Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Rule To Remove the Delmarva Peninsula Fox Squirrel From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife, 56686-56704 [2014-22063]

Agencies

• Fish and Wildlife Service
• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 184 (Tuesday, September 23, 2014)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 56686-56704]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-22063]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-R5-ES-2014-0021; FXES11130900000C6-123-FF09E30000]
RIN 1018-AY83


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Rule To 
Remove the Delmarva Peninsula Fox Squirrel From the List of Endangered 
and Threatened Wildlife

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule; availability of draft post-delisting monitoring 
plan.

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SUMMARY: Under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 
amended (Act), we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), 
propose to remove the Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel (Sciurus niger 
cinereus), more commonly called the Delmarva fox squirrel (DFS), from 
the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife due to recovery. 
This proposed action is based on a thorough review of all available 
information, which indicates that the subspecies is now sufficiently 
abundant and distributed to withstand current and foreseeable threats 
to its long-term viability and thus no longer meets the definition of a 
threatened species or an endangered species under the Act.
    We are also providing notification that a draft post-delisting 
monitoring (PDM) plan is available for public review. We are seeking 
information and comments from the public on this proposed rule and the 
PDM plan.

DATES: We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before 
November 24, 2014. Comments submitted electronically using the Federal 
eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES below) must be received by 11:59 p.m. 
Eastern Time on the closing date. We must receive requests for public 
hearings, in writing, at the address shown in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT by November 7, 2014.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
    Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments to 
Docket No. FWS-R5-ES-2014-0021. Then, in the Search panel on the left 
side of the screen, under the Document Type heading, click on the 
Proposed Rules link to locate this document. You may submit a comment 
by clicking on ``Send a Comment or Submission.''
    By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public 
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R5-ES-2014-0021, U.S. Fish & Wildlife 
Headquarters, MS: BPHC, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-
3803.
    We will post all comments on https://www.regulations.gov. This 
generally means that we will post any personal information you provide 
(see the Public Comments section below for more information).
    Copies of Documents: The proposed rule, draft post-delisting 
monitoring plan, and primary supporting documents are available on 
https://www.regulations.gov. In addition, the supporting file for this 
proposed rule will be available for public inspection, by appointment 
during normal business hours, at the Chesapeake Bay Field Office, 177 
Admiral Cochrane Dr., Annapolis, MD 21401, 410-573-4573, and on the 
Chesapeake Bay Field Office Web site at: https://www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay/. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Services (FIRS) at 
800-877-8339.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions or requests for additional 
information may be directed to Genevieve LaRouche, Field Supervisor, by 
telephone at 410-573-4573, or Cherry Keller, Wildlife Biologist, by 
electronic mail at cherrykeller@fws.gov or by telephone 410-
573-4532. Individuals who are hearing-impaired or speech-impaired may 
call the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8337 for TTY assistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Executive Summary

Purpose of Regulatory Action

    We propose to remove the Delmarva fox squirrel from the Federal 
List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife (50 CFR 17.11) due to 
recovery. This proposed action is based on a thorough review of the 
best available scientific and commercial information as assessed in two 
5-year status reviews conducted in 2007 and 2012. These reviews, along 
with additional information that has become available since 2012, 
indicate that current threats to the Delmarva fox squirrel have been 
sufficiently abated and that the subspecies is now sufficiently 
abundant and widely distributed to withstand any foreseeable threat to 
its long-term viability. It therefore no longer meets the definition of 
a threatened species or an endangered species under Act. This document 
thus consists of: (1) A proposed rule to delist the Delmarva fox 
squirrel; and (2) a notice of availability of a draft post-delisting 
monitoring plan.

Basis for Finding

    Under the Endangered Species Act, a species may be determined to be 
endangered or threatened based on any of five factors: (A) The present 
or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its habitat 
or range; (B) overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, 
or educational purposes; (C) disease or predation; (D) the inadequacy 
of existing regulatory mechanisms; or (E) other natural or manmade 
factors affecting its continued existence. We must consider the same 
factors in delisting a species. We may delist a species if the best 
scientific and commercial data indicate the species is neither 
threatened nor endangered for one or more of the following reasons: (1) 
The species is extinct, (2) the species has recovered and is no longer 
threatened or endangered, or (3) the original scientific data used at 
the time the species was classified were in error.
    The Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel was listed as federally 
endangered in 1967, because its distribution had

[[Page 56687]]

contracted to only 10 percent of its historical range. The most likely 
causes for this decline were loss of mature forest from land clearing 
for agriculture, short-rotation timber harvest, and overhunting.
    After reviewing all available scientific and commercial 
information, we find that delisting the Delmarva fox squirrel due to 
recovery is warranted for the following reasons:
    (1) As a result of translocations and discovery of additional 
natural populations, the known distribution of DFS has expanded since 
listing, and its range now extends over 28 percent of the Delmarva 
Peninsula. Acres of occupied forest and average density estimates lead 
to an overall estimate of 17,000 to 20,000 DFS distributed across the 
subspecies' current range.
    (2) The primary threats to the species' viability, including 
habitat loss due to development, timber harvest, and sea level rise, no 
longer pose either a current or foreseeable risk of DFS extinction, 
based on the following findings:
     Most development on the Delmarva Peninsula is projected to 
occur around several large cities outside the DFS's current occupied 
range, and existing laws and programs are directing development into 
agricultural land and out of forest land. Further, within the 
squirrel's current range, land protection is occurring at a more rapid 
rate than the rate of development. Within the current range, about 30 
percent of DFS-occupied forest is now protected from development (USFWS 
2012, table 5), comprising approximately 16,187 hectares (ha) (40,000 
acres (ac)) of protected and occupied forest.
     Timber harvest rates and the size of individual cuts are 
decreasing over time, and remote sensing data indicate that sufficient 
acres of mature forest have remained on the landscape even with past 
harvest rates. In addition, 23,472 ha (58,000 ac) of forest land 
previously managed for pulpwood--and thereby precluded from maturing 
into DFS habitat--are now being managed by the State of Maryland for 
sawtimber and wildlife values, including DFS conservation; this 
management plan is expected to continue over the foreseeable future.
     Although sea level rise is projected to eventually affect 
the largest extant population of DFS, the associated habitat losses are 
not expected to cause its extirpation. This DFS population, which is 
over 70 times the minimum viable population size, is likely to expand 
into more inland forests via riparian and other connecting corridors. 
Further, despite impacts to this area and other localized habitat 
areas, over 80 percent of the squirrel's range is not vulnerable to a 
foreseeable sea level rise of 0.61 meter (m) (2 feet (ft)).
     Based on a 40-year track record, it is apparent that State 
laws and programs in Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia will continue to 
provide for forest habitat and wildlife conservation, including 
preventing the return of overhunting of DFS, following delisting.
    Taking into consideration the current and projected rangewide 
population viability of the DFS and availability of suitable habitat, 
our overall conclusion is that this species is no longer in danger of 
becoming extinct, nor is it likely to once again become endangered in 
the foreseeable future.

Information Requested

    We intend that any final action resulting from this proposed rule 
will be based on the best scientific and commercial data available and 
be as accurate and effective as possible. Therefore, we invite tribal 
and governmental agencies, the scientific community, industry, and 
other interested parties to submit comments or new data, if any, 
regarding this proposed rule. In particular, we are seeking information 
and comments concerning: (1) The continued presence, extirpation, or 
new locations of DFS colonies within the subspecies' historical range; 
(2) our analysis of the viability of DFS populations; (3) our analysis 
of the factors likely to affect the long-term status of the squirrel, 
especially development, forestry, and sea-level rise projections for 
the Delmarva Peninsula; and (4) our proposed post-delisting monitoring 
program for the DFS.
    Please bear in mind that comments simply advocating or opposing the 
proposed action without providing supporting information will be noted 
but not considered in making a determination, as section 4(b)(1)(A) of 
the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) directs that determinations as to 
whether any species is a threatened or endangered species shall be made 
``solely on the basis of the best scientific and commercial data 
available.''
    To issue a final rule to implement this proposed action, we will 
take into consideration comments and any additional information 
received within the public comment period. Such communications may lead 
to a final rule that differs from this proposal. All comments provided 
to us, including commenters' names and addresses, will become part of 
the supporting record.
    You may submit your comments and supporting materials concerning 
the proposed rule by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. We will 
not accept comments sent to an address not listed in ADDRESSES. All 
comments must be submitted to https://www.regulations.gov, hand 
delivered, or postmarked by the deadline specified in DATES.
    We will post your entire comment, including your personal 
identifying information, on https://www.regulations.gov. Individuals 
wishing to withhold personal identifying information, such as street 
address, phone number, or email address, must make this request 
prominently at the beginning of the comment document. Please note, 
however, that we cannot guarantee that we will be able to comply with 
such requests. We will always make submissions from organizations and 
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, available 
for public inspection in their entirety.
    Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting 
documentation used in preparing this proposed rule, will be available 
for public inspection on https://www.regulations.gov or by appointment 
during normal business hours at the Service's Chesapeake Bay Field 
Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).

Peer Review

    In accordance with our policy, ``Notice of Interagency Cooperative 
Policy for Peer Review in Endangered Species Act Activities,'' 
published on July 1, 1994 (59 FR 34270), we will seek the expert 
opinion of at least three appropriate independent specialists regarding 
scientific data and interpretations contained in this proposed rule. We 
will send copies of this proposed rule to the peer reviewers 
immediately following publication in the Federal Register. The purpose 
of such review is to ensure that our decisions are based on 
scientifically sound data, assumptions, and analysis. Accordingly, the 
final decision may differ from this proposal.

Background

    Regulations published at 50 CFR part 424 specify the procedures and 
requirements for adding or removing species from the List of Endangered 
and Threatened Wildlife (50 CFR 17.11). The Secretary of the Interior 
has delegated responsibility to the Service for determining whether a 
species should be removed from any List published pursuant to section 
4(c) of the Act. We are additionally required by section

[[Page 56688]]

4(c)(2) and 50 CFR 424.12 to review each species on the List every 5 
years (i.e., conduct a 5-year review) to determine whether a species' 
classification under the Act is accurate. In the course of a 5-year 
review, we evaluate whether the species continues to meet the legal 
definition of a threatened or endangered species, based upon the 
species' biological status and its status relative to the five factors 
under section 4(a)(1). These factors encompass the following extinction 
risks: (A) The present or threatened destruction, modification, or 
curtailment of the species' habitat or range; (B) overutilization for 
commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes; (C) 
disease or predation; (D) the inadequacy of existing regulatory 
mechanisms; and (E) other natural or manmade factors affecting the 
species' continued existence. A species may be delisted pursuant to 50 
CFR 424.11(d) if the best available scientific and commercial data 
substantiate that the species is neither endangered nor threatened for 
one or more of the following reasons: The species is considered to be 
extinct, the species is considered to be recovered, or the data 
available when the species was listed (or the interpretation of those 
data) were in error.
    This proposed rule is based upon information contained in, and the 
recommendation of, a 5-year review for the DFS that was initiated on 
August 4, 2010 (75 FR 47025), and approved on September 4, 2012 (USFWS 
2012). The review, which assessed the DFS's status across its entire 
range, concluded that the subspecies is now sufficiently abundant and 
distributed to withstand current and foreseeable threats to its long-
term viability, and that, therefore, the subspecies does not meet the 
definition of either an endangered species or a threatened species 
under section 3 of the Act, based on recovery. The entire review is 
available at https://www.fws.gov/northeast/EcologicalServices/recovery, 
and on the Chesapeake Bay Field Office Web site: https://www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay.

Previous Federal Actions

    The Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel was listed as an endangered 
species throughout its known historical range on March 11, 1967 (32 FR 
4001). At that time, critical habitat was not provided for under the 
Act; hence, critical habitat was not designated for the DFS.
    On September 13, 1984 (49 FR 35951), a translocated DFS population 
released on the Assawoman Wildlife Management Area in Sussex County, 
Delaware, was designated as an experimental nonessential population. 
Notably, this was the first experimental population designated under 
the Act.
    The original recovery plan for the DFS was approved on November 6, 
1979. The recovery plan was subsequently revised in January 1983, with 
a second revision on June 8, 1993. On October 31, 2003, the second 
revision of the recovery plan was updated to include new status 
information and clarify the recovery criteria for the DFS.
    The DFS was included in three cursory 5-year reviews conducted for 
all listed species from 1979 to 1991, including a 1979 (44 FR 29566) 
review of all species listed prior to 1975; a 1985 (50 FR 29901) review 
of all species listed before 1976 and in 1979 and 1980; and a 1991 (56 
FR 56882) review of all species listed before 1991. None of these 
reviews resulted in a recommendation to change the listing status of 
the DFS.
    The first comprehensive and species-specific 5-year review for the 
DFS was completed in 2007 (USFWS 2007). This review recommended 
reclassification of the DFS from endangered to threatened status, 
pending further analysis of forest and development patterns on the 
Delmarva Peninsula. The second comprehensive 5-year review for the 
subspecies was completed in 2012; its recommendation to delist the DFS 
forms the basis for this proposed rule.
    Further information on Federal actions for the DFS can be found on 
the Service's Environmental Conservation Online System (ECOS) at: 
https://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/profile/speciesProfile.action?spcode=A00B.

