Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reclassifying Echinocereus fendleri, 1677-1684 [2016-31763]

Agencies

• Fish and Wildlife Service
• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 4 (Friday, January 6, 2017)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 1677-1684]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-31763]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2016-0137; FXES11130900000 178 FF09E42000]
RIN 1018-BB89


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reclassifying 
Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri From Endangered to Threatened

AGENCY:  Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:  Proposed rule and 12-month petition finding.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to 
reclassify Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri (Kuenzler hedgehog 
cactus) from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act 
of 1973, as amended (Act). After review of the best available 
scientific and commercial information, we find that reclassifying E. 
fendleri var. kuenzleri as threatened is warranted. This document also 
serves as our 12-month finding on a petition to reclassify E. fendleri 
var. kuenzleri as threatened. We request information and comments from 
the public regarding this proposed rule and our 12-month finding.

DATES: To ensure that we are able to consider your comments on this 
proposed rule, they must be received or postmarked on or before March 
7, 2017. We must receive requests for public hearings, in writing, at 
the address shown in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT by February 21, 
2017.

ADDRESSES: Written comments: You may submit comments by one of the 
following methods:
    (1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal:
    https://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS-R2-ES-
2016-0137, which is the docket number for this proposed rulemaking. 
Then, click on the Search button. On the resulting page, 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 ``Comment Now!''
    (2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand-delivery to: Public 
Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R2-ES-2016-0137; Division of Policy, 
Performance, and Management Programs; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 
MS: BPHC; 5275 Leesburg Pike; Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
    We request that you send comments only by one of the methods 
described above. We will post all comments on https://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that we will post any 
personal information you provide us (see Information Requested, below, 
for more information).
    Copies of documents: This proposed rule and 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 New 
Mexico Ecological Services Field Office, 2105 Osuna Road NE., 
Albuquerque, NM 87113; telephone 505-346-2525.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wally Murphy, Field Supervisor, U.S. 
Fish and Wildlife Service, New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office, 
2105 Osuna Road NE., Albuquerque, NM 87113; telephone 505-761-2525; 
facsimile 505-346-2542. If you use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf (TDD), call the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Information Requested

    Any final action resulting from this proposed rule will be based on 
the best scientific and commercial data available and be as accurate as 
possible. Therefore, we request comments or information from other 
concerned governmental agencies, Native American Tribes, the scientific 
community, industry, or other interested parties concerning this 
proposed rule. The comments that will be most useful and likely to 
influence our decisions are those supported by data or peer-reviewed 
studies and those that include citations to, and analyses of, 
applicable laws and regulations. Please make your comments as specific 
as possible and explain the basis for them. In addition, please include 
sufficient information with your comments to allow us to authenticate 
any scientific or commercial data you reference or provide. In 
particular, we seek comments concerning the following:
    (1) Reasons why we should or should not reclassify Echinocereus 
fendleri var. kuenzleri under the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
    (2) New biological or other relevant data concerning any threat (or 
lack thereof) to this plant and existing regulations that may be 
addressing these or any of the below threats.
    (3) New information concerning the population size or trends of E. 
fendleri var. kuenzleri.
    (4) New information on how E. fendleri var. kuenzleri responds to 
wildland and prescribed fire.
    (5) New information on the current or planned activities within the 
range of E. fendleri var. kuenzleri that may adversely affect or 
benefit the plant.
    (6) New information or data on the projected and reasonably likely 
impacts to E. fendleri var. kuenzleri or its habitat associated with 
climate change.
    Please note that submissions merely stating support for or 
opposition to the action under consideration without providing 
supporting information, although noted, will not be considered in 
making a determination, as section 4(b)(1)(A) of the Act directs that 
determinations as to whether any species is an endangered or threatened 
species must be made ``solely on the basis of the best scientific and 
commercial data available.''
    Prior to issuing a final rule on this proposed action, we will take 
into consideration all comments and any additional information we 
receive. Such information may lead to a final rule that differs from 
this proposal. All comments and recommendations, including names and 
addresses, will become part of the administrative record.
    You may submit your comments and materials concerning the proposed 
rule by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. Comments must be 
submitted to https://www.regulations.gov before 11:59 p.m. (Eastern 
Time) on the date specified in DATES. We will not consider hand-
delivered comments that we do not receive, or mailed comments that are 
not postmarked, by the date specified in DATES. Please note that 
comments posted to this Web site are not immediately viewable. When you 
submit a comment, the system receives it immediately. However, the 
comment will not be publicly viewable until we post it, which might not 
occur until several days after submission.
    If you mail or hand-deliver hardcopy comments that include personal 
identifying information, you may request at the top of your document 
that we withhold this information from public review. However, we 
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. To ensure that the 
electronic docket for this rulemaking is complete and all comments we 
receive are publicly available, we will post all hardcopy submissions 
on https://www.regulations.gov.
    In addition, comments and materials we receive, as well as 
supporting documentation we used in preparing this proposed rule, will 
be available for public inspection in two ways:

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    (1) You can view them on https://www.regulations.gov. In the Search 
box, enter FWS-R2-ES-2016-0137, which is the docket number for this 
rulemaking.
    (2) You can make an appointment, during normal business hours, to 
view the comments and materials in person at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service's New Mexico Ecological Services Field Office (see ADDRESSES).

Public Hearing

    Section 4(b)(5)(E) of the Act provides for one or more public 
hearings on this proposed rule, if requested. We must receive requests 
for public hearings, in writing, at the address shown in FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT by the date shown in DATES. We will schedule public 
hearings on this proposal, if any are requested, and places of those 
hearings, as well as how to obtain reasonable accommodations, in the 
Federal Register at least 15 days before the first hearing.

