file for this
finding is available for inspection, by
appointment and during normal
business hours, at the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 3761 Georgetown
Road, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601.
Submit new information, materials,
comments, or questions concerning this
species to us at the same address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
Michael A. Floyd, Kentucky Ecological
Services Field Office at the address
listed above, by telephone at 502–695–
0468, by facsimile at 502–695–1024, or
by e-mail at mike_floyd@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Act provides two mechanisms for
considering species for listing. One
method allows the Secretary, on his
own initiative, to identify species for
listing under the standards of section
4(a)(1). We implement this through an
assessment process to identify species
that are candidates for listing, which
means we have on file sufficient
information on biological vulnerability
and threats to support a proposal to list
the species as endangered or threatened,
but for which preparation and
publication of a proposal is precluded
by higher-priority listing actions. Using
this process, we identified the Beaver
Cave beetle as a candidate for listing in
2001 and included it in the Candidate
Notice of Review (CNOR) published in
the Federal Register on October 30,
2001 (66 FR 54808). In subsequent
CNORs that we published on June 13,
2002 (67 FR 40657), May 4, 2004 (69 FR
24875), and May 11, 2005 (70 FR
24870), we continued to recognize this
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species as a candidate for listing based
on updated assessments of its status. We
also published a CNOR on September
12, 2006 (71 FR 53755), which
maintained the species as a candidate
for listing because we had not yet
finalized this, our most current review
of the species.
A second mechanism that the Act
provides for considering species for
listing is for the public to petition us to
add a species to the Federal Lists of
Threatened or Endangered Species
(Lists) found at 50 CFR 17.11 (animals)
and § 17.12 (plants). Under section
4(b)(3)(A), when we receive such a
petition, we must determine within 90
days, to the extent practicable, whether
the petition presents substantial
scientific or commercial information
that listing may be warranted (a ‘‘90-day
finding’’). If we make a positive 90-day
finding, we must promptly commence a
status review of the species and under
section 4(b)(3)(B), we must make and
publish one of three possible findings
within 12 months of receipt of such a
petition (a ‘‘12-month finding’’):
1. The petitioned action is not
warranted;
2. The petitioned action is warranted
(in which case we are to promptly
publish a proposed regulation to
implement the petitioned action); or
3. The petitioned action is warranted
but (a) the immediate proposal of a
regulation and final promulgation of a
regulation implementing the petitioned
action is precluded by pending
proposals, and (b) expeditious progress
is being made to add qualified species
to the Lists (i.e., a ‘‘warranted but
precluded’’ 12-month petition finding).
Our standard for making a species a
candidate through our own initiative is
identical to the standard for making a
‘‘warranted but precluded’’ 12-month
petition finding.
On May 11, 2004, the Service received
a petition from the Center for Biological
Diversity to list 225 species we
previously had identified as candidates
for listing, including the Beaver Cave
beetle. Pursuant to requirements in
section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act, the CNOR
and Notice of Findings on Resubmitted
Petitions published by the Service on
May 11, 2005 (70 FR 24870) included a
finding that the immediate issuance of
a proposed listing rule and the timely
promulgation of a final rule for each of
these petitioned species, including the
Beaver Cave beetle, was warranted but
precluded by higher priority listing
actions, and that expeditious progress
was being made to add qualified species
to the Lists.
Section 4(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Act directs
that when we make a ‘‘warranted but
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precluded’’ finding on a petition, we are
to treat the petition as being one that is
resubmitted annually on the date of the
finding; thus the Act requires us to
reassess the petitioned actions and to
publish a finding on the resubmitted
petition on an annual basis. We
included a ‘‘warranted but precluded’’
finding on the resubmitted petition on
the Beaver Cave beetle in the CNOR and
Notice of Findings on Resubmitted
Petitions published in the Federal
Register on September 12, 2006 (71 FR
53755). The resubmitted petition
finding was based on an assessment of
the Beaver Cave beetle that covered
information available as of October
2005. Although we typically make the
annual finding for petitioned candidate
species through the CNOR, we are not
required to wait a full year to reassess
the status of such species and may
publish a revised petition finding
separately from the CNOR. That is what
we are doing in this situation.
As a result of new information
regarding conservation efforts for the
Beaver Cave beetle, we have completed
a reassessment of its status (FWS
2006a). The updated assessment
document is available from our
Kentucky Ecological Services Field
Office (see ADDRESSES, above). This
resubmitted 12-month finding evaluates
new information, as described in the
species assessment and related
documents referenced in it, and reevaluates previously-acquired
information.