Biological Background

    The Delmarva fox squirrel (Sciurus niger cinereus) is a subspecies 
of eastern fox squirrel (Sciurus niger) found only on the Delmarva 
Peninsula. The Delmarva Peninsula is located between the Chesapeake Bay 
and Atlantic Ocean and covers portions of Maryland, Delaware, and 
Virginia. The DFS is a large, silver-gray tree squirrel with white 
underparts and a wide tail. It can be easily distinguished from the 
gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), the only other tree squirrel in 
the area, by its larger size, wider tail, short ears, and silver-gray 
color. The DFS inhabits mature forests of mixed hardwoods and pines 
within the agricultural landscapes of the Delmarva Peninsula and is not 
typically found in suburban settings. These mature forests provide 
abundant crops of acorns, pine cones, and other food as well as 
cavities for dens. DFS are also associated with forests that have a 
more open understory (Dueser et al. 1988, entire; Dueser 2000, entire) 
or where understory shrubs are clumped, leaving other open spaces 
(Morris 2006, p. 37). DFS use a wide range of mixed forest types that 
may be dominated by hardwoods or conifers. While they need mature 
forest, their diets are diverse and they travel and forage in many 
areas, including clearcuts, young forests, and agricultural fields.
    As members of the Order Rodentia, DFS have life histories with good 
potential for population increase; for example, females breed at 1 year 
of age, litter sizes range from 2 to 4 young, some females have 
potential for 2 litters in 1 year, and lifespans can reach 6 to 7 years 
in the wild. Den sites are frequently found in hollow portions of 
trees, but leaf nests may be used as well. Home ranges of DFS vary 
considerably but are typically 12 to 16 ha (30 to 40 ac), and 
individual home ranges overlap (Flyger and Smith 1980; entire, Paglione 
1996; entire, Pednault-Willett 2002, p. 109). Densities range from 0.36 
to 1.29 DFS per ha (0.15 to 0.5 DFS per ac), averaging 0.82 DFS per ha 
(0.33 DFS per ac) (Paglione 1996, p. 28; Pednault-Willett 2002, pp. 85-
104).
    Historically, this species was patchily distributed throughout most 
of the Delmarva Peninsula and into southern Pennsylvania, but by the 
time of listing the remnant populations occurred in only four Maryland 
counties (Taylor 1976, entire); this range contraction was most likely 
due to land use changes and hunting. When the subspecies was listed in 
1967, its distribution had been reduced to only 10 percent of the 
Delmarva Peninsula. After listing, the hunting season was closed and 
recovery efforts focused on expanding the squirrel's distribution 
through translocations, thereby decreasing its vulnerability to 
extinction. In addition, new populations have been discovered since the 
time of listing (particularly since more intensive search efforts were 
initiated), and there are now many more areas of forest known to be 
occupied by DFS.
    The squirrel's current occupied range is defined as the area within 
4.8 kilometers (km) (3 miles (mi)) of credible DFS sightings. As of the 
2012 5-year review, this covered 28 percent of the Delmarva Peninsula, 
including 10 of the 14 peninsular counties (8 counties in Maryland and 
1 each in Delaware and Virginia) and 54,543 ha (134,778 ac) of occupied 
forest (USFWS 2012, based on 2010 data). Since that time, new sightings 
have continued to occur and an updated overview of the range as of 2013 
is provided in table 1. An additional population discovered in 
Worcester County, Maryland, is the first population found there that 
was not a result of a translocation. Figure 1 shows

[[Page 56689]]

range changes from the time of the 1993 recovery plan to the present.

                                                 Table 1--Known Occupied Range of the DFS, 1970 to 2013
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                                                                             Year (approximate date for the data)
           Occupied range           --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                             ~ 1970                   1990                    2005                   2010                   2013
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Number of counties in the range      3.....................  3.....................  6....................  6....................  7
 (without translocations).
Number of counties in the range      4.....................  10....................  10...................  10...................  10
 (with translocations).
Total acres of occupied forest       N/A...................  103,311...............  128,434..............  134,778..............  137,363
 rangewide.
Percent of historical range          10....................  ......................  27...................  28...................  28
 occupied.
Source.............................  Taylor and Flyger 1974  USFWS 1993, recovery    USFWS 2007, 5-yr       USFWS 2012, 5-yr       USFWS 2013 data
                                                              plan.                   review.                review.
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BILLING CODE 4310-55-P

[[Page 56690]]

[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP23SE14.000

BILLING CODE 4310-55-C

Recovery Criteria

    Determinations to remove species from the List must be made in 
accordance with sections 4(a)(1) and 4(b) of the Act. Section 4(a)(1) 
requires that the Secretary determine if a species is endangered or 
threatened because of one or more of five threat factors. Section 4(b) 
of the Act requires that the determination be made ``solely on the 
basis of the best scientific and commercial data available.''
    Recovery criteria, as required by section 4(f)(1)(B)(ii) of the 
Act, help guide recovery efforts and act as triggers for when it might 
be appropriate to undertake a review of the status of a listed species; 
however, the ultimate determination of whether to reclassify or delist 
a species must be made in accordance with statutory standards. Thus, 
although recovery criteria should always be considered when making 
listing decisions for listed species, they can neither substitute for 
nor pre-empt 4(a)(1) determinations and the regulations promulgated 
under this section of the Act. Ultimately, a decision to remove a 
species from the

[[Page 56691]]

Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife is made when the 
best available data show that the species is no longer an endangered 
species or a threatened species, regardless of how closely this 
information conforms to the information and criteria in the recovery 
plan.
    The following discussion provides a brief review of the current 
recovery plan for the DFS, as well as an assessment of the plan's 
objectives and criteria as they relate to evaluating the status of this 
subspecies.
    The most recent DFS recovery plan was approved by the Service on 
June 8, 1993 (USFWS 1993, entire), and updated on October 31, 2003 
(USFWS 2003, entire). The plan states that ``the long-range objective 
of the DFS recovery program is to restore this endangered species to a 
secure status within its former range.'' The plan provides three 
criteria for reclassifying the DFS from endangered to threatened 
status. It then provides four additional criteria to be considered in 
conjunction with the first three for delisting the DFS.
    Criterion 1: Ecological requirements and distribution within the 
remaining natural range are understood sufficiently to permit effective 
management. A considerable body of new information has been obtained 
regarding DFS distribution and ecological requirements, and we thus 
conclude that this recovery criterion has been met. The six key 
contributions to our understanding of the DFS are summarized below.
    DFS range and distribution. The geographic information system (GIS) 
maintained for the DFS documents a significant increase in the area 
occupied by DFS since the 1993 recovery plan was issued (see figure 1 
above). Records of DFS sightings by knowledgeable observers and, in 
particular, the use of trap and camera surveys have greatly improved 
our ability to determine which forest tracts are occupied by the DFS 
and to determine continued DFS presence in these areas.
    Population persistence. Persistence of DFS populations over the 
recovery period has been evaluated through comparison of occupancy over 
time (USFWS 2012, pp. 15-17). A 1971 survey of 101 sites within the 
historic range of the DFS identified 65 sites as occupied and 36 sites 
where the DFS was determined to be absent based on frequent site visits 
(Taylor and Flyger 1974, entire). This survey was repeated in 2001 
(Therres and Willey 2005, entire) and showed that the DFS persisted at 
60 of the 65 sites (92 percent) identified as occupied in 1971, was 
extirpated from 5 sites, and had colonized 11 sites; thus, the DFS was 
considered to be stable to slightly increasing in the area surveyed.
    A second analysis compared DFS persistence in woodlots known to be 
occupied in 1990 to its occupancy status through 2010 (USFWS 2012, pp. 
7-17). As of 1990, the DFS was recorded on 275 Maryland forest tracts 
comprising 41,720 ha (103,125 ac). Records from 1998 to 2010 indicate 
that the DFS continued to occupy at least 91 percent of the 41,720 ha 
(encompassing 181 forest tracts) and was extirpated from 1 percent of 
these hectares (7 tracts). The occupied forest tracts where DFS persist 
are widely distributed across the known 1990 range (USFWS 2012, figure 
4). Occupancy was deemed uncertain on 87 of the 275 tracts due to 
difficulty in accessing properties or lack of data (table 2). Noting 
that because woodlots range in size, the acreage of occupied forest is 
thought to be a better parameter than number of tracts, if we 
nevertheless consider the 188 woodlots that can be classified as 
persisting or extirpated, 96 percent were persisting and only 4 percent 
were extirpated.

   Table 2--DFS Occupancy of 275 Forested Tracts (41,733 ha or 103,125 ac) in Maryland, 1990 Compared to 2010
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                  Percent of the
                                                                                                     original
                                                                                                     41,733 ha
      Occupancy change from 1990 to 2010                 Area of forest              Number of     (103,125 ac)
                                                                                   forest tracts      in each
                                                                                                     occupancy
                                                                                                      status
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Persistence...................................  38,130 ha (94,221 ac)...........             181              91
Extirpations..................................  499 ha (1,233 ac)...............               7               1
Uncertain\....................................  3,104 ha (7,671 ac).............              87               8
Discoveries or colonizations..................  13,042 ha (32,227 ac)...........             250  ..............
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    As of 2010, an additional 13,042 ha (32,227 ac) of DFS-occupied 
forest had been reported in all three States (USFWS 2012, p. 8). 
Although some of these discoveries are likely to be occurrences that 
were previously present but undetected, anecdotal information indicates 
that several new localities represent true range expansion. For 
instance, there are several locations where landowners living at a site 
for 25 years or more have reported seeing DFS only in the past decade 
(USFWS 2012, figure 4). Further, at one site in Caroline County, 
Maryland, DFS were observed 5 years after two seasons of negative 
trapping results, providing strong evidence for establishment of a new 
colony. The population on the Nanticoke Wildlife Management Area in 
southwestern Delaware is also likely a new colonization, given that 
State biologists had been working at this site for many years without 
observing DFS. As of 2010, forest areas with persisting or newly 
discovered DFS occurrences, plus occurrences awaiting confirmation, 
totaled 54,276 ha (134,119 ac) in Maryland alone. Using the 2010 
figures for occupied forest in all three States, as well as maps of 
mature forest and density estimates of DFS available from various 
studies, we estimate that the total population of DFS is now about 
20,000 animals across an expanded range (USFWS 2012, p. 21).
    Population viability. A DFS population viability analysis (PVA) 
developed by Hilderbrand et al. (2007, entire) used environmental 
variability associated with demographic features of natural populations 
(fecundity and survivorship) to model the extinction probabilities of 
populations of different sizes. This PVA determined that a population 
with 65 females, or 130 animals total, had a 95 percent chance of 
persisting for 100 years. This value was described as a minimum viable 
population (MVP) and was used to gauge extinction risk by projecting 
how many MVPs are likely to be present in a given portion of the 
current DFS range (USFWS 2012, pp. 18-20).
    Using dispersal parameters and existing data on DFS movements, the 
PVA also estimated that 75 percent of a given DFS population would have 
the ability to disperse to areas within 4 km

[[Page 56692]]