Peer Review

    In accordance with our joint policy on peer review published in the 
Federal Register on July 1, 1994 (59 FR 34270), we will seek the expert 
opinions of at least three appropriate and independent specialists 
regarding this proposed rule. A thorough review of information that we 
relied on in preparing this proposed rule--including information on 
taxonomy, genetics, life-history, ecology, population distribution and 
abundance, and potential threats from our recent 5-year review (Service 
2016)--is available at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-
R2-ES-2016-0137. The purpose of peer review is to ensure that decisions 
are based on scientifically sound data, assumptions, and analyses. A 
peer review panel will conduct an assessment of the proposed rule, and 
the specific assumptions and conclusions regarding the proposed 
reclassification from endangered to threatened (i.e., ``downlisting''). 
This assessment will be completed during the public comment period.
    We will consider all comments and information we receive during the 
comment period on this proposed rule as we prepare the final 
determination. Prior to issuing a final rule on this proposed action, 
we will take into consideration all additional information and comments 
that we receive. Such information may lead to a final rule that differs 
from this proposal.

Background

    Found on slopes of sandy gravel and amid rocky outcrops in southern 
New Mexico, Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri is a very small member 
of the cactus family (Cactaceae) that grows in Great Plains grassland, 
oak woodland, or pinon-juniper woodland within elevations of 1,600 to 
2,000 meters (5,200 to 6,600 feet). Individuals may be single stemmed 
or branched; when branched, the stems are usually fewer than four, but 
may number as many as eight (Service 1985, p. 3). Stems are normally 
short-conical, about 15 centimeters (cm) (6 inches (in)) long and 10 cm 
(4 in) wide, with 9 to 12 ribs with prominent tubercles from which the 
spine clusters originate, and central spines are usually absent 
(Castetter et al. 1976, pp. 76-82, Service 1985, p. 3). Useful 
characteristics to distinguish the taxon from other cacti within its 
range are its few, contorted, white, chalky-textured spines and large, 
magenta flowers (Service 1985, p. 4). Fruits are bright red when 
mature, with black seeds. The cactus flowers in late May and fruits 
ripen in July, with flowering occurring after only when a cactus 
reaches 4 to 5 years of age. Like other rare cacti related to this 
genus, it is believed that E. fendleri var. kuenzleri is an obligate 
outcrosser (self-incompatible) that requires pollination for sexual 
reproduction (Tepedino 1998). Little is known about the pollinators of 
this cactus, but it most likely involves a range of nectar- seeking 
insects (Ferguson 1989, pp. 217-224).
    When we originally listed this cactus in 1979, we were aware of 
only a single population of approximately 200 plants located on the 
east slope of the Sacramento Mountains in New Mexico (Chaves and Otero 
Counties) (44 FR 61924; October 26, 1979). When the recovery plan was 
adopted in 1985, the plant was known to exist in two locations with a 
total of fewer than 500 plants. It is now reasonable to estimate, based 
on recent surveys, that several thousand cacti exist within the known 
range of this taxon, with approximately 3,300 individuals observed 
within 11 known population centers since 1981, when more intensive 
surveys were initiated (Service 2005, entire; 2016, entire). Since 
1979, the range of this plant has also been extended 10 miles to the 
west in Otero County, 40 miles north in Lincoln County (DeBruin 1993), 
and approximately 100 miles to the southeast (from its northwestern-
most location in Lincoln County) into the Guadalupe Mountains of Eddy 
County. Numerous new locations within this range place it within the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) -Forest Service and U.S. 
Department of the Interior (USDI)- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
jurisdictions as well on private and State lands. It has also been 
found on the west side of the Sacramento Mountains in Lincoln County 
(Knight 1999), and on USDA-Forest Service and USDI-BLM lands in the 
northern Guadalupe Mountains in Eddy and Otero Counties (Chauvin et al. 
2001, Sivinski 1996). Populations are not continuous within this range, 
but are patchy, scattered, and rare.
    Some have questioned the taxonomic status of Echinocereus fendleri 
var. kuenzleri, by considering it to be a synonym of the common and 
widespread E. fendleri var. fendleri (Anderson 2001, Zimmerman and 
Parfitt 2003). However, other assessments by local experts acknowledged 
that at the northwest edge of the cactus' range, within one of the 11 
known populations, E. fendleri var. kuenzleri individuals occur along 
with the variety E. fendleri var. fendleri and intergradations between 
both varieties can be found (Rare Plant Technical Council of New Mexico 
2005, Marron Associates 2000, entire; Baker 2007, entire). However, 
because the remaining 10 populations located more toward the center of 
E. fendleri var. kuenzleri's known distribution exhibit consistently 
reliable traits unique to this variety, the cactus warrants future 
study to verify a change in its taxonomic status (Rare Plant Technical 
Council of New Mexico 2005). The full taxonomic history can be found in 
the recovery plan (Service 1985) with the most recent updates in the 5-
year review (Service 2016, entire). Recent taxonomic review of the 
varieties of Echinocereus fendleri retained kuenzleri as a variety 
(Felix et al. 2014). Because of the limited area of introgression and 
the identification of consistently reliable traits unique to this 
variety, we do not believe a taxonomic change is warranted at this 
time.
    For a detailed discussion of Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri's 
description, taxonomy, life history, habitat, soils, distribution, and 
abundance, and a discussion of the role of fire in the taxon's 
regeneration, please see the recovery plan (Service 1985, entire) and 
the 5-year reviews (Service 2005, entire; 2016, entire) available for 
review at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-R2-ES-2016-
0137.