Species Information
The Beaver Cave beetle
(Pseudanophthalmus major) was
described by Krekeler (1973) from 3
specimens collected from Beaver Cave,
Harrison County, Kentucky by T.C. Barr
and J.R. Holsinger in 1966. Cave beetles
in the genus Pseudanophthalmus are
small, eyeless, reddish-brown insects
that belong to the predatory ground
beetle family Carabidae. Like most other
insects, they have six legs and a body
that consists of a head, thorax, and
abdomen. Body length is generally from
3.0 to 8.0 millimeters (mm) (0.12 to 0.32
inches), depending upon the species.
Maximum body length for the Beaver
Cave beetle is 8 mm. According to Barr
(1996), the genus Pseudanophthalmus is
represented by approximately 255
species. The different species within the
genus are differentiated by differences
in the shape and size of the various
body parts, especially the shape of the
male appendages used during
reproduction. Most members of the
genus are cave dependent (troglobites)
and are not found outside the cave
environment. All are predatory and feed
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upon small cave invertebrates such as
spiders, mites, millipedes, and
diplurans, while the larger
Pseudanophthalmus species also feed
on cave cricket eggs (Barr 1996).
Members of this genus vary in rarity
from fairly common, widespread species
that are found in many caves to species
that are extremely rare and restricted to
only one cave, such as the Beaver Cave
beetle.
Little detailed life history information
is available for the rarest of the cave
beetles, including the Beaver Cave
beetle. However, the generalized
summary that follows is accurate for the
more common and more easily studied
species and is believed to also apply to
the rarer species (Barr 1998). Cave
beetles copulate in the fall, and the eggs
are deposited in the cave soil during late
fall. The eggs hatch and larvae appear in
late fall through early winter. Pupation
occurs in late winter to early summer
with the adult beetles emerging in early
summer (Barr 1996).
The limestone caves in which these
cave beetles are found provide a unique
and fragile environment that supports a
variety of species that have evolved to
survive and reproduce under the
demanding conditions found in cave
ecosystems. No photosynthesis takes
place within the dark zone of a cave.
Therefore, all organisms that are
adapted to life within a cave are
dependent upon energy from the
surface. This energy can be in the form
of leaf litter, woody debris or small bits
of organic matter that is washed or falls
into the cave, or guano deposited by
cave-dependent bats that feed on the
surface and return to the cave to roost
(Barr 1996).
The Beaver Cave beetle is restricted to
Beaver Cave, a limestone cave located in
the Bluegrass Region of central
Kentucky. There are no other caves in
the vicinity of Beaver Cave, and the
Beaver cave beetle has not been found
at any other locations. The only known
entrance to Beaver Cave is located in an
open pasture and hillside of a dairy
farm in eastern Harrison County. The
cave generally trends northeastward
from its entrance for approximately 350
meters before terminating in a
breakdown (i.e., a portion of the cave
where the ceiling has collapsed)
(Laudermilk 2006). Most of Beaver Cave
is comprised of a simple, narrow
passage approximately 1 meter wide
and 2.5 meters high. However, there are
several larger rooms present, and there
are multiple levels in a few places
(Laudermilk 2006). A more extensive
description of the cave can be found in
Barr (1996).
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Conservation Efforts
The Service’s Partners for Fish and
Wildlife (Partners) Program (Kentucky
Ecological Services Field Office) began
working with the owner of the Beaver
Cave property in 2002, and other
partners (Kentucky Department of Fish
and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR),
Natural Resource Conservation Service
(NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA),
Kentucky State Nature Preserves
Commission, and Kentucky Division of
Forestry) soon thereafter, to implement
projects that would conserve Beaver
Cave and the species that occupy it and
in order to eliminate the threats to the
Beaver Cave beetle and its habitat or
reduce them to the point that listing was
no longer warranted. The Partners
Program coordinated several
conservation efforts that were planned
and implemented through five interrelated agreements/contracts between
the landowner and the agencies listed
above: (a) A Partners Program 15-year
Wildlife Habitat Enhancement
Agreement; (b) a Continuous
Conservation Reserve Program (CCRP)
15-year contract through FSA; (c) a
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program
(WHIP) 15-year contract through NRCS;
and (d) two Landowner Incentive
Program (LIP) 10-year agreements
through KDFWR. These projects were
initiated in the summer of 2003 and
fully implemented by fall of 2005.
Collectively, these agreements and
contracts encompassed three general
conservation efforts: (1) Maintain Beaver
Cave and the landowner’s surrounding
property in a manner that (a) reduces or
eliminates sediment and animal waste
within the cave’s watershed by
excluding cattle from the cave entrance
with fencing, developing and
implementing a rotational grazing
program, and installing hardened stream
crossings and heavy use areas, and (b)
establishes and maintains a forested
buffer around the entrance to Beaver
Cave; (2) construct and maintain the
metal gate at the entrance to Beaver
Cave; and (3) control and limit access to
Beaver Cave and the landowner’s
surrounding property.