(2.5 mi) (Hilderbrand et al. 2007, p. 73). Thus, DFS in forest tracts 
within 4 km of each other and not separated by physical barriers such 
as rivers or cities were considered likely to be interbreeding; these 
interbreeding groups of DFS were defined as subpopulations. The 
analysis indicated that approximately 85 percent of DFS are found in 
four large population groups which are narrowly separated and could 
expand to become more connected. Each of these population groups 
contains several times the minimum threshold of 130 squirrels needed 
for a 95 percent probability of population persistence over 100 years; 
and the rangewide population, estimated at between 17,000 and 20,000 
animals, contains more than 100 times the minimum threshold for a 
single population.
    Effects of timber harvest. Two major studies of the effects of 
timber harvest on DFS (Paglione 1996, entire; Bocetti and Pattee 2003, 
entire) suggest that DFS are fairly tolerant of timber harvest, 
although specific impacts depend on the size, location, and landscape 
position of the harvest. Small clearcuts within a surrounding forest 
showed relatively little impact on DFS, with individual squirrels 
shifting their home ranges into adjacent habitat, whereas harvest of 
more isolated forest peninsulas forced DFS to move greater distances.
    In their long-term study, Bocetti and Pattee (2003, entire) 
assessed the effects of 12- to 20-ha (30- to 50-ac) clearcuts within 
which small islands of habitat were retained. The number of DFS found 
pre- and post-harvest remained relatively unchanged, although the 
number of gray squirrels dramatically declined. As the clearcuts 
regenerated in the subsequent 10 years into young stands of trees, DFS 
on the sites decreased to about half of their previous numbers, but 
overall they maintained a continued presence, using both the islands 
and adjacent areas of habitat (C. Bocetti, email 9/16/2009). These 
findings lead to the general conclusion that the DFS can tolerate 
timber harvests and can continue to occupy forested mosaics of mature 
and regenerating stands. In addition, both studies of DFS responses to 
timber harvest suggest that DFS have high site fidelity and tend to 
shift home ranges rather than abandon a site in response to 
disturbance.
    Habitat availability. An inventory of mature forest suitable for 
DFS, covering much of the squirrel's range, was recently completed 
using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data provided by the State of 
Maryland (USFWS 2012, appendix E). The ability to use remote sensing to 
map DFS habitat has greatly improved our understanding of both DFS-
occupied habitat and, importantly, unoccupied habitat that is available 
for potential DFS expansion. As of 2004, LiDAR mapping had identified 
175,656 ha (434,056 ac) of mature forest in the eight Maryland counties 
occupied by DFS (55 percent of all forest was considered mature) with 
17 percent currently occupied and over 80 percent of mature forest 
available for expansion (USFWS 2012, table 4).
    Although these numbers and locations will change over time with 
timber harvest and forest growth, this provides a good baseline 
assessment of recent habitat patterns and indicates that mature forest 
is well distributed and available. Mature forest is often found in 
riparian zones where forests may be too wet to farm or log (USFWS 2012, 
figure 8); these riparian forest corridors can provide connected 
habitat for DFS dispersal and colonization of new areas. It is 
important to note, however, that LiDAR mapping also showed large tracts 
of mature forest distributed in upland areas throughout the Maryland 
portion of the range. Given that most DFS populations occur in 
Maryland, and, further, that unoccupied but suitable habitat is found 
both along the coast and inland elsewhere on the Peninsula, we can 
infer from this habitat inventory that there is ample unoccupied mature 
forest to enable further expansion of the DFS rangewide population.
    Habitat connectivity. Lookingbill et al. (2010, entire) conducted a 
GIS analysis of the connectivity of forest patches on the Delmarva 
Peninsula. This Delmarva Peninsula-wide study used satellite date to 
identify forested areas, and evaluated connectivity between 400-ha 
(175-ac) forest patches. Although the DFS is not a forest interior 
obligate and does not require forest blocks this large, the Lookingbill 
et al. (2010) model provides an interesting analysis of forest 
connectivity between forest blocks that could hold larger populations. 
Study results show high connectivity of forest blocks in the southern 
Maryland portion of the squirrel's range, indicating few obstacles to 
DFS dispersal throughout this area. The model treats the Choptank and 
Tuckahoe Rivers as barriers to dispersal; although this may be accurate 
for the wider sections of these rivers, it is less so for their upper 
reaches, which are narrow and may freeze in the winter. Two major 
forest corridors were identified for DFS dispersal out of Dorchester 
County, Maryland, one of which is already occupied by DFS. In addition, 
a third dispersal corridor not identified by the model is also DFS-
occupied. Observations of DFS movement through a wide range of 
habitats, along with the results of this connectivity model and the map 
of LiDAR-defined mature forests, indicate that there is sufficient 
habitat availability and connectivity for further DFS range expansion.
    Criterion 2: Benchmark populations are shown to be stable or 
expanding based on at least five years of data. Criterion 2 was 
originally intended to measure overall DFS population trends using at 
least 5 years of monitoring data from seven benchmark populations (six 
within the remaining natural range and the introduced Chincoteague 
National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) population). Ultimately, a slightly 
different set of eight benchmark sites was monitored and the resulting 
data were analyzed (Dueser 1999, entire). Dueser (1999) concluded that 
the benchmark sites were stable over a 5- to 7-year period, and 
benchmark monitoring was ended.
    Since the completion of benchmark monitoring, we have collected 
additional data to better understand rangewide population trends. The 
distribution data and two population evaluations described under 
criterion 1 above are much better indicators of an expanding range and 
DFS recovery within that range. Although DFS in isolated areas (such as 
on small islands) are vulnerable to extirpation, the population data 
for DFS in most of its occupied habitat and the discovery of additional 
occupied forest tracts indicate that this recovery criterion has been 
met.
    Criterion 3: Ten translocated colonies are successfully established 
throughout the historical range. This criterion requires that at least 
10 new DFS colonies must be established (this may include 
translocations initiated prior to issuance of the 1993 recovery plan) 
within the squirrel's historical range and must show evidence of 
presence for at least 5 to 8 years after release. The intent is to 
demonstrate the ability of the DFS to colonize new sites, whether 
naturally or through management.
    Consequent to 16 translocation efforts, 11 colonies were 
successfully established as shown by post-release trapping results 
(Therres and Willey 2002, entire). More recent trapping and camera 
surveys further indicate continued presence of these translocated 
colonies for more than 20 years (USFWS 2012, table 1), and in many of 
these areas, DFS have dispersed well beyond the initial release site.
    The success rate for the DFS translocations (69 percent) is higher 
than is typically found for similar translocation efforts for other 
species. A

[[Page 56693]]

study of 116 reintroductions found that only 26 percent were classified 
as successful (Fischer and Lindenmayer 2000, p. 5), although the 
success rate is generally higher for mammals and wild source 
populations (Wolf et al. 1996, p. 1146). Although there were some 
initial concerns about the genetic diversity of the translocated 
populations, subsequent analysis indicated that their genetic diversity 
was comparable to that of their source populations (Lance et al. 2003, 
entire). Given the relative success of this conservation tool for DFS, 
we conclude that this recovery criterion has been met.
    Criterion 4: Five additional (post-1990) colonies are established 
outside of the remaining natural range. Criterion 4 requires discovery 
or establishment (from new translocations) of at least five new 
colonies that extend the DFS's range beyond that known to be occupied 
at the time of the 1993 recovery plan. This criterion addresses the 
threat of range contraction and provides for additional redundancy of 
populations as one component of long-term species viability.
    By 2007, eight new populations had been identified that did not 
result from translocations, (USFWS 2007, figure 2), expanding the range 
toward the east. These consist of the Maryland DFS populations in 
northeastern Dorchester County, southeastern Caroline County, the 
Tuckahoe River corridor in Talbot County, northern Queen Anne's County, 
the Centreville area of Queen Anne's County, eastern Talbot County, 
northern Somerset County, and the Nanticoke Wildlife Management Area in 
southwestern Sussex County, Delaware. The Sussex County population 
represents the first population found in Delaware since the time of 
listing that was not a result of a translocation.
    Since the 2007 status review (USFWS 2007), additional occupied 
forest has been discovered between some of these new populations, thus 
improving their long-term likelihood of survival (USFWS 2012, figure 
3). We therefore conclude that this recovery criterion has been met.
    Criterion 5: Periodic monitoring shows that translocated 
populations have persisted over the recovery period. Criterion 5 
requires the continued presence of at least 80 percent of translocated 
populations; in addition, at least 75 percent of these populations must 
be stable or improving. All 11 translocated populations (100 percent) 
that were successfully established have persisted over the full period 
of recovery and have either grown in abundance on their release sites 
or have expanded (or shifted) into new areas. Although their initial 
success was documented solely by trapping techniques (Therres and 
Willey 2002, entire), we have recently documented their presence by 
trapping and/or camera surveys conducted between 2009 and 2011 (USFWS 
2012, table 1). Overall, with the continued presence and growth of DFS 
populations at the translocation sites, we conclude that this recovery 
criterion has been met.
    Criterion 6: Mechanisms that ensure perpetuation of suitable 
habitat at a level sufficient to allow for desired distribution are in 
place and implemented within all counties in which the species occurs. 
This criterion requires that mechanisms be in place to ensure 
perpetuation of sufficient suitable habitat. Several well-established 
programs protect DFS habitat from development (Rural Legacy, Maryland 
Environmental Trust, Maryland Agricultural Programs, etc.). These 
programs, along with State and Federal ownership, protect an estimated 
15,994 ha (39,524 ac), 29 percent, of DFS-occupied forest throughout 
the squirrel's range (USFWS 2012, table 3). In addition, several State 
laws and regulatory programs, including Maryland's Critical Area Law, 
Forest Conservation Act, and wetlands laws, and Delaware's Agricultural 
Land Protection Program and Forest Legacy Program will continue to 
protect forest habitat (see USFWS 2012, appendix D). As further 
described below, in Virginia and Delaware the DFS occurs primarily on 
Federal and State land. The only Virginia population is a barrier 
island population that was established on Chincoteague National 
Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and is completely protected from residential 
development or commercial timber harvest. We thus conclude that this 
recovery criterion has been met.
    Criterion 7: Mechanisms are in place and implemented to ensure 
protection of new populations, to allow for expansion, and to provide 
inter-population corridors to permit gene flow among populations. This 
criterion requires sufficient habitat connectivity and protection to 
permit gene flow among populations and allow for their expansion. As 
discussed under criterion 1, LiDAR (remote sensing) data indicate that 
mature forest blocks connected by riparian corridors are scattered 
throughout the Delmarva Peninsula. An analysis of current forest 
distribution using a J-walk model (Lookingbill et al. 2010, entire) 
indicates these connected blocks constitute a good network of forest 
across the Delmarva Peninsula to allow for dispersing DFS. For example, 
the translocations on the southern part of the Delmarva Peninsula are 
in an area of very large and well-connected tracts of forest, including 
forest on public lands. In addition, there are protected forested 
pathways connecting Dorchester County, where DFS are abundant, to 
adjacent counties; DFS are known to use some of these corridors and 
have found other corridors not identified by the J-walk model. Given 
these opportunities for dispersal, and the fact that many of these 
corridors are protected by State regulatory mechanisms (as discussed 
under D. The Inadequacy of Existing Regulatory Mechanisms below), we 
thus conclude this recovery criterion has been met.

Summary of Factors Affecting the Species

    Section 4 of the Act and its implementing regulations (50 CFR part 
424) set forth procedures for listing species, reclassifying species, 
or removing species from listed status. ``Species'' is defined by the 
Act as including any species or subspecies of fish or wildlife or 
plants, and any distinct population segment of any species of 
vertebrate fish or wildlife which interbreeds when mature (16 U.S.C. 
1532(16)). Using the best available scientific and commercial data, a 
species may be determined to be an endangered species or threatened 
species because of any one or a combination of the five factors 
described in section 4(a)(1) of the Act: (A) The present or threatened 
destruction, modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range; (B) 
overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or 
educational purposes; (C) disease or predation; (D) the inadequacy of 
existing regulatory mechanisms; or (E) other natural or manmade factors 
affecting its continued existence. According to 50 CFR 424.11(d), we 
may also delist a species on the same basis for any of the following 
reasons: (1) The species is extinct, (2) the species has recovered and 
is no longer endangered or threatened, and/or (3) the scientific data 
used at the time the species was listed were in error.
    A recovered species is one that no longer meets the Act's 
definition of a threatened species or endangered species. Determining 
whether a species is recovered requires consideration of the same five 
categories of threats specified in section 4(a)(1) of the Act. For 
species that are already listed as threatened species or endangered 
species, we evaluate both the threats currently facing the species and 
the threats that are reasonably likely to affect the species in the 
foreseeable

[[Page 56694]]

future following the delisting and the removal of the Act's 
protections.
    A species is an ``endangered species'' under the Act if it is in 
danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its 
range. It is a ``threatened species'' if it is likely to become 
endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a 
significant portion of its range.
    The Act does not define the term ``foreseeable future.'' For the 
purposes of this proposed rule, we regard the foreseeable future as the 
extent to which, given available data, we can reasonably anticipate 
events or effects, or extrapolate threat trends, such that reliable 
predictions can be made concerning the future status of the DFS. In 
conducting this analysis, our general approach was to review past 
threat trends and the observed DFS response, followed by a prediction 
of future trends. We used a general timeframe of 40 years for examining 
both past and future trends, noting that the timeframe for the future 
trends is dependent on available data and can vary for specific 
threats. We also took uncertainty into account. Because predictions 
always have some uncertainty--and the further we try to look into the 
future, the greater the uncertainty--a general period of 20 to 40 years 
allowed for sufficiently reliable use of available data to inform our 
projections.
    In the following analysis, we first evaluate the status of the DFS 
throughout all its range as indicated by the five-factor analysis. We 
then consider whether the species is in danger of extinction or likely 
to become so in any significant portion of its range (SPR).

