Draft Recovery Plan Revisions/Endangered Species Act: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Public Notice for 43 Species/16 States (Including Arkansas)

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (“Service”) published a June 27th Federal Register Notice announcing the availability for public review and comment of 29 draft recovery plan revisions (“Revisions”). See 84 Fed. Reg. 30764.

The Revisions are proposed to update recovery criteria for 43 endangered or threatened species located in 16 States (including Arkansas).

The Service states that the group of 29 Revisions is a component of a larger undertaking to revise 182 recovery plans. The 182 recovery plans would encompass up to 305 species. This effort is part of a United States Department of Interior Agency Priority Performance Goal that was outlined in its “Strategic Plan for Fiscal Year 2018-2022.” This includes a goal of by September 30, 2019, having 100 percent of all Service recovery plans including quantitative criteria for recovered species.

A recovery plan’s purpose is described as providing a roadmap for species’ recovery. The goal is to improve the species’ status and managing its threats to the point at which protections under the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) are no longer necessary. They are required to be designed in a manner that enables the public and stakeholders to understand the rationale behind the recovery program.

The Service is requesting submission of any information that may help achieve:

1. the necessary understanding of species’ biology, threats, and recovery needs;
2. identification of implementation issues and concerns; and
3. facilitation of more effective implementation associated with these draft revisions that revise recovery criteria for the 43 species.

The species whose habitat includes the State of Arkansas in this list is the Cave crayfish. The current range of the Cave crayfish is stated to include Arkansas and Missouri. The Service contact listed for the Cave crayfish is Melvin L. Tobin. His contact information and office is provided in the Federal Register Notice.

A copy of the Federal Register Notice can be found here.