Previous Federal Actions

    We proposed to list this plant, with the scientific name 
Echinocereus hempelli, as an endangered species under the Act on June 
16, 1976 (41 FR 24524), because of threats from the great demand by 
private and commercial collectors, road maintenance and improvements, 
cattle grazing, and real

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estate development. We published a final rule listing the plant, with 
the scientific name Echinocereus kuenzleri, as an endangered species in 
the Federal Register on October 26, 1979 (44 FR 61924). We finalized a 
recovery plan for the plant, with the scientific name Echinocereus 
fendleri var. kuenzleri, in March 1985 (Service 1985).
    Under the Act, we maintain the Lists of Endangered and Threatened 
Wildlife and Plants at 50 CFR 17.11 (for wildlife) and 17.12 (for 
plants) (Lists). We amend the Lists by publishing final rules in the 
Federal Register. Section 4(c)(2)(A) of the Act requires that we 
conduct a review of listed species at least once every 5 years. Section 
4(c)(2)(B) requires that we determine: (1) Whether a species no longer 
meets the definition of endangered or threatened and should be removed 
from the Lists (delisted), (2) whether a species listed as endangered 
more properly meets the definition of threatened and should be 
reclassified to threatened (``downlisted''), or (3) whether a species 
listed as threatened more properly meets the definition of endangered 
and should be reclassified to endangered (``uplisted''). In accordance 
with 50 CFR 424.11(d), using the best scientific and commercial data 
available, we will delist a species if the data substantiate that the 
species is neither endangered nor threatened for one or more of the 
following reasons: (1) The species is considered extinct; (2) the 
species is considered recovered; or (3) the original data available 
when the species was listed, or the interpretation of such data, were 
in error. On July 21, 2004, we published a notice (69 FR 43621) 
announcing that we were conducting a 5-year review of the status of E. 
fendleri var. kuenzleri under section 4(c)(2) of the Act. In that 
notice, we requested that the public provide us any new information 
concerning this plant. The 5-year review, completed on June 7, 2005 
(Service 2005), resulted in a recommendation to change the status of 
this cactus from endangered to threatened. The 2005 and 2016 5-year 
reviews for E. fendleri var. kuenzleri are available on the Service's 
Environmental Conservation Online System (ECOS) (https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?spcode=Q1VW).
    On July 16, 2012, we received a petition dated July 11, 2012, from 
The Pacific Legal Foundation, Jim Chilton, the New Mexico Cattle 
Growers' Association, New Mexico Farm & Livestock Bureau, New Mexico 
Federal Lands Council, and Texas Farm Bureau requesting the Service to 
reclassify Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri from endangered to 
threatened. The petition was based on the analysis and recommendations 
contained in the most recent 5-year review for this taxon. On September 
9, 2013 (78 FR 55046), we published in the Federal Register a 90-day 
finding for the 2012 petition to reclassify E. fendleri var. kuenzleri. 
In our 90-day finding, we determined the 2012 petition provided 
substantial information indicating the petitioned actions may be 
warranted, and we initiated a status review for E. fendleri var. 
kuenzleri. This proposed downlisting rule constitutes the 12-month 
finding and our 5-year status review for E. fendleri var. kuenzleri.

Recovery and Recovery Plan Implementation

    Section 4(f) of the Act directs us to develop and implement 
recovery plans for the conservation and survival of endangered and 
threatened species unless we determine that such a plan will not 
promote the conservation of the species. Under section 4(f)(1)(B)(ii), 
recovery plans must, to the maximum extent practicable, include 
objective, measurable criteria which, when met, would result in a 
determination, in accordance with the provisions of section 4 of the 
Act, that the species be removed from the List. However, revisions to 
the List (adding, removing, or reclassifying a species) must reflect 
determinations made in accordance with sections 4(a)(1) and 4(b) of the 
Act. Section 4(a)(1) requires that the Secretary determine whether a 
species is endangered or threatened (or not) 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.'' Therefore, recovery criteria should 
indicate when a species is no longer an endangered species or 
threatened species because of any of the five statutory factors.
    Thus, while recovery plans provide important guidance to the 
Service, States, and other partners on methods of minimizing threats to 
listed species and measurable objectives against which to measure 
progress towards recovery, they are not regulatory documents and cannot 
substitute for the determinations and promulgation of regulations 
required under section 4(a)(1) of the Act. A decision to revise the 
status of or remove a species from the Federal List of Endangered and 
Threatened Plants (50 CFR 17.12) is ultimately based on an analysis of 
the best scientific and commercial data then available to determine 
whether a species is no longer an endangered species or a threatened 
species, regardless of whether that information differs from the 
recovery plan.
    In 1985, we finalized a recovery plan for E. fendleri var. 
kuenzleri but it provides no delisting criteria (Service 1985). The 
recovery plan states that E. fendleri var. kuenzleri could be 
reclassified to threatened status when existing natural populations are 
increased to approximately 5,000 individual plants and when that 
population level is maintained for a period of 5 consecutive years 
(downlisting criterion 1) (Service 1985, p. iii). The second 
downlisting criterion is based on the need for the Service to develop 
policy for propagated cacti and the introduction of 10,000 artificially 
propagated E. fendleri var. kuenzleri into the commercial market to 
counter the threat at that time of collection.
    The first criterion was intended to address the point at which 
imminent threats to the plant had been ameliorated so that the 
populations were no longer in immediate risk of extirpation. Estimated 
abundance of individuals in all populations has changed over time, from 
approximately 200 individuals at the time of listing in 1979, to 
multiple populations with more than 3,300 individuals (Service 2005, p. 
4; Service 2016, pp. 3-4). We believe there are likely more than 3,300 
individuals across the range of E. fendleri var. kuenzleri because the 
difficulty in locating nonflowering plants and the lack of survey 
efforts in the entire suitable habitat limit the ability to observe 
many of these cacti potentially growing in areas of suitable habitat.
    Currently, E. fendleri var. kuenzleri occurs in 11 unique 
population clusters defined by occupied locations separated by several 
miles of unsuitable or unoccupied habitats. According to data 
maintained by Natural Heritage New Mexico, approximately 97 percent of 
known E. fendleri var. kuenzleri individuals occur on lands managed by 
either the USDA-Forest Service (FS) or USDI-BLM (2016). There are two 
populations in the Guadalupe Mountains (mid-range and north range), 
eight populations in the Sacramento Mountains (north of Carrizozo), and 
one population in the lower hills of the Guadalupe Mountains, east of 
the Sacramento range (Service 2005, p. 5; Service 2016, pp. 3-4). Based 
on this information, this plant is much more numerous than originally 
determined and is distributed over a broader area.
    The second criterion is for the Service to develop policy for 
commercial propagation and to introduce 10,000 propagated individuals 
into the commercial market. Echinocereus