A. The Present or Threatened Destruction, Modification, or Curtailment 
of Its Habitat or Range

    This factor focuses on habitat changes caused by residential 
development, sea level rise, and commercial timber harvest, as well as 
the habitat-related effects on DFS viability, both rangewide and on DFS 
subpopulations (see Recovery Criterion 1, Population Viability above). 
There are 22 subpopulations, representing groups of interbreeding DFS 
(Hilderbrand et al. 2007, p. 73), within the subspecies' current range 
(USFWS 2012, figure 5, table 7). While they occur in three States, the 
only Virginia population is a barrier island population that was 
established on Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and is 
completely protected from residential development or commercial timber 
harvest. We do not, therefore, analyze development or timber harvest 
for the Virginia portions of the Delmarva Peninsula where DFS do not 
occur; however, the impact of sea level rise on this population is 
addressed.
    Potential habitat loss due to development: Past development trends. 
The Delmarva Peninsula is basically a rural landscape, but the human 
population has increased since the DFS was listed. For instance, in the 
eight Maryland counties that harbor DFS, the human population increased 
from approximately 200,000 to 300,000 between 1970 and 2000 (https://
planning.maryland.gov/msdc/popproj/TOTPOPPROJ08.pdf). 
Consequently, acres of developed land increased from 3 percent of the 
landscape in 1973 to 8 percent in 2002 by one estimate (Maryland 
Department of Planning 2008, pp. 22-23). Another land-use 
classification scheme showed an increase to 11 percent developed in 
2002 and 12 percent in 2010 (https://planning.maryland.gov/OurWork/landuse.shtml). Despite these increases and several areas that are 
continuing to grow, the majority of the Delmarva Peninsula is rural 
with approximately 45 percent agricultural land and 35 percent forest 
(USFWS 2012, table 2).
    During the same time period, a variety of State laws and programs 
were put in place to counteract the rate of development (USFWS 2012, 
appendix D). These include the Maryland Forest Conservation Act, which 
requires offsetting forest clearing for development with forest 
protection or afforestation, and the Maryland Critical Area Law, which 
now requires that the land within 200 feet of tidal waters cannot be 
developed and that the forest in this zone must be maintained.
    In addition, three State programs that protect private land from 
development on a voluntary basis have resulted in conservation of 
79,066 ha (195,377 ac) of private land in the DFS's Maryland range 
(USFWS 2012, table 3). These programs include the Maryland 
Environmental Trust, the Maryland Agricultural Land Protection Fund, 
and the Maryland Rural Legacy Program. Together, these programs 
protected about 3,642 ha/year (9,000 ac/year) between 2000 and 2008 
(USFWS 2012, chart 4), which is triple the rate of development between 
1973 and 2002 (Maryland Department of Planning 2008, pp. 22-23).
    Overall, approximately 30 percent of DFS-occupied forest is 
protected from development, and these lands are widely distributed 
across its range (USFWS 2012, table 5). Additional acres of protected 
forest occur outside the current range of the DFS and provide areas for 
further expansion (USFWS 2012, figure 7). The 15,995 ha (39,524 ac) of 
occupied forest that is protected from development could contain a DFS 
population that is about 45 times the size of the MVP determined 
through the PVA (Hilderbrand et al. 2007, entire). Nonetheless, 70 
percent of DFS-occupied forest occurs on private land that is legally 
unprotected from development; thus, future losses from development are 
likely.
    Potential habitat loss due to development: Future development 
trends. The Maryland Department of Planning (https://
planning.maryland.gov/msdc/popproj/TOTPOPPROJ08.pdf) predicts 
that by 2030 the human population in the eight Maryland counties where 
DFS occur will reach 400,000 (in 2000, the human population was roughly 
300,000). Further, under the worst-case scenario, where Smart Growth 
policies are not implemented and sprawl is maximized, the amount of 
developed land in the eight Maryland counties could encompass 14 
percent of the landscape by 2030. The greatest growth is expected to 
occur in the vicinity of Salisbury and Ocean City, which are outside 
the current range of the DFS. However, sprawl development in Queen 
Anne's County and the area around Easton is also identified in the 
report and would occur within the northern portion of the squirrel's 
range (the ``northern portion'' is commonly understood to include Kent, 
Queen Anne's, Talbot, and Caroline Counties in Maryland, while the 
``southern portion'' is understood to include the Sussex County DFS 
population in Delaware, the southern four counties in Maryland, and the 
DFS population in Accomack County, Virginia).
    We assessed the potential threat of DFS habitat loss stemming from 
future development by overlaying the acres of existing occupied forest 
with areas projected to be lost to development, including: (1) Smart 
Growth areas (excluding the acres that are protected by easement), (2) 
areas where development projects are already planned, and (3) areas 
that are projected to be lost by 2030 if Smart Growth policies are not 
implemented (USFWS 2012, figure 11).
    Overall, 3 percent (2,283 ha or 5,643 ac) of the forest area 
currently occupied by DFS is anticipated to be lost to development by 
2030. The reason for this relatively low level of loss is that most of 
the future development on the Delmarva Peninsula is projected to occur 
outside the current range of the DFS (e.g., Kent Island, Salisbury, and 
Ocean City). Development within the current range is expected to affect 
two

[[Page 56695]]

small, isolated DFS subpopulations where extirpation already appears 
likely. Although loss of these two isolated populations is likely, 
together they constitute less than 0.5 percent of the total MVPs, and 
their loss will, therefore, have a negligible effect on the extinction 
risk for the rangewide DFS population. While we do not currently have 
additional projections of development past 2030, we expect most future 
development on the Delmarva Peninsula beyond this time will continue to 
occur outside the current range of the DFS. Additionally, as described 
below, with anticipated continued expansion of DFS populations and 
State laws providing protection of DFS forest habitat, we expect any 
future loss of habitat due to development to have a negligible effect 
on the extinction risk for the rangewide DFS population.
    The discovery of additional occupied forest areas may offset this 
projected loss of occupied forest, resulting in little change to the 
overall area of the distribution. In the past 10 years, discovery of 
new occupied forest has occurred at the rate of 763 ha/year (1,887 ac/
year). We might expect the rate of discovery of new occupied forest to 
diminish in the future, but even if we discover new occupied forest at 
half that rate, or 382 ha/year (944 ac/year), we will have offset 
anticipated losses from development in 6 years.
    In summary, in the past 40 years, development has eliminated some 
forested habitat, but the DFS range has expanded despite these losses. 
Although past increases in DFS occurrences are attributable in part to 
the cessation of hunting and DFS translocations, the number and 
distribution of naturally occupied woodlands have also increased. The 
discovery of new occupied forest is anticipated to exceed anticipated 
losses of forest from future development. Protection of DFS-occupied 
forest from future development occurs through several State 
conservation easement programs, and 30 percent of the occupied habitat 
is permanently protected from development through easements or public 
ownership. State laws are now more protective of DFS forest habitat 
than they were in the past, and these protections are likely to 
continue into the future, resulting in conservation of additional 
forest habitat. Given the projection that future losses are likely to 
be relatively small, combined with the availability of ample unoccupied 
habitat for DFS to move into, the loss of occupied habitat due to 
development does not pose an extinction risk for the DFS.
    Potential loss of forest habitat from sea level rise. The Delmarva 
Peninsula is a low-lying landform, and increases in the relative sea 
level of the Chesapeake Bay can flood and kill shoreline forests that 
constitute DFS habitat. Although these dynamic processes have been 
occurring for centuries, relative sea level rise has occurred at an 
accelerating rate (Sallenger et al. 2012,entire; Boesch et al. 2013, 
entire). The DFS is not a coastal species in that it does not depend on 
coastal habitats specifically, and this moderates its vulnerability to 
sea level rise compared to marsh-dependent species. In addition, it 
uses a wide range of mature forest types across the Peninsula and a GIS 
analysis indicates over 80 percent of the current range would remain, 
even after inundation by 0.61 m (2 ft) of water. However, the squirrel 
does occur in forest blocks along the edge of the Chesapeake Bay where 
sea level rise has occurred in the past and will continue into the 
future.
    Sea level rise in the past. The forces of land subsidence and sea 
level rise have resulted in a long history of island loss and formation 
in the Chesapeake Bay. In the last century, these forces combined to 
produce a relative sea level rise in the Chesapeake Bay region of about 
3.4 millimeters (mm)/year (0.134 inches (in)/year) (National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration 2006, p. 4), or approximately 0.3 m/100 
years (1 ft/100 years) (National Wildlife Federation 2008, p. 2).
    Loss of some forest stands in southern Dorchester County is already 
apparent where shoreline timber stands at the lowest elevations have 
been killed by saltwater from recent hurricanes. Although we cannot 
precisely quantify how much occupied habitat has been lost in the past 
40 years, the LiDAR analysis of forest height and canopy cover has 
identified at least 68 ha (170 ac) of forest at the edge of coastal 
marshes that are now standing dead trees.
    Hurricanes are part of the process that results in loss of forest 
from saltwater as sea levels rise. Saltwater moves further into 
forested areas during associated storm surges, which can kill or weaken 
trees. Hurricanes have always been part of the weather in this area and 
there is no evidence that hurricanes per se pose a problem for DFS. 
Even during super-storm Sandy in October 2012, cameras set out to 
monitor DFS in woods near the Atlantic coast recorded DFS onsite after 
the hurricane passed. While there is always the possibility that 
hurricanes or any storm can topple trees used by DFS, the major effect 
is the additional push of saltwater into more upland areas, killing 
coastal forest trees.
    Future effects of sea level rise and climate change. Sea level rise 
in the Chesapeake Bay is certain to continue in the future, and the 
rate of change is likely to be even higher than in the past (National 
Wildlife Federation 2008, pp. 16-17; Sallenger et al. 2012, entire; 
Boesch et al. 2013, entire). While the precise rate of change may be 
debated, we have chosen to evaluate a 0.61-m (2-ft) inundation scenario 
to determine the extent of occupied forest that may be lost through the 
combined effects of sea level rise and subsidence (i.e., relative sea 
level rise) despite uncertainty about when this might occur. A sea 
level rise of this magnitude (0.61 m or 2 ft) is predicted to occur by 
about 2050 using the high or extreme scenario and by 2100 using the low 
scenario (Boesch et al. 2013, p. 15).
    To determine the acres of DFS-occupied forest that might be lost 
due to sea level rise, we conducted a GIS analysis of DFS-occupied 
habitat overlaid by an inundation level of 0.61 m (2 ft) on the 
landscape by 2050 (USFWS 2012, p.31). Although we considered this to be 
the worst-case scenario for the next 40 years (Boesch et al. 2013, p. 
15), it may be a more likely scenario over a 60- to 100-year timeframe 
(Boesch et al. 2013, p. 15; National Wildlife Federation 2008, p. 16).
    Our GIS analysis indicated that the most severe effects of sea 
level rise on DFS by 2050 will be seen in the southwestern portion of 
Dorchester County, Maryland (USFWS 2012, figure 12). Here, the 
landscape is a convoluted shoreline bounding a mix of marsh and forest. 
With 0.61 m (2 ft) of inundation, the marsh would be submerged, islands 
of forest would gradually become smaller, and eventually the forest is 
likely to be killed by saltwater intrusion. Using this inundation 
scenario, 9,332 ha (23,060 ac) of currently occupied forest would 
either be lost or remain only on isolated islands (USFWS 2012, figure 
12). In addition, 4,409 ha (10,897 ac) of habitat along the remaining 
southern edge of the county would eventually deteriorate, causing DFS 
to move inland. Noting that the ability of DFS to move into connected 
habitat likely reduces the effects on this subspecies of forest losses 
at the coastal marsh fringe, we nonetheless consider this as habitat 
loss. Remaining losses are scattered in small areas throughout the 
range, including some losses at the Chincoteague population (USFWS 
2012, figure 12).
    The predicted habitat losses from sea level rise are thus greatest 
in

