Fish and Wildlife Service April 11, 2023 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce receipt of two separate applications, one each from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (GADNR), for enhancement of survival permits under the Endangered Species Act. The FWC and GADNR have each applied for a separate permit associated with the implementation of the Quail Country Programmatic Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) for 12 species in North Florida and Southwest Georgia. Successful implementation of the CCAA is expected to enhance the habitat of the species and protect their habitats from destruction and degradation. We request public comment on the applications, which include the CCAA, and on the Service's preliminary determination that the proposed permitting actions may be eligible for a categorical exclusion pursuant to the Council on Environmental Quality's National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations, the Department of the Interior's (DOI) NEPA regulations, and the DOI Departmental Manual. To make this preliminary determination, we prepared a draft environmental action statement and low-effect screening form, both of which are also available for public review. We invite comment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to remove the Colorado hookless cactus (Sclerocactus glaucus) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants (List) due to recovery. Recent taxonomic studies have indicated that the currently listed entity is actually two species: Sclerocactus glaucus and Sclerocactus dawsonii. We find that neither species should be listed as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Our review of the best available scientific and commercial data indicates that the threats to the species have been eliminated or reduced to the point that these species no longer meet the definition of a threatened or endangered species under the Act. We request information and comments from the public regarding this proposed rule and the draft post-delisting monitoring (PDM) plan for Colorado hookless cactus (S. glaucus and S. dawsonii). If this proposal is finalized, Colorado hookless cactus will be removed from the List and the prohibitions and conservation measures provided by the Act, particularly through sections 7 and 9, will no longer apply to the species.