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fendleri var. kuenzleri is now readily available on the open market 
from commercial growers with Convention on International Trade in 
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) certificates (see 
https://www.cites.org for additional information on CITES). Local 
populations, especially near the type locality (location where the 
species was first identified), may continue to be impacted by 
occasional poaching from growers and hobbyists; however, at this time, 
this taxon is unlikely to be seriously threatened in most of its range 
by cactus collectors, because of availability from commercial growers. 
Thus, collection is no longer considered a major threat to this cactus 
and this second criterion is no longer relevant.
    Various studies have occurred since development of the recovery 
plan that aid in our understanding of the status of Echinocereus 
fendleri var. kuenzleri. For example:
     Recent surveys indicate that E. fendleri var. kuenzleri is 
broadly distributed within its range, plant density can vary from 
location to location, and populations may be more dynamic than they 
were expected to be. For example, at Ft. Stanton, the population 
demonstrated a shift from inside of the survey plot to establishment 
outside of the survey plot. (Chauvin et al. 2012, entire; Muldavin et 
al. 2013, entire).
     May et al. (2008, p. 170) found E. fendleri var. kuenzleri 
was distributed randomly with respect to other vegetation and did not 
support the hypothesis that it is associated with vegetation that 
provides thermal protection.
     Both Baker (2007, entire) and Felix et al. (2014, p. 64) 
found morphological characters than differentiate this taxon from other 
similar taxa.
     Sivinski (2007, p. 93) found that wildfire can cause high 
mortality in this cactus, and it was slow to recover, with first 
flowering occurring at between four to five years after seedlings 
germinated.
     May (2006, entire) and Wester and Britton (2007, p. 11) 
found that prescribed fire had little effect on E. fendleri var. 
kuenzleri under low fuel loads and that prescribed, low intensity fire 
could be used to lower fuel loads, reducing the risk of catastrophic 
wildfires.
    These and other data that we have analyzed indicate that most 
threats identified at listing and during the development of the 
recovery plan are reduced in areas occupied by E. fendleri var. 
kuenzleri and that the status of the cactus has improved, primarily due 
to finding additional populations over a broader range. However, more 
recent threats associated with fire regime alteration, the lack of a 
comprehensive habitat management plan, drought, and climate change 
effects may impede the plant's ability to recover.

Summary of Factors Affecting E. fendleri var. kuenzleri

    Section 4 of the Act and its implementing regulations (50 CFR part 
424) set forth the procedures for listing species on, reclassifying 
species on, or removing species from the Lists of Endangered and 
Threatened Wildlife and Plants. 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 (16 U.S.C. 1532(16)). 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 man-made 
factors affecting its continued existence. A species may be 
reclassified on the same basis.
    Determining whether the status of a species has improved to the 
point that it can be reclassified from endangered to threatened 
(``downlisted'') requires consideration of whether the species is 
endangered or threatened because of the same five categories of threats 
specified in section 4(a)(1) of the Act. For species that are already 
listed as endangered or threatened, this analysis of threats is an 
evaluation of both the threats currently facing the species and the 
threats that are reasonably likely to affect the species in the 
foreseeable future following the delisting or downlisting and the 
removal of the Act's protections.
    A species is an ``endangered species'' for purposes of the Act if 
it is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion 
of its range and is a ``threatened species'' if it is likely to become 
an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a 
significant portion of its range. The word ``range'' in the significant 
portion of its range phrase refers to the range in which the species 
currently exists. For the purposes of this analysis, we first evaluate 
the status of Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri throughout all of 
its range, then consider whether this cactus is in danger of extinction 
or likely to become so in any significant portion of its range.
    At the time of listing, the primary threats to E. f. var. kuenzleri 
were private and commercial collection, road improvement and 
maintenance, real estate development, and livestock grazing (44 FR 
61924; October 26, 1979). By the time the recovery plan was developed 
in 1985, the same threats were still considered relevant (Service 1985, 
pp. 8-12). Subsequently, we conducted 5-year status reviews that 
included an analysis of factors that affect the plant (Service 2005, 
pp. 12-14; Service 2016, p. 5). The 2005 5-year status review found 
that the threat of habitat loss from road improvement and maintenance 
and real estate development (Factor A), and a direct threat from 
commercial collection (Factor B) have decreased since the time of 
listing, and are no longer considered significant threats. Livestock 
grazing (Factor C), continues to be a threat by trampling, only if 
areas are improperly managed and cattle are aggregated in areas where 
the cacti are growing. The 2005 review also identified an additional 
threat of fire based on the alteration of the natural fire regime 
(Service 2005). The 2016 5-year status review added the threats of 
drought and effects due to climate change because drought has impacted 
several populations and the long-term trend in the range of the cactus 
is one of increased temperatures and drying (Service 2016).
    Recommendations to address the impacts of these emerging threats, 
including a long-term monitoring plan for Echinocereus fendleri var. 
kuenzleri, should be developed to further understand how these threats 
affect the long-term viability of the taxon.