[[Page 56696]]

southwestern Dorchester County, but even if these losses were to occur 
immediately, the area's remaining 23,632 ha (58,398 ac) of occupied 
habitat would continue to support a highly abundant DFS population with 
a negligible risk of extinction. Moreover, the habitat in the 
northeastern portion of this area is connected to existing occupied 
forest farther inland (USFWS 2012, figure 9). We anticipate that DFS 
will move into a large tract of State-owned forest that will mature 
into suitable DFS habitat within the next 10 years. Analysis of forest 
connectivity indicates that this area either already allows or will 
soon allow for DFS expansion, and it connects the Dorchester DFS 
subpopulation to forest tracts in Caroline and Sussex Counties (USFWS 
2012, figure 10). Although sea level rise may cause streams and rivers 
to widen and pose more of a barrier than they currently do, forested 
paths will still be available to provide DFS access to habitat in the 
inland portions of Dorchester County. Thus, losses in the southwestern 
portion of the county could be tolerated, but they will likely be 
mediated by a population shift to the large interior portions of the 
county.
    Given our current understanding of DFS habitat use, dispersal, and 
population dynamics, the expected DFS response to deterioration of 
coastal woodlands from sea level rise is the gradual movement of some 
DFS to more inland areas. The DFS is known to travel across areas of 
marsh and can move at least 40 to 50 m (131 to 164 ft) across marshland 
between forested islands and may also move across frozen marsh in the 
winter. We acknowledge that even with the squirrel's ability to move, 
some isolation and loss of individuals are likely to occur, and a 
portion of the squirrel's habitat in southwestern Dorchester County 
will become degraded or lost. Nonetheless, because of the large size of 
the Dorchester subpopulation that would remain, as well as the presence 
of currently unoccupied but suitable habitat for the DFS, we conclude 
that habitat loss due to sea level rise will not be a limiting factor 
to the future viability of this subspecies.
    The 0.61-m (2-ft) inundation scenario does not play out the same in 
other parts of the range. In the series of small peninsulas in 
northwestern Dorchester County called the ``neck region,'' this 
scenario results in shrinkage of available habitat but does not create 
islands and leaves habitat for DFS to move into (USFWS 2012, figure 
12). This is also the case in other portions of the squirrel's range 
near the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Coast. Some additional small 
areas of occupied habitat may be lost, but the gradual loss can be 
accommodated by shifts in DFS home ranges to adjacent but currently 
unoccupied habitat.
    The most coastal population of DFS is a translocated population 
introduced in 1968 to Chincoteague NWR, a barrier island in Virginia 
that could be severely affected by sea level rise (National Wildlife 
Federation 2008, p. 69). The refuge's draft Comprehensive Conservation 
Plan (draft available at: https://www.fws.gov/nwrs/threecolumn.aspx?id=2147550165) addresses this issue, and the refuge 
may consider future land acquisitions on the Delmarva Peninsula 
mainland. Chincoteague NWR will continue to manage for DFS into the 
future whether or not the species remains listed. In addition, 
translocations of DFS to areas outside refuge boundaries at some point 
in the future are possible.
    It is not clear how climate change effects may alter the nature of 
the forests of the Delmarva Peninsula. If climate change effects result 
in warmer conditions in the long term, the loblolly pine-dominated 
forests on the southern half of the Delmarva Peninsula may become even 
more predominant. However, since DFS occur in forests that range from 
all hardwoods to all pines and prefer a good mix of hardwoods and pines 
with diverse tree species, shifts in the species composition of these 
forests are not likely to become a significant threat for the squirrel.
    In summary, DFS distribution has increased in the past 40 years 
even with some sea level rise occurring (at a rate of approximately 0.3 
m (1 ft) in 100 years). In the next 40 to 50 years, under a worst-case 
scenario of a 0.61-m (2-ft) rise in sea level, we predict some 
deterioration of forests in certain areas along the Chesapeake Bay and 
the Atlantic Coast (USFWS 2012, figure 12), but we also anticipate 
population expansion and shifts in DFS home ranges into suitable but 
currently unoccupied habitat that is available in the interior of the 
Delmarva Peninsula. Although some concern has been expressed about the 
likelihood of such expansion (CBD 2013), the analysis of habitat 
suitability, connectivity, and the range expansion documented in the 
last 15 years provides a strong basis for this expectation. Thus, 
available data indicate that the loss of habitat due to sea level rise 
does not pose an extinction risk to the DFS.
    Combined effects of development and sea level rise. Although no 
individual threat under Factor A threatens this species with extinction 
now or in the foreseeable future, we examined the combined effects of 
the most pervasive stressors--future habitat loss from development and 
sea level rise--using a GIS analysis (USFWS 2012; figure 5, table 7).
    Beginning with the total area of forest occupied in 2010, we 
subtracted all possible projected losses from development and sea level 
rise. We then added a conservative estimate of the average acres of 
occupied forest that have been discovered annually for the last 10 
years. We considered this for the entire range and for 22 
subpopulations within the range. We also estimated the number of MVPs 
(calculated as a population containing 65 females, or 130 animals 
total) in each subpopulation (USFWS 2012, pp. 41-42) to gauge the 
extinction risk of each subpopulation. This enabled a spatial analysis 
of how the impacts of both development and sea level rise might 
interact.
    As of 2010, there were 54,429 ha (134,496 ac) of DFS-occupied 
habitat distributed among 22 subpopulations, with an estimated DFS 
population approximately 171 times the size of an MVP (USFWS 2012, 
table 7). Apart from two small, isolated subpopulations that are likely 
to become extirpated because of both their size and location, the 
majority of the 22 subpopulations have some likelihood of remaining at 
or above current population levels given that they are either large 
enough to contain a population comparable to one or more MVPs or, if 
smaller, they are located close to other subpopulations (USFWS 2012, 
table 7, figure 5).
    If we subtract the habitat that might be lost from development and 
sea level rise and do not count any expected discoveries of additional 
occupied habitat, we still retain 37,795 ha (93,393 ac) of occupied 
forest and a rangewide population of 17,000 to 20,000 DFS, that is, 120 
times the MVP size. Ninety-five percent of DFS are found in the 11 
largest subpopulations, all of which are considered likely to stay at 
or above current population levels, because they contain at least one 
MVP after all losses. With expected discovery of at least some 
additional occupied forest, it is more likely that the total DFS-
occupied area will increase and that subpopulations are likely to 
become more connected and even more likely to remain at or above 
current levels into the foreseeable future. Thus, even with the 
cumulative loss of habitat from development and sea level rise, the 
factors analyzed do not endanger or threaten this species with 
extinction now or in the foreseeable future.
    Loss of mature forest from timber harvest. Unlike development and 
sea

[[Page 56697]]

level rise, timber harvest does not result in permanent loss of 
habitat. A timber harvest is followed by growth of a young forest, 
resulting in a landscape mosaic of mature and regenerating forest 
stands. DFS are resilient to timber harvests when there is adjacent 
habitat they can move into (Paglione 1996 pp. 69-73; Bocetti and Pattee 
2003, entire). The major threats that could be posed by timber harvests 
are, therefore, (1) the prevalence of short-rotation timber harvests, 
where trees are harvested before they mature enough to become DFS 
habitat; and (2) harvest rates that exceed growth rates and result in a 
continual decline of mature forest.
    Potential threat from short-rotation pine forestry. Short-rotation 
pine forestry involves harvesting trees at approximately 25 years of 
age for pulp and other fiber products. Since it takes approximately 40 
years to produce suitable DFS habitat, forests harvested at 25 years of 
age never become suitable for DFS breeding. In the past, there were two 
large corporations managing for short-rotation pine on the Delmarva 
Peninsula. However, these industries have effectively left the Delmarva 
Peninsula, and in 1999 the State of Maryland acquired 23,471 ha (58,000 
ac) of land to be managed for sustainable sawtimber production and 
wildlife values. These lands, collectively administered as the 
Chesapeake Forest Lands, are scattered parcels throughout the southern 
four Maryland counties (USFWS 2012, figure 13). In addition, 4,202 ha 
(10,384 ac) of forest land previously owned and managed for short-
rotation pine are now owned by the State of Delaware. All these lands, 
on which short-rotations formerly precluded DFS habitat, will now be 
protected from development and managed for sustainable sawtimber 
harvest and wildlife habitat objectives. With compatible management, 
these forests will provide suitable habitat for DFS into the 
foreseeable future.
    Most of this land is currently in early stages of forest 
succession; 48 percent of Maryland Chesapeake Forest Lands in 2013 were 
less than 25 years old and about 30 percent were at least 41 years old 
(Maryland DNR 2013, p. 43). Within 10 years, however, most of the 
forested areas will be over 26 years of age and there will be more than 
30 percent of the stands over 41 years and potentially suitable for DFS 
(Maryland DNR 2013, p. 43). Moreover, DFS management has been 
integrated into the Sustainable Forest Management Plan for Chesapeake 
Forest Lands (Maryland DNR 2013, pp. 92-96), which identifies a total 
of 17,618 ha (43,535 ac) as DFS Core Areas and DFS Future Core Areas 
where management is for 60- to 80-year rotations. According to the 
management plan, at least 50 percent of the DFS Core Areas must be 
maintained in suitable DFS habitat at any one time, with a management 
emphasis on mature mixed pine/hardwood stands (Maryland DNR 2013, p. 
94). Thus, while most of the Chesapeake forest lands are currently 
unoccupied by DFS and are too young to provide breeding habitat, these 
areas are protected from development and will provide suitable DFS 
habitat in the near future. Overall, the Chesapeake Forest Lands 
represent a future of protected forest areas managed for sawtimber 
where DFS can survive and grow in numbers. This land acquisition 
substantially removes the threat posed by short-rotation pine 
management and provides a positive outlook for future habitat for the 
DFS on the lower portion of the Delmarva Peninsula.
    Timber harvest across the landscape in the past. The 2007 review 
(USFWS 2007, pp. 17-20) evaluated the threat from timber harvest using 
the U.S. Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis data (Frieswyk 
2001, entire) in conjunction with a database of sediment-and-erosion-
control permits obtained from the counties. Although these data were 
the best available at the time, there was some concern about the 
possibility of underestimating harvest rates based on the number of 
permits issued. Conversely, this analysis approach also led to a 
concern about overestimating harvest rates, because there was some 
evidence that individuals may obtain the permits in anticipation of 
good harvesting conditions but then not actually conduct the harvest. 
This particularly appeared to be the case in Dorchester County. 
Consequently, since the 2007 review we have looked at corollary means 
of understanding timber harvest rates (e.g., direct reports from State 
foresters in each county and LiDAR analysis), while acknowledging that 
each technique has some potential biases and results are not 
comparable. Due to the latter issue of comparability, the 2012 status 
review's (USFWS 2012, table 6) estimates of acres harvested in each 
county used the sediment-and-erosion-control permits simply because 
these data are collected in the same way over time. The exception to 
this is the estimate for Sussex County, Delaware, which is considered 
to represent actual acres harvested on the ground, because permits are 
not granted until immediately before the harvest.
    The average annual harvest in the most recent years preceding this 
review is substantially less than in previous years, (generally prior 
to 2005) according to the permit database (USFWS 2012, table 6). In the 
four southern Maryland counties, the average annual harvest has dropped 
from approximately 1,050 ha (2,594 ac) prior to 2005 to approximately 
303 ha (749 ac) since 2005. The average size of the harvest in these 
counties has also decreased from an average of 22 ha (54 ac) to an 
average of 15 ha (36 ac). In the northern four counties in Maryland, 
annual harvest was low prior to 2005 and stayed about the same in more 
recent years, with recent estimates averaging 235 ha (582 ac). The size 
of harvests was also about the same and averaged 14 to 15 ha (35 to 38 
ac). Given that most forest harvest occurs in the southern counties, 
the result is a substantial decrease in total acres harvested since 
2005.
    This is also the case in Delaware, where we find the permit 
database to be very accurate. In Sussex County, the annual harvest rate 
in the last 4 years was half of what was generally harvested between 
1998 and 2005. Not only has the annual harvest acreage declined, but so 
has the size of individual harvest areas. In the mid- to late 1990s, 
the typical size of timber harvests ranged from 12.1 to 28.3 ha (30 to 
70 ac), while over the past 5 years the average size of timber harvests 
ranges from 8.9 to 19.4 ha (22 to 48 ac).
    Among other reasons for this overall reduction in timber harvests, 
economic events have resulted in the closure of several sawmills on the 
Delmarva Peninsula; this was beginning to happen even before the 2008 
recession. The market for timber has declined dramatically, and the 
loss of sawmills is both a cause and a reaction to lower demand. Prices 
for timber remain very low, and the incentives to harvest are thus low. 
As discussed below, additional factors suggest that reduced harvest 
levels are likely to continue in the future.
    Future Threats Posed by Timber Harvest. Although it is very 
difficult to predict future market forces, several trends suggest 
future timber harvests might remain smaller in size and occur less 
frequently. An assessment of forests in the Chesapeake Bay area 
(Sprague et al. 2006, pp. 22-24) refers to trends in fragmentation and 
parcelization of forests in the Chesapeake Bay region. Parcelization is 
the subdivision of large blocks of land into multiple ownerships. As 
forest lands are subdivided, landowners tend to change from management 
of their woodlands for timber to management for aesthetics and wildlife 
values. The National Woodland Owner Survey conducted by the U.S. Forest 
Service found that in Maryland

