The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (“Service”) announced in the July 14th Federal Register that it has initiated status reviews for 37 animal and plant species under the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”). See 86 Fed. Reg. 37178.
Two 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 Service maintains the List in Title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations, 50 C.F.R. 17.11 (for animals) and 50 C.F.R. 17.2 (plants). The ESA requires the Service to review each listed species 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 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); and
- Other new information, data, or corrections, included but not limited to taxonomic and nomenclatural changes, identification of erroneous information contained in the List, and improved analytical methods.
The species with ranges that include the State of Arkansas are:
- Pearishell (designated as threatened)
- Geocarpon minimum (designated as threatened)
The Service is requesting any new information regarding these two and the other 35 species.
A copy of the Federal Register Notice can be downloaded here.
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