Habitat Loss--Road Construction and Maintenance, Residential 
Development

    Habitat loss by road construction and maintenance and through 
residential development is negligible in the area occupied by 
Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri. Where road construction has 
occurred in occupied areas, individual cacti have been avoided or 
mitigation has been provided (Marron Associates 2013, entire). If this 
proposed rule is adopted, this avoidance would likely continue because 
Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri would remain listed as threatened. 
Residential development has not been a threat due to the preference of 
the plant to grow in dry, rugged locations not favored for development. 
More importantly, the majority of the populations discovered after the 
recovery plan was written are

[[Page 1681]]

found on federally managed lands that are not likely to be developed.

Livestock Grazing

    Grazing at low intensity stocking rates can be compatible with the 
presence of Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri, primarily because the 
cactus tends to be found in rocky outcrops amid rugged locations, 
although minimal trampling can occur. Areas on USDA-Forest Service and 
USDI-BLM lands have fenced out livestock to effectively protect the 
cactus in strategic locations. Additionally, federal grazing allotment 
permits are evaluated for renewal at least every 10 years and grazing 
impacts analysis is part of the permit review. Permits can be reviewed 
sooner to meet management goals. During this review, livestock numbers 
can be adjusted to achieve conservation goals. Each range improvement 
(e.g., water pipeline, fence, livestock water) on Federal surface is 
evaluated for impacts to special status species including endangered 
and threatened species. Each agency uses project-specific conservation 
measures to avoid impacts to E. fendleri var. kuenzleri.

Private and Commercial Collection

    As mentioned previously, the collection of Echinocereus fendleri 
var. kuenzleri is uncommon at this time, due to the legal availability 
of the cactus in the commercial market. Certified commercial growers 
have Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri readily available on the open 
market in accordance with CITES.
    The following sections provide a summary of the current threats 
impacting Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri now and those that may 
occur in the foreseeable future. These threats include alteration of 
the fire regime (Factors A and E), drought (Factors A and E), effects 
due to climate change (Factors A and E), and the effect of any existing 
regulatory mechanisms (Factor D) or conservation efforts that are 
ameliorating these impacts.

Fire Regime Alteration

    Both arid grasslands and pinyon-juniper savanna, where E. f. var. 
kuenzleri occurs, had short-interval fire frequency historically 
(Payson et al. 2000, p. 122; Gebow and Halverson 2005, p. 4). The fire 
frequency interval has been extended by fire suppression and grazing 
(Payson et al. 2000, pp. 126, 132; Gebow and Halverson 2005, p. 4). 
Livestock grazing reduces the total amount of fine fuels (grasses) that 
would otherwise carry wild fire across a landscape, thus, extending the 
period between hotter, more damaging fire events. Use of prescribed 
fire as a management tool has been growing and is currently implemented 
to restore grasslands and savannas that have been impacted by 
historical fire suppression and grazing (Knapp et al. 2009, p. 1). 
Fires, whether wild or prescribed, within the grassland habitats of 
Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri can have impacts to the cactus 
(Sivinski 2007, entire), such as slowing recovery and lessening the 
cactus' ability to withstand a short-interval fire frequency. The 
cactus typically undergoes about four to five years of slow growth 
before individuals are able to flower and set seed, so recolonization 
after a fire can take many years (Sivinski 2007, p. 4). However, Wester 
and Britton (2007, p. 11) found no evidence that the plant was 
negatively affected by prescribed fire, although high fuel loads did 
increase individual mortality. This suggests that prescribed burns in 
Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri habitat could be designed to 
remove fuel loads without causing direct mortality associated with 
wildfire (May 2006, p. 44). While we originally believed that fire 
would negatively impact the Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri, we 
now believe that active management, including the use of low intensity 
prescribed fire at longer frequencies, could restore the landscape to a 
natural fire frequency interval, reducing the likelihood of 
catastrophic wild fires, and thus, reducing impacts on the cactus when 
fire does occur. Because the cactus is capable of reproducing from 
seed, but reestablishment of populations may take considerable time, 
fire frequencies between 25 and 50 years have been recommended 
(Sivinski 2007, Muldavin 2012) to achieve the best population 
sustainability. A comprehensive habitat management plan should be 
developed to ensure that the use of fire is coordinated to optimize 
conditions for Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri.