[[Page 56698]]

45 percent of the woodland owners own less than 20 ha (50 ac) of woods 
(U.S. Department of Agriculture, 2012), whereas most clearcuts in the 
past were 9 to 20 ha (22 to 50 ac) in size. Thus, almost half of the 
woodland owners do not own enough woodland to accommodate harvests the 
size of an average clearcut without losing nearly all of their woods.
    In addition, these owners are not likely to be managing for timber 
as a source of income. This ownership pattern also reflects the 
``gentrification'' of the eastern shore of Maryland, with landowners 
becoming less likely to be farmers or foresters and more likely to be 
commuters or retirees that do not earn their livings from the natural 
resources on their properties. The proportion of the population in this 
area that is greater than 65 years of age has been increasing in the 
past and is projected to increase in the future 
(www.mpd.md.state.md.us./msdc/county). Although these landowners may 
harvest small portions of their woods, they are likely to retain some 
portions as well. This continued parcelization and gentrification is 
expected to reduce the number of landowners managing for timber values, 
reduce the size of timber harvests, and result in an overall reduction 
in the total acres harvested. This trend is already apparent in the 
reduced average size of timber harvests indicated by the sediment-and-
erosion control-permit databases discussed above.
    In summary, the threat posed by short-rotation pine timber harvests 
has largely been eliminated by the transfer of 23,472 ha (58,000 ac) to 
the State of Maryland and 4,202 ha (10,384 ac) to the State of Delaware 
to be managed for sawtimber and wildlife habitat. Additionally, the 
timber harvest rates on private lands across the eight Maryland 
counties have declined dramatically in the past several years. Even if 
harvest rates were to increase in the future and approach the levels 
reported in the 2007 status review (USFWS 2007, pp. 19-20), the impacts 
would not be significant, because DFS are known to have expanded their 
range even at that level of harvest (i.e., under past harvest rates, 
approximately 55 percent of the forest in the eight Maryland counties 
was mature forest either occupied by or potentially suitable for DFS 
(USFWS 2012, table 4)). The Delmarva Peninsula-wide forest mapping also 
indicates that ample, well-connected habitat is available for DFS 
expansion, even under past harvest rates. Nonetheless, future timber 
harvest on the shore is likely to be more limited than it has been in 
the past because of changes in the timber market and landownership 
patterns. And, importantly, the transfer of 27,674 ha (68,317 ac) of 
timber lands with sustainable management provisions to Maryland and 
Delaware will provide significant long-term conservation benefits for 
the DFS. These land transfers, in conjunction with available data on 
harvest rates across the range of the squirrel, suggest that timber 
harvest does not pose an extinction risk for the DFS.
    Factor A summary. The current range of the DFS spans the northern 
and southern portions of the Delmarva Peninsula, from coastal areas to 
the interior of the Delmarva Peninsula. DFS inhabit a wide range of 
forest types from hardwood-dominated to pine-dominated forests and from 
wetland to upland forests, suggesting that the DFS would continue to 
remain at or above viable population levels under a variety of 
conditions. The wide distribution provides redundancy of occupied 
forest across the landscape, which also reduces extinction risk. Timber 
harvest rates in the past have not prevented population expansion, and 
the harvest rates are likely to be even lower in the future. We expect 
the rangewide DFS population to remain viable and to continue to occupy 
the full complement of landscapes and forest types on the Delmarva 
Peninsula. We conclude that habitat losses may occur in some areas from 
residential development or sea-level rise, but we expect the DFS 
population to remain at or above recovered levels, and, moreover, we do 
not expect such habitat losses to prevent overall expansion of the 
range in the future.

B. Overutilization for Commercial, Recreational, Scientific, or 
Educational Purposes

    Overhunting has been posited as a factor in the original decline of 
this species. Squirrel hunting was common in the early and middle 
decades of the 20th century, and, given the DFS's larger size and 
tendency to be on the ground, they may have been preferred game over 
gray squirrels. Squirrel hunting was also a common way for young 
hunters to gain experience. Hunting of DFS in small, isolated woodlots 
or narrow riparian corridors could have resulted in local extirpations, 
and Taylor (1976, p. 51) noted that DFS remained present on large 
agricultural estates where hunting was not allowed, suggesting that 
these areas may have provided a network of refugia for DFS as the 
subspecies became extirpated elsewhere.
    Hunting in the Past 40 Years. Hunting of DFS was banned through 
State regulations in 1972. Removal of hunting pressure, combined with 
other factors, may have allowed renewed population growth and expansion 
of the squirrel's range to its current extent. Coincidentally, squirrel 
hunting has declined in popularity in recent decades (replaced largely 
by deer hunting). Nationwide, squirrel hunting declined by 41 percent 
between 1991 and 2001, along with an overall decline in the number of 
citizens hunting (USFWS 2001, p. 5). Across Maryland, the number of 
hunters pursuing gray squirrels declined by almost half between 2000 
and 2005, from about 19,000 to 10,000 hunters, while the number of 
hunters pursuing western fox squirrels (Sciurus niger rufiventor) in 
western Maryland dropped from about 3,000 to 1,800 
(www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/gpar/gpfurtable1.asp). Although 
some hunters may mistake DFS for gray squirrels (despite educational 
efforts to help hunters differentiate between the two), this is likely 
a rare situation that has not prevented the DFS from expanding over the 
last 40 years.
    Hunting in the Future. Discussions with our State partners suggest 
that DFS management after delisting would be conducted very carefully 
and that a hunting season would not be initiated in the immediate 
future. We recognize that a very restricted hunt could be conducted at 
sites where DFS are abundant without causing a population decline, and 
that State management agencies have the capability to implement careful 
hunting restrictions and population management; for instance, the 
reopening of the black bear (Ursus americanus) hunt in Maryland is a 
good example of a carefully and successfully managed hunt (Maryland 
Department of Natural Resources 2012, entire).
    We nonetheless foresee only limited public interest in reinitiating 
a DFS hunt, coupled with strong public attitudes against hunting DFS. 
Public sentiment toward hunting in general has changed, with hunting 
for food, management of game populations, and animal population control 
considered acceptable, whereas hunting strictly for recreation is 
considered less acceptable (Duda and Jones 2008, p. 183). Given public 
attitudes, the declining interest in squirrel hunting, and the 
restrictions that we expect would be imposed on a renewed hunting 
program, hunting is highly unlikely to pose an extinction risk to the 
DFS in the foreseeable future.

C. Disease or Predation

    Disease. Reports of disease in DFS are uncommon. Although other 
subspecies

[[Page 56699]]

of eastern fox squirrels are known to carry diseases such as mange and 
rabies, there is no documentation of these diseases in DFS, and there 
is no evidence or suspicion of disease-related declines in any local 
population (USFWS 2012, pp. 37-38).
    Despite the lack of apparent vulnerability to date, however, the 
recent advent of white-nose syndrome affecting bats (Blehert et al. 
2009, entire) and chytrid fungus affecting amphibians (Daszak et al. 
1999, entire) demonstrates the uncertainty surrounding novel disease 
events. The life-history traits of DFS nonetheless make them less 
susceptible to these types of epizootics. First, DFS do not congregate 
in large numbers (such as bats in hibernacula), where disease can 
easily spread through a population. Second, early records describe the 
DFS as patchily distributed across its range (Taylor 1976, p. 7), and 
this continues to be the case; this patchy distribution makes it more 
difficult for disease to spread through the squirrel's range. Finally, 
DFS are not migratory or in an environment (as with aquatic species) 
where pathogens can readily disperse. There currently is no evidence of 
disease-related declines or any indication that DFS are particularly 
susceptibility to disease outbreaks, and we conclude that disease is 
neither a current nor future extinction risk for this subspecies.
    Predation. Predators of DFS include the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), 
gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), red-tailed hawk (Buteo 
jamaicensis), bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), and possibly 
domestic pets and feral animals (e.g., cats and dogs). Owls are 
probably not major predators, as camera surveys have found that DFS 
activity patterns rarely include dawn or evening hours, although the 
gray squirrel is active at these times. Morris (2006, pp. 35, 77) found 
that the majority of camera detections occurred between 8 a.m. and 5 
p.m. with two peaks in activity at mid-morning and mid-afternoon.
    Changes in predator numbers may cause some fluctuations in DFS 
numbers at a site (e.g., a DFS population may decline when red fox 
populations increase), but these types of events are sporadic and 
localized. Likewise, bald eagle numbers have dramatically increased in 
the Chesapeake Bay region over the past 40 years, but although they 
have been known to take DFS, they still prey primarily on fish. While 
feral dogs and cats may occasionally take DFS, such predation is not a 
rangewide threat. The DFS population has increased over the last 40 
years despite ongoing predation, and we conclude that predation at 
these levels is not a current or future extinction risk for this 
subspecies.

D. The Inadequacy of Existing Regulatory Mechanisms

    Several laws established in Maryland over the past 40 years provide 
substantial protections for DFS habitat (USFWS 2012, appendix D). The 
Maryland Critical Areas Act of 1984 designates all areas within 304.8 m 
(1,000 ft) of high tide as Critical Areas and originally prohibited 
development and forest clearing within 30.48 m (100 ft) of streams and 
the Chesapeake Bay. This law was amended in the spring of 2008 to 
increase this ``no-development or forest clearing buffer'' to 60.96 m 
(200 ft). These areas serve as corridors for DFS and as breeding 
habitat. The Maryland Forest Conservation Act of 1991 requires that, 
when a forested area is cleared and converted to other land use, other 
portions of the forest must be placed in an easement that will preclude 
development in perpetuity or, alternatively, other areas must be 
replanted to offset these losses. In addition, the State-implemented 
portions of the Clean Water Act protect the many forested wetlands 
where DFS occur.
    Several State programs encourage voluntary conservation easements 
that protect lands from development; the Maryland Agricultural Land 
Protection Fund (MALPF), Maryland Environmental Trust (MET), and Rural 
Legacy Program collectively protected 3,624.4 ha (8,956 ac) per year 
from 2000 to 2008 in the eight Maryland counties where DFS occur. These 
programs protect 79,066 ha (195,377 ac) of private land in Maryland and 
similar programs in Delaware protect an additional 12,677 ha (31, 327 
ac) in Sussex County (USFWS 2012, table 3).
    Although in Delaware and Virginia the DFS occurs primarily on 
Federal and State land, private lands are protected for continued 
expansion. For example, Delaware also has an Agricultural Land 
Protection Program and a Forest Legacy Program, and, although these 
programs started later than in Maryland, they have already protected 
more than 12,677 ha (31, 327 ac) in Sussex County. The Virginia 
population is completely protected on Chincoteague National Wildlife 
Refuge, a coastal island, and expansion in Virginia would require 
additional translocations. However, the State owns lands that would be 
suitable for future translocations, and there are private lands 
protected by land trusts as well.
    Overall, many State laws and programs that protect DFS and their 
habitat have been enacted or strengthened in the last 40 years, and it 
is likely that this State protection will continue. Currently, these 
regulatory mechanisms, together with other factors that address 
population and habitat trends, have reduced the threats identified for 
the DFS. We thus conclude that the inadequacy of existing regulatory 
mechanisms does not pose an extinction risk to the DFS.