Many aspects of the conservation
efforts identified in the five inter-related
agreements are on-going, such as
maintenance of the gate and control of
access into the cave, and others have
already been implemented (e.g.,
exclusion of cattle, construction of the
cave gate, tree plantings, hardened
stream crossings). Based on our
evaluation of each of the three
conservation efforts using the criteria
provided in the Policy for Evaluation of
Conservation Efforts When Making
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Listing Decisions (PECE) (68 FR 15100),
we have determined that each of the
three efforts is sufficiently certain to be
implemented and effective so as to have
contributed to the elimination or
reduction of threats to the species (FWS
2006b). Therefore, the Service can
consider these conservation efforts in
making a determination as to whether
the Beaver Cave beetle meets the
Service’s definition of a threatened or
endangered species.
Discussion of Listing Factors
Section 4 of the Act and
implementing regulations at 50 CFR part
424 set forth procedures for adding
species to the Lists. A species may be
determined to be an endangered or
threatened species based on the
applicability of one or more of the five
factors described in section 4(a)(1).
These factors and their application to
the Beaver Cave beetle are summarized
below.
A. The Present or Threatened
Destruction, Modification, or
Curtailment of Its Habitat or Range
In our initial assessment of the Beaver
Cave beetle in 2001, we identified this
species as a candidate for listing due to
the present and threatened destruction
and modification of its habitat (66 FR
54800). The activities contributing to
this threat factor have now been
addressed, as summarized below.
In our initial 2001 assessment and
subsequent CNORs and petition
findings, we identified and recognized a
potential risk of destruction or
modification of the cave environment
(the species’ habitat) which could occur
as a result of (1) polluted runoff from
the farm operation, specifically animal
waste, sediment, or spills of toxic
materials in the watershed in which the
cave occurs; and (2) unauthorized
human entry to Beaver Cave (i.e., trash
dumping, vandalism, physical habitat
disturbance, and trampling of beetles).
We now have determined that the
potential risk of polluted stormwater
runoff is limited, because these
pollutants have been significantly
reduced through full implementation of
the CCRP contracts, LIP agreement, and
Partners agreement specified above.
These contracts and agreements and
subsequent conservation efforts have
eliminated these threats or reduced
them to a point that any negative effects
are unexpected or would be
insignificant to the point that this listing
factor no longer applies. The reduction
in threats has been accomplished
through the installation of two heavyuse feeding areas that are away from the
cave and its entrance and associated
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59713
exclusion fencing, the development of a
rotational grazing program that
concentrates cattle away from the cave
entrance and its watershed, and the
installation of a hardened stream
crossing within the Beaver Cave
watershed. Also, these agreements and
contracts provided funding for cattle
exclusion fencing and native vegetation
plantings surrounding the cave
entrance, thereby protecting it from
cattle disturbance and establishing a
natural filter (barrier) for any potential
non-point source pollutants that could
potentially enter the cave during storm
events. Toxic material spills from
external sources are improbable,
because the Beaver Cave watershed is
small and not in an area where toxic
chemicals are produced or stored, nor is
there likely to be transport of toxic
materials in the area due to the rural
nature of the surrounding area. A trash
and debris-filled sinkhole that is
connected to Beaver was also unclogged
and cleaned, providing further
protection against contamination of the
underground drainage basin.
To address the unlawful human
trespass, trash dumping, vandalism, and
habitat degradation of Beaver Cave, a
bat-friendly cave gate was constructed
just inside the cave entrance in 2004.
The WHIP contract provided 53 percent
of the funding for the cave gate
construction, and the remaining 47
percent was obtained through a second
LIP agreement. Under these agreements
and contracts, unlawful entry to Beaver
Cave is prevented, and the landowner
has assumed responsibility for
maintaining and inspecting the gate.
This includes periodic inspections of
the gate, taking necessary steps to repair
the gate as needed, and ensuring the
gate does not become blocked with rock
or other debris that would block access
to the cave for native bats or other
species or prevent organic matter from
entering the cave. Bat guano and other
organic matter from the surface are
important components of energy flow
for the cave environment. Fencing has
been erected around an approximate
1-acre area containing the entrance to
Beaver Cave to promote the
development of natural habitat around
the cave entrance, provide further
protection to the property, and control
access to the cave entrance. These
actions promote energy flow and
eliminate the threats from dumping,
vandalism, and unauthorized trespass
such that this listing factor no longer
applies.