Drought

    During 11 of the last 15 years (2001-2015), there has been moderate 
to exceptional drought conditions in the area where Echinocereus 
fendleri var. kuenzleri occurs, with 10 percent of the time in 
exceptional drought (National Drought Mitigation Center 2015, Four 
County Data). The 2002-2003 drought spanned all of southwestern North 
America and was anomalously dry with unusually high temperatures 
(Breshears et al. 2005, pp. 15, 144); similar conditions occurred in 
2011-2013.
    Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri has likely experienced and 
rebounded from periods of drought in the past. However, should 
substantial effects due to climate change materialize with increased 
severity and frequency of drought, it would likely reduce the long-term 
survivorship of this cactus. Drought is also directly related to 
Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri population health with regard to 
reproduction and establishment. As with many cactus species, seed 
germination and seedling survival is dependent on precipitation (Jordan 
and Nobel 1981, p. 905). Little is known about the Echinocereus 
fendleri var. kuenzleri seedbank. Even if seedbanks exist and persist, 
adequate precipitation during the seedling's first year of growth is 
essential for survival (Roller 1996a, p. 38). In studies of seed 
germination in similar cacti, Roller (1996a, p. 77) found that on 
average 88 percent of all seed produced during the summer monsoon 
season germinated; however, only a small portion of the seedlings 
survived. Surveys show few seedlings and young juvenile plants among 
the Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri population survive (e.g. 
Ecosphere Environmental Services Inc. 1995, pp. 17-21; Schmalzel 2000d, 
p. 5; Baker 2011, pp. 5-7). Heat stress in adult cacti is minimal 
compared to other plant species, as they are able to survive heat 
stress due to both morphology and metabolism (Smith et al. 1984, pp. 
647, 650; Wahid et al. 2007, p. 199). Extreme temperatures can, 
however, negatively impact seedling survival in many desert-adapted 
plants, and drought coupled with high temperatures lessens temperature 
tolerance in seedlings (Nobel 1984, pp. 310, 316). Finally, plants that 
are already stressed from prolonged drought are more susceptible to 
insect attack and disease. Without sufficient monitoring in place to 
assess Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri's demographic responses and 
population trends, the severity of the threat of drought can only be 
surmised based on other cacti and other drought research.

Climate Change

    Based on the unequivocal evidence of warming of the earth's climate 
from observations of increases in average global air and ocean 
temperatures, widespread melting of glaciers and polar ice caps, and 
rising sea levels recorded in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate 
Change Report (IPCC 2007a, entire; 2013, entire), effects due to 
climate change are now a consideration for Federal agency analysis 
(Government Accounting Office 2007, entire). The Service will 
incorporate climate change into our decision making under the Act 
(Service 2010, entire). The earth's surface has warmed by an

[[Page 1682]]

average of 0.74 degrees Celsius ([deg]C) (1.3 degrees Fahrenheit 
([deg]F)) during the 20th century (IPCC 2007b, p. 30). The IPCC (2013, 
p. 7) projects that there will very likely be an increase in the 
frequency of hot extremes, heat waves, and heavy precipitation events 
as a result of climate change.
    This global climate information has been downscaled to our region 
of interest, and projected into the future under two different 
scenarios of possible emissions of greenhouse gases (Alder and 
Hostetler 2014, p. 2). Climate projections for the cactus area include 
a 5 to 6 percent increase in maximum temperature (up to 4 [deg]C (7.2 
[deg]F)), an 11 percent decrease in precipitation, and a 25 percent 
increase in evaporative deficit over the next 25 years (National 
Climate Change Viewer, Four County Data, https://www2.usgs.gov/climate_landuse/clu_rd/nccv/viewer.asp, accessed May 15, 2016).
    Effects due to climate change also include an increase in 
atmospheric carbon dioxide, which is commonly associated with increased 
temperatures and the greenhouse effect. This increased carbon dioxide 
directly affects plant photosynthesis (Huxman and Scott 2007, p. 28). 
At the plant level, adapting to drought involves the ability to balance 
carbon sequestration (the uptake and storage of carbon) and carbon 
respiration (efflux back into the atmosphere), while also maintaining 
sustainable evapotranspiration rates (Huxman and Scott 2007, p. 28). 
Adaptation would also require a plant to change its phenology (timing 
of life cycle events) to coincide successfully with extreme shifts in 
temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture (Walther et al. 2002, p. 
389), which are all part of the evapotranspiration equation. The 
potential for rapid climate change, which is predicted for the future, 
could pose significant challenges for plants because they may not be 
able to adjust their phenology or photosynthetic mechanisms quickly 
enough.
    Cacti have a unique photosynthetic pathway referred to as 
crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), which is most effective in low soil 
moisture, intense sunlight, and high daytime temperature conditions, 
and is considered to be a desert adaptation (Nefzaoui et al. 2014, p. 
121). CAM plants may have an advantage under these drier condition 
scenarios due to the effects of climate change (Reyes-Garcia and 
Andrade 2009, p. 755). If atypical cactus mortality occurs, this could 
be evidence that a climatic severity threshold may have been crossed 
even for this well-adapted CAM plant.
    Munson et al. (2013, p. 2,030) forecasts declines in vegetative 
cover including cacti in Chihuahuan Desert habitats due to climate 
change. This is because growing seasons are becoming longer and warmer 
and in many regions (Kunkel 2013, p. 1) including the Southwest (Cayan 
et al. 2001, p. 399; Easterling 2002, p. 1329) due to the effects of 
climate change. This trend of longer and warmer growing seasons is 
projected to continue in the current climate change assessments. 
Earlier soil moisture stress would result in decreased flowering and 
reproduction for Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri. Based on the 
limited distribution of this cactus, we consider drought and climate 
change an ongoing, yet not imminent, threat to Echinocereus fendleri 
var. kuenzleri.

Combination of Threats

    When stressors occur together, one may exacerbate the effects of 
another, causing effects not accounted for when stressors are analyzed 
individually. Synergistic or cumulative effects may be observed in a 
short amount of time or may not be noticeable for years into the 
future, and could affect the long-term viability of Echinocereus 
fendleri var. kuenzleri populations. Livestock grazing interacts with 
the effect of natural fire frequency within Echinocereus fendleri var. 
kuenzleri habitats. Removal of fine fuels by grazing animals reduces 
the ability of a fire to start and carry through the landscape. Land 
managers have in the past followed an aggressive wildfire suppression 
program. The result is a disruption of the natural fire regime and an 
increase of woody vegetation in grassland and savanna habitats. Land 
managers presently see the need to reintroduce low intensity fire into 
these habitats for the purpose of restoring grasslands and increasing 
forage for livestock production. Impacts of these interacting processes 
to E. fendleri var. kuenzleri can be variable, and will need to be 
studied and management will be needed to provide the best outcome for 
the cactus.
    Another threat combination can occur between drought, climate 
change effects, and predation. Although predation has not been a 
monitored factor for Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri, in the case 
of other native small cacti, evidence of increased herbivory of adult 
cacti and seedlings by insect and mammalian predators has been observed 
during drought, most likely due to increases in thirst and decreases in 
other available forage. Rodents consume cacti for water, especially in 
times of drought (Riegel 1941, p. 96; Orr et al. 2015, p. 1058). 
Herbivory of cacti can also increase following damage to protective 
spines, such as post-fire. The rate of insect herbivory may increase 
due to warmer winters in recent decades (Rutman 2007, p. 6). Cacti 
already stressed from prolonged drought are more susceptible to insect 
attack and disease, which can cause declines in cactus populations.