E. Other Natural or Manmade Factors Affecting Its Continued Existence

    The following factors have been identified as posing potential 
extinction risks to the DFS. The level of risk posed by each factor is 
assessed below.
    Forest pest infestations. Under Factor A, we evaluated habitat loss 
as a result of development, sea level rise, and timber harvest. 
However, additional factors can affect forest health and its ability to 
provide suitable habitat for DFS, including forest pest infestations. 
Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) and southern pine bark beetle 
(Dendroctonus frontalis) outbreaks can decimate mature forest stands, 
although the affected stands will eventually regenerate. However, 
monitoring and spraying for gypsy moth control appears to have reduced 
this threat within the current range of DFS; infestations in the last 
several years have diminished in acreage and occurred in other parts of 
the State (Maryland Department of Agriculture, Forest Health Highlights 
2007, 2008, 2009, entire).
    Pine bark beetle infestation necessitated salvage cuts for a total 
of 809.37 ha (2,000 ac) scattered across the southern counties in the 
early 1990s, but monitoring and control efforts appear to have reduced 
this threat as well.
    Overall, an analysis of forest-pest risk across counties in the 
Chesapeake Bay watershed found that most areas on the Eastern Shore 
where DFS occur have relatively low risk for insect infestations, with 
most having 3.8 to 10 percent of their area considered to be at risk 
(Sprague et al. 2006, p. 87). Although emergence of new forest pests is 
to be expected, the Maryland Department of Agriculture has a Forest 
Health Monitoring Program that conducts surveys to map and report 
forest-pest problems (Maryland Department of Agriculture, Forest Pest 
Management, 2012, entire). Forest-pest outbreaks are likely to recur 
and may increase if climate warms as projected; however, this threat 
appears to be localized and sporadic and, with existing programs to 
monitor and treat forest pest outbreaks, we conclude that it is not an 
extinction risk factor.

[[Page 56700]]

    Vehicle strikes. Vehicle strikes are a relatively common source of 
DFS mortality. Similar to other species, the probability of DFS being 
hit by vehicles is dependent on the density of DFS in the area and the 
proximity of the road to habitat. The frequency of road kills has been 
shown to reflect general patterns of abundance of many species over 
large geographic areas or time periods (McCaffery 1973, entire; Earle 
and Kramm 1982, entire; Gehrt 2002, entire; MacPherson et al. 2011, 
entire).
    Vehicle strikes of DFS tend to be reported more frequently in areas 
where DFS are abundant, even if traffic levels are relatively low, 
(e.g., Dorchester County). The conscientious reporting and collecting 
of DFS killed on roads at the Blackwater and Chincoteague NWRs, where 
DFS are very abundant, likely results in a more complete count of 
vehicle strikes than elsewhere. Vehicle strikes regularly occur at both 
refuges, yet DFS remain abundant in both places and have expanded their 
distribution at Chincoteague NWR despite vehicle strikes. Despite these 
local events, across their range and owing to their population biology, 
DFS populations continue to remain at current levels or expand, and we 
conclude that vehicle strikes alone are not a pervasive threat or an 
extinction factor for this species.

Summary of Factors A to E

    A summary of our analysis of the five factors is provided in table 
3 below. Based on our analysis, we conclude that no single factor or 
combination of factors, such as the combined effects of development, 
timber harvest, and sea level rise, poses a risk of extinction to the 
DFS now or in the foreseeable future.

                         Table 3--Summary of Five-Factor Analysis Under the Act for DFS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Foreseeable trends in      Does factor pose an
               Factor                 Trends in past 40 years       next 40 years           extinction  risk?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Habitat loss from development.......  In the past 40 years,    Development is expected  No.
                                       development increased    to increase to 14
                                       from 3 to 8 percent of   percent of the land
                                       the eight Maryland       area in the 8 Maryland
                                       counties; development    counties and in Sussex
                                       has increased in         County, Delaware, as
                                       Sussex County,           well. Most projected
                                       Delaware, as well.       development will occur
                                       Some habitat has been    near urban areas where
                                       lost, but most           DFS do not occur.
                                       development occurs       However, 3 to 4
                                       near existing towns      percent of total DFS
                                       where DFS are not as     occupied habitat is
                                       prevalent, and           expected to be lost to
                                       development often        development. While
                                       occurs on agricultural   these losses may cause
                                       rather than forest       some small
                                       land.                    subpopulations to
                                                                disappear, the
                                                                majority of the
                                                                occupied habitat will
                                                                continue to be
                                                                available. Despite
                                                                this development, the
                                                                DFS distribution is
                                                                expected to continue
                                                                to grow as it has in
                                                                the past.
Habitat loss from sea level rise....  In the past, losses in   Under an extreme         No.
                                       occupied habitat have    scenario of 0.61-m (2-
                                       occurred in southern     ft) inundation in 40
                                       Dorchester County,       years, considerable
                                       although the acreage     acreage will be lost
                                       is not known. Sea        or isolated in
                                       level rise has           southwestern
                                       occurred in the past     Dorchester County.
                                       at the rate of 3.5 mm    However, even if this
                                       per year (about 1 ft     loss occurred
                                       per 100 years).          immediately, this
                                                                subpopulation would
                                                                still retain 71 times
                                                                the MVP. The
                                                                Dorchester County
                                                                subpopulation would
                                                                continue to be the
                                                                largest subpopulation
                                                                and is very likely to
                                                                remain at levels well
                                                                above the MVP.
Habitat loss from timber harvest....  Sawtimber harvest has    Recent declines in       No.
                                       occurred throughout      timber harvest rates
                                       the Delmarva             and mill closings may
                                       Peninsula. The harvest   reduce the harvest
                                       rate in Dorchester       rate for some time.
                                       County was 927 ha        Increasing
                                       (2,291 ac) per year.     parcelization of land
                                       This estimate            will reduce the
                                       (possibly an             opportunities for
                                       overestimate) appears    large-scale timber
                                       to have been             production.
                                       sustainable, as DFS      Gentrification of the
                                       have remained present    Eastern Shore will
                                       in Dorchester County     likely shift public
                                       and elsewhere despite    values for forest
                                       these harvest rates.     management from timber
                                                                production to
                                                                management for
                                                                aesthetics and
                                                                wildlife. Thus, future
                                                                timber harvest rates
                                                                are not expected to
                                                                exceed past harvest
                                                                rates.
Habitat loss from short-rotation      In the past, short-      Since 1999, these lands  No.
 pine management.                      rotation pine harvests   have been obtained by
                                       have occurred on         the States of Maryland
                                       approximately 58,000     and Delaware and are
                                       ac of the eight          now managed for
                                       Maryland Counties and    sawtimber, which will
                                       10,000 ac more in        provide suitable DFS
                                       Sussex County,           habitat. Thus, we now
                                       Delaware. These acres    have 58,000 ac of land
                                       were typically           protected from
                                       harvested before they    development and
                                       were mature enough to    managed for sawtimber,
                                       be DFS habitat.          enabling use by DFS
                                                                that was previously
                                                                precluded.
Overutilization.....................  Hunting seasons have     Hunting seasons are      No.
                                       been closed since        likely to remain
                                       listing..                closed. If opened,
                                                                they would be limited
                                                                and managed very
                                                                carefully. Interest in
                                                                squirrel hunting has
                                                                declined
                                                                significantly, and
                                                                public attitudes
                                                                toward hunting have
                                                                changed to primarily
                                                                support hunting
                                                                species viewed as
                                                                needing population
                                                                management, such as
                                                                deer.
Disease or Predation................  Disease and predation    These threats are not    No.
                                       have not been            expected to increase,
                                       significant threats      and the increasing
                                       for this species in      distribution of the
                                       the past 40 years.       DFS lessens the impact
                                                                that disease and
                                                                predation could have
                                                                on this species.

[[Page 56701]]

 
Inadequacy of regulatory mechanisms.  Several new Maryland     In the next 40 years,    No.
                                       laws have appeared in    forest conservation
                                       the last 40 years to     measures are expected
                                       help conserve forest     to continue, and the
                                       areas. DFS occurrences   programs that have
                                       in Delaware and          begun in Maryland are
                                       Virginia are almost      expected to continue
                                       exclusively on           or increase as they
                                       protected lands.         have in the past.
                                                                Easement programs that
                                                                protect private lands
                                                                from development have
                                                                begun in Delaware and
                                                                Virginia and are
                                                                expected to increase
                                                                in the future as well.
Other natural or manmade factors....  Forest pests and         Forest pests and         No.
                                       vehicle strikes have     vehicle strikes are
                                       occurred in the past     likely to continue to
                                       40 years to some         occur to some extent,
                                       extent but have not      but these factors have
                                       limited the expansion    not limited growth of
                                       of the DFS               the subpopulations in
                                       distribution.            the past and are not
                                                                expected to in the
                                                                future. As DFS
                                                                populations increase
                                                                in density, vehicle
                                                                strikes could increase
                                                                as the probability of
                                                                vehicle strikes is
                                                                primarily a function
                                                                of animal abundance.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Proposed Rangewide Determination

    We have carefully assessed the best scientific and commercial 
information available regarding past, present, and future threats to 
the long-term viability of the DFS. The current range of DFS spans the 
northern and southern portions of the Delmarva Peninsula, comprising 
all three States, and extends from coastal areas to the interior of the 
Delmarva Peninsula. The DFS inhabits a variety of forest types, from 
hardwood-dominated to pine-dominated forests and from wetland to upland 
forests, indicating an underlying genetic variability or behavioral 
plasticity that should enhance the species' viability under changing 
environmental conditions. Its relatively wide distribution also 
provides redundancy of occupied forest across the landscape, which 
further reduces extinction risk, and its continued occupancy of 
woodlots over the past 20 to 30 years and the success of translocation 
efforts indicate considerable resilience to stochastic events. We thus 
expect the rangewide population of DFS not only to remain at recovery 
levels but to grow and continue to occupy the full complement of 
landscapes and forest types on the Delmarva Peninsula.
    The DFS has met the recovery criteria for considering delisting, 
and the analysis of potential threats shows that the range and 
distribution of the subspecies is sufficient to withstand all 
foreseeable threats to its long-term viability. We note, further, that 
the PVA threshold of 95 percent probability of persistence over 100 
years is indicative of an even higher probability of persistence over 
the foreseeable future, defined as the next 40-years. After assessing 
the best available information, we have determined that the DFS is no 
longer in danger of extinction throughout all of its range, nor is it 
likely to become so in the foreseeable future.

Significant Portion of the Range Analysis

Background

    Having determined that the DFS is not endangered or threatened 
throughout all of its range, we next consider whether there are any 
significant portions of its range in which the DFS is in danger of 
extinction or likely to become so. Under the Act and our implementing 
regulations, a species may warrant listing if it is in danger of 
extinction or likely to becomes so throughout all or a significant 
portion of its range. The Act defines ``endangered species'' as any 
species which is ``in danger of extinction throughout all or a 
significant portion of its range,'' and ``threatened species'' as any 
species which is ``likely to become an endangered species within the 
foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its 
range.'' The term ``species'' includes ``any subspecies of fish or 
wildlife or plants, and any distinct population segment [DPS] of any 
species of vertebrate fish or wildlife which interbreeds when mature.'' 
We published a final policy interpreting the phrase ``Significant 
Portion of its Range'' (SPR) on July 1, 2014 (79 FR 37578). The final 
policy states that (1) if a species is found to be endangered or 
threatened throughout a significant portion of its range, the entire 
species is listed as endangered or threatened, respectively, and the 
Act's protections apply to all individuals of the species wherever 
found; (2) a portion of the range of a species is ``significant'' if 
the species is not currently endangered or threatened throughout all of 
its range, but the portion's contribution to the viability of the 
species is so important that, without the members in that portion, the 
species would be in danger of extinction or likely to become so in the 
foreseeable future, throughout all of its range; (3) the range of a 
species is considered to be the general geographical area within which 
that species can be found at the time the Service or the National 
Marine Fisheries Service makes any particular status determination; and 
(4) if a vertebrate species is endangered or threatened throughout an 
SPR, and the population in that significant portion is a valid DPS, we 
will list the DPS rather than the entire taxonomic species or 
subspecies.
    The SPR policy is applied to all status determinations, including 
analyses for the purposes of making listing, delisting, and 
reclassification determinations. We use standard procedures for 
analyzing whether any portion of the range is an SPR, regardless of the 
type of status determination we are making. The first step in our 
analysis of the status of a species is to determine its status 
throughout all of its range. If we determine that the species is in 
danger of extinction, or likely to become so in the foreseeable future, 
throughout all of its range, we list the species as an endangered 
species (or threatened species) and no SPR analysis is required. If the 
species is neither in danger of extinction nor likely to become so 
throughout all of its range, we next determine whether the species is 
in danger of extinction or likely to become so throughout a significant