Many aspects of these conservation
efforts are on-going, such as the growth
and monitoring of the riparian
plantings, maintenance of the cave gate,
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and control of access into the cave, but
all of the primary habitat restoration and
protection efforts (e.g., cave gate
construction, fencing and subsequent
cattle exclusion, hardened feeding areas,
tree plantings, sinkhole clean-up) have
already been completed.
Based on the information summarized
above, the Beaver Cave beetle is not
threatened by the present or threatened
destruction, modification, or
curtailment of its habitat or range.
B. Overutilization for Commercial,
Recreational, Scientific, or Educational
Purposes
We have no evidence of
overutilization of the Beaver Cave beetle
in the past for commercial, recreational,
scientific, or educational purposes, and
have no information that suggests such
a threat exists in the foreseeable future.
Under the inter-related agreements
specified above, collection for scientific
purposes would be allowed only with
the permission of the landowner and the
Service. The cave has been used for
recreational purposes by spelunkers and
by passive recreationists in the past, but
placement of the locked metal gate
across the cave entrance in 2004 has
effectively eliminated such uses.
Further, through maintenance of the
metal gate at the cave entrance, as
required by the LIP agreement and
WHIP contract, all unauthorized access
to the cave is prevented. Based on these
considerations, overutilization for
commercial, recreational, scientific, or
educational purposes is not a threat to
the species.
C. Disease or Predation
Disease and predation are not known
to be threats for this species and are,
instead, a normal part of its life history.
Mortality from disease or predation
likely occurs but has not eliminated this
species in the past, and we have no
reason to expect disease or predation to
pose a substantial risk to the species in
the future. Based on these
considerations, disease or predation is
not a threat to the species.
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D. The Inadequacy of Existing
Regulatory Mechanisms
Although the Beaver Cave beetle is
listed as endangered in Kentucky by the
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Kentucky State Nature Preserves
Commission, such listings provide no
substantive protection under the current
Kentucky law. However, there are no
foreseeable reasons why specific
regulatory mechanisms are necessary to
ensure the conservation of this species,
because the landowner and the involved
agencies have committed to and are
implementing various conservation
efforts to protect Beaver Cave and the
Beaver Cave beetle. These include, but
are not limited to, strictly controlling
access to the cave and the property
surrounding the cave opening and
restoring and enhancing the vegetation
communities surrounding the cave and
in its watershed. The metal gate is
effective in preventing unauthorized
entry into the cave, and as described
above, the landowner has committed to
and is implementing measures to
strictly control access to the cave. Based
on these considerations, the inadequacy
of existing regulatory mechanisms is not
a threat to the species.
E. Other Natural or Manmade Factors
Affecting Its Continued Existence
Populations of this beetle species are
restricted to Beaver Cave and are
generally thought to be represented by
a small number of individuals.
Although this is a natural situation,
their limited distribution and numbers
make this species vulnerable to
extirpation due to effects from various
manmade factors, such as spills of toxic
substances, non-point source pollutants,
and habitat-related damage, as described
above under Factor A. As described
above, the conservation efforts included
in the five inter-related agreements
summarized above have removed or
substantially reduced these habitatrelated risks. Small population sizes for
these species may also limit the natural
interchange of genetic material within
the population, which could affect longterm genetic and population viability.
However, this is an endemic species
that has persisted over time (i.e., from
at least the time of its discovery to the
present time) and under conditions that
were worse than the current, moreprotective situation despite the
perceived risks of limited genetic
interchange. For the reasons described
above, the Beaver Cave beetle is not
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threatened by other natural or humancaused factors.
Revised Petition Finding
We have carefully assessed the best
scientific and commercial information
available regarding the past, present,
and future threats faced by the Beaver
Cave beetle.
We have evaluated the threats to the
Beaver Cave beetle and considered
factors that, individually and in
combination, presently or potentially
could pose a risk to the species and its
habitat. We conclude that listing this
species under the Act is not warranted,
because the species is not likely to
become an endangered or threatened
species within the foreseeable future
throughout all or a significant portion of
its range. This species no longer meets
our definition of a candidate and is
removed from candidate status.
We will continue to monitor the
status of the Beaver Cave beetle, and to
accept additional information and
comments from all concerned
governmental agencies, the scientific
community, industry, or any other
interested party concerning this finding.
We will reconsider this determination
in the event that new information
indicates that the threats to this species
are of a considerably greater magnitude
or imminence than identified here.
References
A complete list of all references cited
herein is available upon request from
the Kentucky Ecological Services Field
Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
(see ADDRESSES).
Author
The primary author of this finding is
Dr. Michael A. Floyd, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service (see ADDRESSES).
Authority
The authority for this action is the
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: September 28, 2006.