Overall Summary of Factors Affecting E. fendleri var. kuenzleri

    Alterations to the fire regime, including implementation of agency 
guidance to suppress wildland fires and changes to livestock grazing 
strategies, are likely the most immediate threatening factors to 
Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri at this time. Staff at BLM and 
Fort Stanton are actively managing to keep fire from directly impacting 
Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri individuals during prescribed 
burns. They are also implementing projects to remove pinyon and juniper 
trees thereby reducing heavy fuel loads. This management is expected to 
continue into the future. Increased emphasis on prescribed fire could 
mimic the natural historical fire regime and reduce the likelihood of 
damaging wildland fire in heavy fuel load areas. A comprehensive 
management plan that would guide standardized monitoring and address 
protection of the cactus for future prescribed fire programs may best 
be implemented after a species status assessment is conducted for E. f. 
var. kuenzleri, when more collaborators combine ideas of best adaptive 
management. This management plan will prove useful in addressing the 
remaining threats to the cactus.
    The effects of climate change may cause extended periods of drought 
and alter blooming seasons, thus reducing the chances of successful 
reproduction cycles. Due to the rugged locations of occupied habitats, 
impacts from surface development (road building and maintenance, urban 
development) are not considered major threats to the existence of 
Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri. Collection of Echinocereus 
fendleri var. kuenzleri is no longer considered a major threat due to 
successful propagation in legal cactus trade and commercial 
availability of this cactus. In addition, taxonomic uncertainties have 
been resolved at a regional level.

Finding

    The determination of whether a species is endangered or threatened 
under the Act is based on whether a species is in danger of extinction 
or likely to become so because of any of five factors: (A) The present 
or

[[Page 1683]]

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. As required by section 4(a)(1) of 
the Act, we conducted a review of the status of this plant and assessed 
the five factors to evaluate whether Echinocereus fendleri var. 
kuenzleri is endangered or threatened throughout all of its range. We 
examined the best scientific and commercial information available 
regarding the past, present, and future threats faced by this cactus. 
We reviewed information presented in the 2012 petition, information 
available in our files and gathered through our 90-day finding in 
response to this petition, and other available published and 
unpublished information.
    In considering factors that might constitute threats to a species, 
we must look beyond the exposure of the species to a factor to evaluate 
whether the species responds to the factor in a way that causes impacts 
to the species or is likely to cause impacts in the future. If a 
species responds negatively to such exposure, the factor may be a 
threat and, during the status review, our aim is to determine whether 
impacts are or will be of an intensity or magnitude to place the 
species at risk. The factor is a threat if it drives, or contributes 
to, the risk of extinction of the species such that the species 
warrants listing as an endangered or threatened species as those terms 
are defined by the Act. This does not necessarily require empirical 
proof of a threat. The combination of exposure and some corroborating 
evidence of how the species is likely affected could suffice. In sum, 
the mere identification of factors that could affect a species 
negatively is not sufficient to compel a finding that listing is 
appropriate; we require evidence that these factors act on the species 
to the point that the species meets the definition of an endangered or 
threatened species.
    The known range of Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri consisted 
of a single population of approximately 200 individuals when we listed 
it as endangered. As such, it was perceived to be upon the brink of 
extinction. The most serious threat to such a small population would be 
the elimination of plants in the wild by commercial and hobbyist 
collectors. Subsequent information on the range and abundance of this 
cactus has significantly altered this perception. In reality, 
Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri exists across a much broader 
geographic range in several populations. Increased survey efforts and 
habitat model development have resulted in more occupied habitat 
identified, leaving open the potential of finding even more 
Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri plants. Protection under the Act 
and CITES has curtailed unauthorized take by collectors. Dry conditions 
and remote growing locations of Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri 
have lessened the impacts of land use within occupied habitats, and 
most of these habitats have been determined to exist on Federal lands. 
Thus, threats of collection and development have been diminished. 
Therefore, Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri is no longer in danger 
of extinction now. Although now known to be more widespread and 
abundant than previously thought, Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri 
remains a relatively rare plant taxon. It occurs only on the lower 
slopes of Sacramento and Guadalupe Mountain ranges and is an uncommon 
plant within this limited geographic range. Populations are generally 
small and scattered, and some habitat that appears suitable is 
presently unoccupied. Threats remain related to its limited population 
numbers and distribution, to wild or prescribed fires, and to trampling 
and erosion from livestock grazing and fire. However, because nearly 
all of known occupied habitat falls on lands managed by Federal 
agencies, conservation of the species will continue by addressing 
potential fire and grazing threats.
    The recently published taxonomic determinations of Echinocereus 
fendleri var. kuenzleri status represent broad-brushed approaches that 
may not adequately address local variation. To establish the taxonomic 
status of Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri, surveys are needed to 
determine the extent of interbreeding at the northern edge of the range 
and molecular research is needed to determine the genetic variation 
within E. fendleri. The controversy and lack of definitive data 
regarding the taxonomy of Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri, 
combined with the limited distribution and actual population numbers, 
preclude a recommendation to delist based on taxonomic revision at this 
time.
    As a result of recent information, we know that there are 11 known 
populations of Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri compared to only 2 
that were known at the time of listing and these individuals are spread 
across a 100 miles of rocky, isolated habitat patches. Significant 
impacts at the time of listing such as over collection and residential 
development that could have resulted in the extirpation of all or parts 
of populations have been eliminated or reduced since listing. We 
conclude that the previously recognized impacts to E. fendleri var. 
kuenzleri from present or threatened destruction, modification, or 
curtailment of its habitat or range (specifically, residential 
development, road maintenance) (Factor A); overutilization for 
commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes (Factor 
B); disease or predation (Factor C); and other natural or manmade 
factors affecting its continued existence (specifically, reproductive 
isolation) (Factor E) do not rise to a level of significance, either 
individually or in combination, such that the species is in danger of 
extinction now. However, there continues to be concern about the long 
term impacts of drought, catastrophic wildfire, and effects due to 
climate change throughout the range of the species. Climate change data 
indicate an increase in temperature and a decrease in precipitation 
within the occupied Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri range over the 
next 25 years. We anticipate that effects due to climate change, fire, 
and increased drought, and the compounding effects of these threats, 
including any associated threats such as increased herbivory and 
predation, are anticipated to impact all of the populations. However, 
none of these is an imminent threat or at a magnitude such that the 
taxon warrants endangered status. We conclude that these same factors 
support the status of threatened, as the cactus is still likely to 
become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout 
all or a significant portion of its range.
    In conclusion, we have carefully assessed the best scientific and 
commercial information available regarding the past, present, and 
future threats faced by Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri. After 
review of the information pertaining to the five factors, we find that 
the ongoing threats are not of sufficient imminence, intensity, or 
magnitude to indicate that E. fendleri var. kuenzleri is presently in 
danger of extinction throughout all of its range. Yet, due to threats 
with ongoing impacts, we find that E. fendleri var. kuenzleri is likely 
to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future 
throughout all of its range.

