Fish and Wildlife Service – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to reclassify (downlist) the relict darter (Etheostoma chienense) from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). The relict darter is a fish species that occupies the Bayou de Chien stream system in western Kentucky. Our evaluation of the best available scientific and commercial information indicates that the species' status has improved such that it is not currently in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range, but that it is still likely to become so in the foreseeable future. We also propose a rule under section 4(d) of the Act that provides for the conservation of the relict darter. In addition, we announce the availability of the draft recovery plan for the relict darter. The draft recovery plan includes specific recovery objectives and criteria based on the species status assessment. We request review of this proposal and of the draft recovery plan and comment from local, State, and Federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, Tribes, and the public.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is announcing a public teleconference/web meeting of the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (Council), in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered species status under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, for the peppered chub (Macrhybopsis tetranema), a freshwater fish species historically found in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, which is now extirpated from all but six percent of its historical range. We also designate critical habitat. In total, approximately 872 river miles (1,404 river kilometers) in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas fall within the boundaries of the critical habitat designation. We are excluding approximately 197 river miles (317 river kilometers) of critical habitat in Kansas that was included in the proposed critical habitat designation. This rule adds the species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and extends the Act's protections to the peppered chub designated critical habitat.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of a draft recovery plan for 50 Hawaiian archipelago species. We request review and comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received applications for permits to conduct activities intended to enhance the propagation or survival of endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. We invite the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies to comment on these applications. Before issuing any of the requested permits, we will take into consideration any information that we receive during the public comment period.

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and Department of Agriculture (USDA) are renewing the charter for and seeking member nominations to the Hunting and Wildlife Conservation Council (Council). The renewed Council replaces and changes the name of the previous Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council. The Secretary of the Interior and Secretary of Agriculture (Secretaries), after consultation with the General Services Administration, have renewed the Council charter for 2 years. The Council will provide recommendations to the Federal Government, through the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) and the Secretary of Agriculture, regarding the establishment and implementation of existing and proposed policies and authorities with regard to wildlife and habitat conservation endeavors that benefit wildlife resources; encourage partnership among the public, sporting conservation organizations, and Federal, State, Tribal, and territorial governments; and benefit recreational hunting and recreational shooting sports.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power for an incidental take permit under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The permit would authorize take of the federally endangered California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) incidental to otherwise lawful activities associated with operation of the existing Pine Tree Wind Farm. We invite comments on the draft conservation plan and the draft environmental assessment, which we have prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. We will take comments into consideration before deciding whether to issue an incidental take permit.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the revised taxonomy of 16 wildlife species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We are revising the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and/or other applicable regulations to reflect the scientifically accepted taxonomy and nomenclature of these species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the prostrate milkweed (Asclepias prostrata), a plant species from Texas, as an endangered species and designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This determination also serves as our 12-month finding on a petition to list the prostrate milkweed. After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the prostrate milkweed as an endangered species. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Plants and extend the Act's protections to the species. We also propose to designate critical habitat for the prostrate milkweed under the Act. In total, approximately 691.3 acres (279.8 hectares) in Starr and Zapata Counties, Texas, fall within the boundaries of the proposed critical habitat designation. We also announce the availability of a draft economic analysis of the proposed designation of critical habitat for prostrate milkweed.

This notice advises the public that LPC Conservation LLC (applicant) has applied to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) for an incidental take permit (ITP) supported by the Oil and Gas Habitat Conservation Plan for the Lesser Prairie-chicken; Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas (HCP). The applicant has applied to the Service for the ITP pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. The requested ITP, if approved, would authorize incidental take of the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus; LEPC) resulting from activities covered by the HCP (e.g., all activities associated with oil and gas upstream and midstream buildout, including ancillary (e.g., access road) ground disturbing activities associated with these project types) and would authorize incidental take resulting from conservation actions taken to avoid, minimize, and mitigate impacts of incidental take to LEPC that result from covered activities. If approved, the requested ITP would become effective should the LEPC become federally listed during the life of the ITP and HCP. With this notice we announce the availability of a draft environmental assessment (EA) that has been prepared to evaluate the ITP application in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. We are making the ITP application package, including the HCP and draft EA, available for public review and comment.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the availability of a draft environmental assessment (EA), under the National Environmental Policy Act, that evaluates the impacts of proposed amendments to the Candidate Conservation Agreement/Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances for the Lesser Prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) and Dunes Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) in New Mexico (CCA/CCAA). We invite comments on the draft EA and related documents from the public and Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce 90- day findings on three petitions to add species to the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Based on our review, we find that the petitions to list the thick-leaf bladderpod (Physaria pachyphylla) and variable cuckoo bumble bee (Bombus variabilis) present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned actions may be warranted. Therefore, with the publication of this document, we announce that we are initiating status reviews of these species to determine whether the petitioned actions are warranted. To ensure that the status reviews are comprehensive, we request scientific and commercial data and other information regarding the species and factors that may affect their status. Based on the status reviews, we will issue 12-month petition findings, which will address whether or not the petitioned actions are warranted, in accordance with the Act. We further find that the petition to recognize the Texas population of the ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) as a distinct population segment (DPS) and to list that DPS does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating the petitioned action may be warranted. Therefore, we are not initiating a status review of the Texas ocelot population.