Marshall Jones,
Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E6–16540 Filed 10–10–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–55–P
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 196 (Wednesday, October 11, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 59711-59714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-16540]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revised 12-Month
Finding for the Beaver Cave Beetle (Pseudanophthalmus major)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of revised 12-month petition finding.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce our
revised 12-month finding for a petition to list the Beaver Cave beetle
(Pseudanophthalmus major) under the Endangered Species Act (Act) of
1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.). After a review of the best available
scientific and commercial information, we conclude that this species is
not likely to become an endangered or threatened species within the
foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its
range. Therefore, we find that proposing a rule to list the species is
not warranted, and we no longer consider it to be a candidate species
for listing. However, the Service will continue to seek new information
on the taxonomy, biology, and ecology of this species, as well as
potential threats to its continued existence.
DATES: This finding was made on October 11, 2006. Although no further
action will result from this finding, we request that you submit new
information concerning the taxonomy, biology, ecology, and status of
the Beaver Cave beetle, as well as potential threats to its continued
existence, whenever such information becomes available.
ADDRESSES: The complete file for this finding is available for
inspection, by appointment and during normal business hours, at the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 3761 Georgetown Road, Frankfort,
Kentucky 40601. Submit new information, materials, comments, or
questions concerning this species to us at the same address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Michael A. Floyd, Kentucky
Ecological Services Field Office at the address listed above, by
telephone at 502-695-0468, by facsimile at 502-695-1024, or by e-mail
at mike_floyd@fws.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Act provides two mechanisms for considering species for
listing. One method allows the Secretary, on his own initiative, to
identify species for listing under the standards of section 4(a)(1). We
implement this through an assessment process to identify species that
are candidates for listing, which means we have on file sufficient
information on biological vulnerability and threats to support a
proposal to list the species as endangered or threatened, but for which
preparation and publication of a proposal is precluded by higher-
priority listing actions. Using this process, we identified the Beaver
Cave beetle as a candidate for listing in 2001 and included it in the
Candidate Notice of Review (CNOR) published in the Federal Register on
October 30, 2001 (66 FR 54808). In subsequent CNORs that we published
on June 13, 2002 (67 FR 40657), May 4, 2004 (69 FR 24875), and May 11,
2005 (70 FR 24870), we continued to recognize this
[[Page 59712]]
species as a candidate for listing based on updated assessments of its
status. We also published a CNOR on September 12, 2006 (71 FR 53755),
which maintained the species as a candidate for listing because we had
not yet finalized this, our most current review of the species.
A second mechanism that the Act provides for considering species
for listing is for the public to petition us to add a species to the
Federal Lists of Threatened or Endangered Species (Lists) found at 50
CFR 17.11 (animals) and Sec. 17.12 (plants). Under section 4(b)(3)(A),
when we receive such a petition, we must determine within 90 days, to
the extent practicable, whether the petition presents substantial
scientific or commercial information that listing may be warranted (a
``90-day finding''). If we make a positive 90-day finding, we must
promptly commence a status review of the species and under section
4(b)(3)(B), we must make and publish one of three possible findings
within 12 months of receipt of such a petition (a ``12-month
finding''):
1. The petitioned action is not warranted;
2. The petitioned action is warranted (in which case we are to
promptly publish a proposed regulation to implement the petitioned
action); or
3. The petitioned action is warranted but (a) the immediate
proposal of a regulation and final promulgation of a regulation
implementing the petitioned action is precluded by pending proposals,
and (b) expeditious progress is being made to add qualified species to
the Lists (i.e., a ``warranted but precluded'' 12-month petition
finding). Our standard for making a species a candidate through our own
initiative is identical to the standard for making a ``warranted but
precluded'' 12-month petition finding.
On May 11, 2004, the Service received a petition from the Center
for Biological Diversity to list 225 species we previously had
identified as candidates for listing, including the Beaver Cave beetle.
Pursuant to requirements in section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Act, the CNOR and
Notice of Findings on Resubmitted Petitions published by the Service on
May 11, 2005 (70 FR 24870) included a finding that the immediate
issuance of a proposed listing rule and the timely promulgation of a
final rule for each of these petitioned species, including the Beaver
Cave beetle, was warranted but precluded by higher priority listing
actions, and that expeditious progress was being made to add qualified
species to the Lists.
Section 4(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Act directs that when we make a
``warranted but precluded'' finding on a petition, we are to treat the
petition as being one that is resubmitted annually on the date of the
finding; thus the Act requires us to reassess the petitioned actions
and to publish a finding on the resubmitted petition on an annual
basis. We included a ``warranted but precluded'' finding on the
resubmitted petition on the Beaver Cave beetle in the CNOR and Notice
of Findings on Resubmitted Petitions published in the Federal Register
on September 12, 2006 (71 FR 53755). The resubmitted petition finding
was based on an assessment of the Beaver Cave beetle that covered
information available as of October 2005. Although we typically make
the annual finding for petitioned candidate species through the CNOR,
we are not required to wait a full year to reassess the status of such
species and may publish a revised petition finding separately from the
CNOR. That is what we are doing in this situation.
