The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (“Service”) announced in the May 11th Federal Register that it has initiated status reviews for 67 animal and plant species under the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”). See 88 Fed. Reg. 30324.
Four of the species have ranges that include the State of Arkansas.
Pursuant to the ESA, codified at 16 U.S.C. § 1531, et seq., the Service maintains lists of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants (collectively referred to as “the List”). The List is found in Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations, 50 CFR 17.11 (for animals) and 50 CFR 17.2 (plants).
The ESA requires the Service to review each listed specie’s status at least once every five years.
The Service’s five-year status review considers “all new information available at the time of the review.” In conducting the review, the Service considers specifically the “best scientific and commercial data that have become available since the listing determination or the most recent status review.”
Such data typically includes:
- Species biology
- Habitat conditions
- Conservation measures that have been implemented that benefit the species
- Threat status and trends in relation to the five listing factors (as defined in Section 4(a)(1) of the ESA)
- Other new information, data, or corrections, including but not limited to taxonomic and nomenclatural changes, identification of erroneous information contained in the List, and improved analytic methods
The species with range that includes the State of Arkansas are:
- Hell Creek Cave Crayfish
- Benton County Cave Crayfish
- Ozark Cavefish
- Yellowcheek Darter
The Service is requesting any new information regarding these four and the other 63 species.
A copy of the Federal Register Notice can be downloaded here.
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