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce the reopening of the comment period on our October 8, 2020, proposed rule to reclassify the red-cockaded woodpecker (Dryobates borealis) as a threatened species with a rule issued under section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. This action will allow all interested parties the opportunity to comment on the revised proposed section 4(d) rule language set forth in this document, which addresses concerns raised in the public comments we received on the October 8, 2020, proposed rule. Comments previously submitted on the proposed reclassification of the red-cockaded woodpecker and previously proposed section 4(d) rule need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparation of the final determination.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are reclassifying the Morro shoulderband snail (Helminthoglypta walkeriana) from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This action is based on our evaluation of the best available scientific and commercial information, which indicates that the species' status has improved such that it is not currently in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range, but that it is still likely to become so in the foreseeable future. We also finalize a rule issued under section 4(d) of the Act that provides for the conservation of the Morro shoulderband snail. In addition, we update the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife to reflect the latest scientifically accepted taxonomy and nomenclature for the species as Helminthoglypta walkeriana, Morro shoulderband snail.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), withdraw the proposed rule to list the Chapin Mesa milkvetch (Astragalus schmolliae) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We concurrently withdraw the proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the species. This withdrawal is based on our conclusion that the conservation plan for Chapin Mesa milkvetch at Mesa Verde National Park, and its associated implementation plan, in addition to new standard operating procedures for fire management at Mesa Verde National Park, reduce the threats to the species such that it no longer meets the Act's definition of an ``endangered species'' or a ``threatened species.'' Therefore, we are withdrawing our proposal to list the Chapin Mesa milkvetch as a threatened species and our proposal to designate critical habitat for the species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are initiating 5-year status reviews of 40 species in California, Nevada, and Oregon under the Endangered Species Act. A 5-year review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, we are requesting submission of any new information on these species that has become available since the last review.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are conducting 5-year status reviews under the Endangered Species Act of 35 animal and plant species. A 5-year status review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, we are requesting submission of any such information that has become available since the last review for the species.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing a new information collection in use without an Office of Management and Budget control number.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), have received an application from Sugar Creek Wind One, LLC (applicant), for an incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act, for its Sugar Creek Wind Project (project). The applicant requests the ITP, which would be for a 30-year period, for the take of the federally listed endangered Indiana bat and threatened northern long-eared bat incidental to the otherwise lawful activities associated with the project. The applicant proposes a conservation program to minimize and mitigate for the unavoidable incidental take as described in their habitat conservation plan (HCP). The Service requests public comment on the application, which includes the applicant's proposed HCP, and the Service's draft environmental assessment, prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. The Service provides this notice to seek comments from the public and Federal, Tribal, State, and local governments.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas anicia cloudcrofti), a butterfly from New Mexico, as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly as an endangered species under the Act. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and extend the Act's protections to the species. We find that the designation of critical habitat for the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly is not determinable at this time.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, invite the public to comment on applications to conduct certain activities with species that are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). With some exceptions, the ESA prohibits activities with listed species unless Federal authorization is issued that allows such activities. The ESA also requires that we invite public comment before issuing permits for any activity otherwise prohibited by the ESA with respect to any endangered species.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received applications for permits to conduct activities intended to enhance the propagation or survival of endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. We invite the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies to comment on these applications. Before issuing any of the requested permits, we will take into consideration any information that we receive during the public comment period.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are withdrawing our August 6, 2013, proposed rules to list Graham's beardtongue (Penstemon grahamii) and White River beardtongue (Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis) as threatened species throughout their ranges and to designate critical habitat for these two plant species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). These withdrawals are based on our conclusion that the stressors affecting the species as identified in the proposed listing rule are not as significant as previously understood at the time of publication of that proposed rule, such that the species do not meet the Act's definition of an ``endangered species'' or of a ``threatened species.'' Our conclusion is informed by an updated analysis of new and previous information concerning current and future stressors to the species and conservation efforts for them.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, have received applications for permits to conduct activities intended to enhance the propagation and survival of endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. We invite the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies to comment on these applications. Before issuing the requested permits, we will take into consideration any information that we receive during the public comment period.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce the availability of our draft recovery plan for the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius luteus). This subspecies occurs in riparian habitats in New Mexico, Arizona, and southern Colorado, and was listed as endangered in 2014 under the Endangered Species Act. We request review and comment on this draft recovery plan from local, State, and Federal agencies; Tribes; nongovernmental organizations; and the public.