As a result of new information regarding conservation efforts for
the Beaver Cave beetle, we have completed a reassessment of its status
(FWS 2006a). The updated assessment document is available from our
Kentucky Ecological Services Field Office (see ADDRESSES, above). This
resubmitted 12-month finding evaluates new information, as described in
the species assessment and related documents referenced in it, and re-
evaluates previously-acquired information.
Species Information
The Beaver Cave beetle (Pseudanophthalmus major) was described by
Krekeler (1973) from 3 specimens collected from Beaver Cave, Harrison
County, Kentucky by T.C. Barr and J.R. Holsinger in 1966. Cave beetles
in the genus Pseudanophthalmus are small, eyeless, reddish-brown
insects that belong to the predatory ground beetle family Carabidae.
Like most other insects, they have six legs and a body that consists of
a head, thorax, and abdomen. Body length is generally from 3.0 to 8.0
millimeters (mm) (0.12 to 0.32 inches), depending upon the species.
Maximum body length for the Beaver Cave beetle is 8 mm. According to
Barr (1996), the genus Pseudanophthalmus is represented by
approximately 255 species. The different species within the genus are
differentiated by differences in the shape and size of the various body
parts, especially the shape of the male appendages used during
reproduction. Most members of the genus are cave dependent
(troglobites) and are not found outside the cave environment. All are
predatory and feed upon small cave invertebrates such as spiders,
mites, millipedes, and diplurans, while the larger Pseudanophthalmus
species also feed on cave cricket eggs (Barr 1996). Members of this
genus vary in rarity from fairly common, widespread species that are
found in many caves to species that are extremely rare and restricted
to only one cave, such as the Beaver Cave beetle.
Little detailed life history information is available for the
rarest of the cave beetles, including the Beaver Cave beetle. However,
the generalized summary that follows is accurate for the more common
and more easily studied species and is believed to also apply to the
rarer species (Barr 1998). Cave beetles copulate in the fall, and the
eggs are deposited in the cave soil during late fall. The eggs hatch
and larvae appear in late fall through early winter. Pupation occurs in
late winter to early summer with the adult beetles emerging in early
summer (Barr 1996).
The limestone caves in which these cave beetles are found provide a
unique and fragile environment that supports a variety of species that
have evolved to survive and reproduce under the demanding conditions
found in cave ecosystems. No photosynthesis takes place within the dark
zone of a cave. Therefore, all organisms that are adapted to life
within a cave are dependent upon energy from the surface. This energy
can be in the form of leaf litter, woody debris or small bits of
organic matter that is washed or falls into the cave, or guano
deposited by cave-dependent bats that feed on the surface and return to
the cave to roost (Barr 1996).
The Beaver Cave beetle is restricted to Beaver Cave, a limestone
cave located in the Bluegrass Region of central Kentucky. There are no
other caves in the vicinity of Beaver Cave, and the Beaver cave beetle
has not been found at any other locations. The only known entrance to
Beaver Cave is located in an open pasture and hillside of a dairy farm
in eastern Harrison County. The cave generally trends northeastward
from its entrance for approximately 350 meters before terminating in a
breakdown (i.e., a portion of the cave where the ceiling has collapsed)
(Laudermilk 2006). Most of Beaver Cave is comprised of a simple, narrow
passage approximately 1 meter wide and 2.5 meters high. However, there
are several larger rooms present, and there are multiple levels in a
few places (Laudermilk 2006). A more extensive description of the cave
can be found in Barr (1996).
[[Page 59713]]
Conservation Efforts
The Service's Partners for Fish and Wildlife (Partners) Program
(Kentucky Ecological Services Field Office) began working with the
owner of the Beaver Cave property in 2002, and other partners (Kentucky
Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR), Natural Resource
Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), Kentucky State
Nature Preserves Commission, and Kentucky Division of Forestry) soon
thereafter, to implement projects that would conserve Beaver Cave and
the species that occupy it and in order to eliminate the threats to the
Beaver Cave beetle and its habitat or reduce them to the point that
listing was no longer warranted. The Partners Program coordinated
several conservation efforts that were planned and implemented through
five inter-related agreements/contracts between the landowner and the
agencies listed above: (a) A Partners Program 15-year Wildlife Habitat
Enhancement Agreement; (b) a Continuous Conservation Reserve Program
(CCRP) 15-year contract through FSA; (c) a Wildlife Habitat Incentives
Program (WHIP) 15-year contract through NRCS; and (d) two Landowner
Incentive Program (LIP) 10-year agreements through KDFWR. These
projects were initiated in the summer of 2003 and fully implemented by
fall of 2005. Collectively, these agreements and contracts encompassed
three general conservation efforts: (1) Maintain Beaver Cave and the
landowner's surrounding property in a manner that (a) reduces or
eliminates sediment and animal waste within the cave's watershed by
excluding cattle from the cave entrance with fencing, developing and
implementing a rotational grazing program, and installing hardened
stream crossings and heavy use areas, and (b) establishes and maintains
a forested buffer around the entrance to Beaver Cave; (2) construct and
maintain the metal gate at the entrance to Beaver Cave; and (3) control
and limit access to Beaver Cave and the landowner's surrounding
property.