[[Page 56702]]

portion of its range. If it is, we list the species as an endangered 
species or a threatened species, respectively; if it is not, we 
conclude that listing the species is not warranted.
    When we conduct an SPR analysis, we first identify any portions of 
the species' range that warrant further consideration. The range of a 
species can theoretically be divided into portions in an infinite 
number of ways. However, there is no purpose to analyzing portions of 
the range that are not reasonably likely to be both significant and 
endangered or threatened. To identify only those portions that warrant 
further consideration, we determine whether there is substantial 
information indicating that (1) the portions may be significant, and 
(2) the species may be in danger of extinction in those portions or 
likely to become so within the foreseeable future. We emphasize that 
answering these questions affirmatively is not a determination that the 
species is endangered or threatened throughout a significant portion of 
its range--rather, it is a step in determining whether a more detailed 
analysis of the issue is required. In practice, a key part of this 
analysis is questioning whether the threats are geographically 
concentrated in some way. If the threats to the species are affecting 
it uniformly throughout its range, no portion is likely to have a 
greater risk of extinction, and thus would not warrant further 
consideration. Moreover, if any concentration of threats applies only 
to portions of the range that clearly do not meet the biologically 
based definition of ``significant'' (i.e., the loss of that portion 
clearly would not be expected to increase the vulnerability to 
extinction of the entire species), those portions will not warrant 
further consideration.
    If we identify any portions that may be both (1) significant and 
(2) in danger of extinction or likely to become so, we engage in a more 
detailed analysis to determine whether these standards are indeed met. 
As discussed above, to determine whether a portion of the range of a 
species is significant, we consider whether, under a hypothetical 
scenario, the portion's contribution to the viability of the species is 
so important that, without the members in that portion, the species 
would be in danger of extinction or likely to become so in the 
foreseeable future throughout all of its range. This analysis considers 
the contribution of that portion to the viability of the species based 
on the conservation biology principles of redundancy, resiliency, and 
representation. (These concepts can similarly be expressed in terms of 
abundance, spatial distribution, productivity, and diversity.) The 
identification of an SPR does not create a presumption, prejudgment, or 
other predetermination as to whether the species in that identified SPR 
is endangered or threatened. We must go through a separate analysis to 
determine whether the species is in danger of extinction or likely to 
become so in the SPR. To determine whether a species is endangered or 
threatened throughout an SPR, we will use the same standards and 
methodology that we use to determine if a species is endangered or 
threatened throughout its range.
    Depending on the biology of the species, its range, and the threats 
it faces, it may be more efficient to address either the significance 
question first, or the status question first. Thus, if we determine 
that a portion of the range is not ``significant,'' we do not need to 
determine whether the species is endangered or threatened there; if we 
determine that the species is not endangered or threatened in a portion 
of its range, we do not need to determine if that portion is 
``significant.''

SPR Analysis for DFS

    Applying the process described above, we evaluated the range of the 
DFS to determine if any area could be considered a significant portion 
of its range. As mentioned above, one way to identify portions for 
further analyses is to identify any natural divisions within the range 
that might be of biological or conservation importance. Based on 
examination of the recovery plan (USFWS 1993, 2003; entire) and other 
relevant and more recent information on the biology and life history of 
the DFS, we determined that there are no separate areas of the range 
that are significantly different from others or that are likely to be 
of greater biological or conservation importance than any other areas. 
We next examined whether any threats are geographically concentrated in 
some way that would indicate the species could be in danger of 
extinction, or likely to become so, in that area. Through our review of 
potential threats, we identified some areas where DFS are likely to be 
extirpated, including areas in Queen Anne's County, Maryland, where DFS 
distribution is scattered and relatively isolated by roads and water, 
and where future development is anticipated (see discussion of future 
development trends under Factor A). We thus considered whether this 
area in the northern portion of the range (see Factor A) may warrant 
further consideration as a significant portion of its range.
    As discussed previously, we anticipate 3 percent of the forest area 
currently occupied by DFS to be lost to development by 2030. This 
development would affect two small, isolated subpopulations in Queen 
Anne's County that together constitute less than 0.5 percent of the 
rangewide population. Additionally, the Queen Anne's County's landscape 
is similar to nearby Kent, Talbot, and Caroline Counties in Maryland in 
that it has hardwood-dominated forest patches in a landscape of 
primarily agricultural land (USFWS 2012, table 2) and does not 
represent a unique habitat type or ecological setting for the species. 
While there is projected localized loss of habitat in areas of Queen 
Anne's County (see Factor A), five large DFS subpopulations are 
expected to remain viable across this broader northern portion of the 
current range. We consider these subpopulations to be resilient, and 
their distribution provides the necessary redundancy to offset loss of 
local populations. The areas that may be lost due to development 
represent a very small proportion of the range (3 percent), as well as 
a very small proportion of the total population of the species (0.5 
percent). Moreover, if the areas expected to be lost due to development 
were in fact lost, that loss would not appreciably reduce the long-term 
viability of the subpopulation, much less cause the species in the 
remainder of its range to be in danger of extinction or likely to 
become so. Therefore, there is not substantial information that the 
small portions of the range in Queen Anne's County may be a significant 
portion of the DFS's range.
    We also expect loss of DFS-occupied forests from sea level rise in 
Dorchester County, Maryland. The anticipated losses in this area are on 
the southwestern periphery of the habitat supporting the largest 
subpopulation of DFS. However, as discussed under Factor A, above, 
these losses do not threaten either the subpopulation or the subspecies 
with a risk of extinction, as there is ample unoccupied and 
sufficiently connected habitat for displaced squirrels to colonize 
(along with the evidence provided by successful translocations of the 
ability of DFS to readily colonize new areas). Moreover, if the area 
expected to be lost were in fact lost, that loss would not appreciably 
reduce the long-term viability of the subpopulation, much less cause 
the species in the remainder of its range to be in danger of extinction 
or likely to become so. Therefore, there is not substantial information 
that the

[[Page 56703]]

portion of the range that is expected to be lost from sea level rise 
may be a significant portion of the DFS's range.
    These are the only two portions of the range that contain 
populations that may be affected by potential threats that could cause 
the species to be in danger of extinction or likely to become so or 
result in possible extirpation in those portions and thus warranting 
review for an SPR determination. Finding that the potential losses in 
small areas of Queen Anne's County do not cause cascading vulnerability 
or reflect unique areas that are not represented elsewhere in the 
species' range, and finding that loss of the area of Dorchester County 
anticipated to be lost to sea level rise would not cause the remainder 
of the species to be in danger of extinction or likely to become so, or 
affect the continued viability of the Dorchester subpopulation, we do 
not consider this subspecies to be in danger of extinction, or likely 
to become so in the foreseeable future, in any significant portion of 
its range. Further, given consideration (4) in the final SPR policy 
(see Significant Portion of the Range Analysis, Background above), and 
having not found the basis for an SPR determination on the grounds of 
either significance of, or threat to, a portion of the current range of 
the DFS, we also find that a DPS analysis is not warranted.
    The DFS's current and projected resiliency, redundancy, and 
representation should enable this subspecies to remain at recovered 
population levels throughout all of its range, and even expand its 
range over the foreseeable future. Having assessed the best scientific 
and commercial data available and determined that the DFS is no longer 
in danger of extinction throughout all or significant portions of its 
range, nor is it likely to become so in the foreseeable future, we are 
proposing to remove this species from the List of Endangered and 
Threatened Species under the Act.

Effects of the Rule

    This proposal, if made final, would revise 50 CFR 17.11(h) to 
remove the DFS from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened 
Wildlife. The prohibitions and conservation measures provided by the 
Act, particularly through sections 7 and 9, would no longer apply to 
this species. Federal agencies would no longer be required to consult 
with the Service under section 7 of the Act in the event that 
activities they authorize, fund, or carry out may affect the DFS. There 
is no critical habitat designated for this species.
    This proposed rule, if made final, would also remove the 
experimental population status of the DFSs that were introduced to the 
Assawoman State Wildlife Management Area in Sussex County, Delaware. 
This designation was established on September 13, 1984 (49 FR 35951-
35955).

Post-Delisting Monitoring Plan

    Section 4(g)(1) of the Act requires us, in cooperation with the 
States, to implement a monitoring program for not less than 5 years for 
all species that have been recovered and delisted. The purpose of this 
requirement is to develop a program that detects the failure of any 
delisted species to sustain itself without the protective measures 
provided by the Act. If, at any time during the monitoring period, data 
indicate that protective status under the Act should be reinstated, we 
can initiate listing procedures, including, if appropriate, emergency 
listing.
    Notice of availability of a draft DFS post-delisting monitoring 
plan. We are announcing the availability for public review of a draft 
post-delisting monitoring plan for the DFS. The draft PDM plan can be 
obtained upon request from the Chesapeake Bay Field Office (see 
ADDRESSES above) and is posted in the docket on https://www.regulations.gov and on the Chesapeake Bay Field Office Web page at: 
https://www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay.
    This draft plan builds upon and continues the research and 
monitoring that have been conducted to date. In general, the plan 
proposes that the Service and State natural resource agencies will: (1) 
Continue to map all DFS sightings and occupied forest to delineate the 
distribution and range, and (2) assess the occupancy of DFS in a sample 
of forest tracts to estimate the relative proportion of viable DFS 
populations versus extirpations across the range.
    The draft PDM plan identifies measurable management thresholds and 
responses for detecting and reacting to significant changes in the 
DFS's protected habitat, distribution, and ability to remain at 
recovered population levels. If declines are detected equaling or 
exceeding these thresholds, the Service, along with other post-
delisting monitoring participants, will investigate causes, including 
consideration of habitat changes, stochastic events, or any other 
significant evidence. Results will be used to determine if the DFS 
warrants expanded monitoring, additional research, additional habitat 
protection, or resumption of Federal protection under the Act.
    The final PDM plan and any future revisions will be posted on our 
Endangered Species Program's national Web page at: https://endangered.fws.gov and on the Chesapeake Bay Field Office Web page at: 
https://www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay.

Required Determinations

Clarity of the Rule

    We are required by Executive Orders 12866 and 12988 and by the 
Presidential Memorandum of June 1, 1998, to write all rules in plain 
language. This means that each rule we publish must:
    (a) Be logically organized;
    (b) Use the active voice to address readers directly;
    (c) Use clear language rather than jargon;
    (d) Be divided into short sections and sentences; and
    (e) Use lists and tables wherever possible.
    If you feel that we have not met these requirements, send us 
comments by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. To better help us 
revise the rule, your comments should be as specific as possible. For 
example, you should tell us the names of the sections or paragraphs 
that are unclearly written, which sections or sentences are too long, 
the sections where you feel lists or tables would be useful, etc.

National Environmental Policy Act

    We have determined that environmental assessments and environmental 
impact statements, as defined under the authority of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), need not be 
prepared in connection with regulations pursuant to section 4(a) of the 
Act. We published a notice outlining our reasons for this determination 
in the Federal Register on October 25, 1983 (48 FR 49244).

Government-to-Government Relationship With Tribes

    In accordance with the President's memorandum of April 29, 1994, 
Government-to-Government Relations with Native American Tribal 
Governments (59 FR 22951), E.O. 13175, and the Department of the 
Interior's manual at 512 DM 2, we readily acknowledge our 
responsibility to communicate meaningfully with recognized Federal 
Tribes on a government-to-government basis. In accordance with 
Secretarial Order 3206 of June 5, 1997 (American Indian Tribal Rights, 
Federal-Tribal Trust Responsibilities, and the Endangered

[[Page 56704]]

Species Act), we readily acknowledge our responsibilities to work 
directly with Tribes in developing programs for healthy ecosystems, to 
acknowledge that tribal lands are not subject to the same controls as 
Federal public lands, to remain sensitive to Indian culture, and to 
make information available to Tribes. As no Federally recognized Tribes 
occur within the squirrel's Delmarva Peninsula range, we have 
determined that no Tribes will be affected by this rule.

References Cited

    A complete list of all references cited in this final rule is 
available at: https://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-R5-ES-2014-
0021, or upon request from the Chesapeake Bay Field Office (see 
ADDRESSES).

Authors

    The primary authors of this proposed rule are staff members of the 
Service's Chesapeake Bay Field Office (see ADDRESSES and FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT).

List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17

    Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.

Proposed Regulation Promulgation

    Accordingly, we hereby propose to amend part 17, subchapter B of 
chapter I, title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as set forth 
below:

PART 17--ENDANGERED AND THREATENED WILDLIFE AND PLANTS

0
1. The authority citation for part 17 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361-1407; 1531-1544; 4201-4245; unless 
otherwise noted.


Sec.  17.11--[Amended]  

0
2. Amend section 17.11(h) by removing both entries for ``Squirrel, 
Delmarva Peninsula fox'' under ``Mammals'' from the List of Endangered 
and Threatened Wildlife.


Sec.  17.84--[Amended]  

0
3. Amend Sec.  17.84 by removing and reserving paragraph (a).

    Dated: September 5, 2014.
 Daniel M. Ashe,
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-22063 Filed 9-22-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P