Significant Portion of the Range Analysis

    On July 1, 2014, we published a final policy interpreting the 
phrase ``significant portion of its range'' (SPR) (79 FR 37578). The 
SPR policy is

[[Page 1684]]

applied to all status determinations, including analyses for the 
purposes of making listing, delisting, and reclassification 
determinations. The procedure for analyzing whether any portion is an 
SPR is similar, 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 or threatened species and no SPR analysis will be 
required. Because we are proposing to reclassify the listing status of 
E. f. var. kuenzleri as a threatened species under the Act, we are not 
conducting an SPR analysis for this taxon.

Effects of This Rule

    If this proposed rule is made final, it would revise 50 CFR 
17.12(h) to reclassify Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri from 
endangered to threatened on the List of Endangered and Threatened 
Plants. However, this reclassification does not significantly change 
the protections afforded this plant under the Act. Pursuant to section 
7 of the Act, all Federal agencies must ensure that any actions they 
authorize, fund, or carry out are not likely to jeopardize the 
continued existence of Echinocereus fendleri var. kuenzleri. The 
prohibitions of section 9 of the Act only apply directly to endangered 
species. However, the Service has extended most of these prohibitions 
to threatened plants through 50 CFR 17.71. The Act allows for the 
promulgation of a rule under section 4(d) that modifies the standard 
protections for threatened plants (found at 50 CFR 17.71); however no 
such rule is proposed here. In light of this, the prohibitions of 50 
CFR 17.71 will apply for this species.
    As applicable, recovery actions directed at Echinocereus fendleri 
var. kuenzleri will continue to be implemented as outlined in the 
recovery plan for this taxon (Service 1985, entire). One of the primary 
actions will be to develop a species status assessment, upon which we 
will base a revised recovery plan with delisting criteria for the 
cactus. Section 4(b)(6)(C) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1533(b)(6)(C)) 
requires critical habitat to be designated concurrently with a final 
reclassification rule, unless it is not prudent or determinable. We 
will determine if critical habitat is prudent and determinable, and 
publish proposed critical habitat as necessary.

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 determined we do not need to prepare an environmental assessment 
or an environmental impact statement, as defined under the authority of 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), 
in connection with regulations adopted 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).

References Cited

    A complete list of all references cited in this proposed rule is 
available on the Internet at https://www.regulations.gov under Docket 
No. FWS-R2-ES-2016-0137 or upon request from the Field Supervisor, New 
Mexico Ecological Services Field Office (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT).

Author

    The primary author of this proposed rule is the Southwest Regional 
Office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in coordination with the New Mexico 
Ecological Services Field Office in Albuquerque, New Mexico (see 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 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.

0
2. Amend Sec.  17.12(h) by revising the entry for ``Echinocereus 
fendleri var. kuenzleri'' under FLOWERING PLANTS in the List of 
Endangered and Threatened Plants to read as follows:


Sec.  17.12  Endangered and threatened plants.

* * * * *
    (h) * * *

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                          Listing citations and
        Scientific name              Common name        Where listed         Status          applicable rules
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FLOWERING PLANTS...............
                                                  * * * * * * *
Echinocereus fendleri var.       Kuenzler hedgehog   Wherever found....               T  44 FR 61924, 10/26/
 kuenzleri.                       cactus.                                                 1979; [Federal
                                                                                          Register citation of
                                                                                          the final rule].
                                                  * * * * * * *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Dated: December 22, 2016.
James W. Kurth,
Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-31763 Filed 1-5-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P