Many aspects of the conservation efforts identified in the five
inter-related agreements are on-going, such as maintenance of the gate
and control of access into the cave, and others have already been
implemented (e.g., exclusion of cattle, construction of the cave gate,
tree plantings, hardened stream crossings). Based on our evaluation of
each of the three conservation efforts using the criteria provided in
the Policy for Evaluation of Conservation Efforts When Making Listing
Decisions (PECE) (68 FR 15100), we have determined that each of the
three efforts is sufficiently certain to be implemented and effective
so as to have contributed to the elimination or reduction of threats to
the species (FWS 2006b). Therefore, the Service can consider these
conservation efforts in making a determination as to whether the Beaver
Cave beetle meets the Service's definition of a threatened or
endangered species.
Discussion of Listing Factors
Section 4 of the Act and implementing regulations at 50 CFR part
424 set forth procedures for adding species to the Lists. A species may
be determined to be an endangered or threatened species based on the
applicability of one or more of the five factors described in section
4(a)(1). These factors and their application to the Beaver Cave beetle
are summarized below.
A. The Present or Threatened Destruction, Modification, or Curtailment
of Its Habitat or Range
In our initial assessment of the Beaver Cave beetle in 2001, we
identified this species as a candidate for listing due to the present
and threatened destruction and modification of its habitat (66 FR
54800). The activities contributing to this threat factor have now been
addressed, as summarized below.
In our initial 2001 assessment and subsequent CNORs and petition
findings, we identified and recognized a potential risk of destruction
or modification of the cave environment (the species' habitat) which
could occur as a result of (1) polluted runoff from the farm operation,
specifically animal waste, sediment, or spills of toxic materials in
the watershed in which the cave occurs; and (2) unauthorized human
entry to Beaver Cave (i.e., trash dumping, vandalism, physical habitat
disturbance, and trampling of beetles). We now have determined that the
potential risk of polluted stormwater runoff is limited, because these
pollutants have been significantly reduced through full implementation
of the CCRP contracts, LIP agreement, and Partners agreement specified
above. These contracts and agreements and subsequent conservation
efforts have eliminated these threats or reduced them to a point that
any negative effects are unexpected or would be insignificant to the
point that this listing factor no longer applies. The reduction in
threats has been accomplished through the installation of two heavy-use
feeding areas that are away from the cave and its entrance and
associated exclusion fencing, the development of a rotational grazing
program that concentrates cattle away from the cave entrance and its
watershed, and the installation of a hardened stream crossing within
the Beaver Cave watershed. Also, these agreements and contracts
provided funding for cattle exclusion fencing and native vegetation
plantings surrounding the cave entrance, thereby protecting it from
cattle disturbance and establishing a natural filter (barrier) for any
potential non-point source pollutants that could potentially enter the
cave during storm events. Toxic material spills from external sources
are improbable, because the Beaver Cave watershed is small and not in
an area where toxic chemicals are produced or stored, nor is there
likely to be transport of toxic materials in the area due to the rural
nature of the surrounding area. A trash and debris-filled sinkhole that
is connected to Beaver was also unclogged and cleaned, providing
further protection against contamination of the underground drainage
basin.
To address the unlawful human trespass, trash dumping, vandalism,
and habitat degradation of Beaver Cave, a bat-friendly cave gate was
constructed just inside the cave entrance in 2004. The WHIP contract
provided 53 percent of the funding for the cave gate construction, and
the remaining 47 percent was obtained through a second LIP agreement.
Under these agreements and contracts, unlawful entry to Beaver Cave is
prevented, and the landowner has assumed responsibility for maintaining
and inspecting the gate. This includes periodic inspections of the
gate, taking necessary steps to repair the gate as needed, and ensuring
the gate does not become blocked with rock or other debris that would
block access to the cave for native bats or other species or prevent
organic matter from entering the cave. Bat guano and other organic
matter from the surface are important components of energy flow for the
cave environment. Fencing has been erected around an approximate 1-acre
area containing the entrance to Beaver Cave to promote the development
of natural habitat around the cave entrance, provide further protection
to the property, and control access to the cave entrance. These actions
promote energy flow and eliminate the threats from dumping, vandalism,
and unauthorized trespass such that this listing factor no longer
applies.
Many aspects of these conservation efforts are on-going, such as
the growth and monitoring of the riparian plantings, maintenance of the
cave gate,
[[Page 59714]]
and control of access into the cave, but all of the primary habitat
restoration and protection efforts (e.g., cave gate construction,
fencing and subsequent cattle exclusion, hardened feeding areas, tree
plantings, sinkhole clean-up) have already been completed.
Based on the information summarized above, the Beaver Cave beetle
is not threatened by the present or threatened destruction,
modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range.
B. Overutilization for Commercial, Recreational, Scientific, or
Educational Purposes
We have no evidence of overutilization of the Beaver Cave beetle in
the past for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational
purposes, and have no information that suggests such a threat exists in
the foreseeable future. Under the inter-related agreements specified
above, collection for scientific purposes would be allowed only with
the permission of the landowner and the Service. The cave has been used
for recreational purposes by spelunkers and by passive recreationists
in the past, but placement of the locked metal gate across the cave
entrance in 2004 has effectively eliminated such uses. Further, through
maintenance of the metal gate at the cave entrance, as required by the
LIP agreement and WHIP contract, all unauthorized access to the cave is
prevented. Based on these considerations, overutilization for
commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes is not a
threat to the species.
C. Disease or Predation
Disease and predation are not known to be threats for this species
and are, instead, a normal part of its life history. Mortality from
disease or predation likely occurs but has not eliminated this species
in the past, and we have no reason to expect disease or predation to
pose a substantial risk to the species in the future. Based on these
considerations, disease or predation is not a threat to the species.
D. The Inadequacy of Existing Regulatory Mechanisms
Although the Beaver Cave beetle is listed as endangered in Kentucky
by the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission, such listings
provide no substantive protection under the current Kentucky law.
However, there are no foreseeable reasons why specific regulatory
mechanisms are necessary to ensure the conservation of this species,
because the landowner and the involved agencies have committed to and
are implementing various conservation efforts to protect Beaver Cave
and the Beaver Cave beetle. These include, but are not limited to,
strictly controlling access to the cave and the property surrounding
the cave opening and restoring and enhancing the vegetation communities
surrounding the cave and in its watershed. The metal gate is effective
in preventing unauthorized entry into the cave, and as described above,
the landowner has committed to and is implementing measures to strictly
control access to the cave. Based on these considerations, the
inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms is not a threat to the
species.
E. Other Natural or Manmade Factors Affecting Its Continued Existence
Populations of this beetle species are restricted to Beaver Cave
and are generally thought to be represented by a small number of
individuals. Although this is a natural situation, their limited
distribution and numbers make this species vulnerable to extirpation
due to effects from various manmade factors, such as spills of toxic
substances, non-point source pollutants, and habitat-related damage, as
described above under Factor A. As described above, the conservation
efforts included in the five inter-related agreements summarized above
have removed or substantially reduced these habitat-related risks.
Small population sizes for these species may also limit the natural
interchange of genetic material within the population, which could
affect long-term genetic and population viability. However, this is an
endemic species that has persisted over time (i.e., from at least the
time of its discovery to the present time) and under conditions that
were worse than the current, more-protective situation despite the
perceived risks of limited genetic interchange. For the reasons
described above, the Beaver Cave beetle is not threatened by other
natural or human-caused factors.
Revised Petition Finding
We have carefully assessed the best scientific and commercial
information available regarding the past, present, and future threats
faced by the Beaver Cave beetle.
We have evaluated the threats to the Beaver Cave beetle and
considered factors that, individually and in combination, presently or
potentially could pose a risk to the species and its habitat. We
conclude that listing this species under the Act is not warranted,
because the species is not likely to become an endangered or threatened
species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant
portion of its range. This species no longer meets our definition of a
candidate and is removed from candidate status.
We will continue to monitor the status of the Beaver Cave beetle,
and to accept additional information and comments from all concerned
governmental agencies, the scientific community, industry, or any other
interested party concerning this finding. We will reconsider this
determination in the event that new information indicates that the
threats to this species are of a considerably greater magnitude or
imminence than identified here.
References
A complete list of all references cited herein is available upon
request from the Kentucky Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (see ADDRESSES).
Author
The primary author of this finding is Dr. Michael A. Floyd, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (see ADDRESSES).
Authority
The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 1973
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: September 28, 2006.
Marshall Jones,
Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E6-16540 Filed 10-10-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
