The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the availability for public review and comment of draft recovery plans for the reticulated and frosted flatwoods salamanders, the fluted kidneyshell, and the Kentucky glade cress. These endangered or threatened species are in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The draft recovery plans include specific recovery objectives and criteria based on Species Status Assessments or SSAs. The Service is requesting review and comment on these draft recovery plans from local, State, and Federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, Tribes, and the public.
The purpose of a recovery plan is to provide a feasible and effective roadmap for a species’ recovery, with the goal of improving its status and managing its threats to the point at which protections under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are no longer needed.
Recovery plans provide important guidance to the Service, States, other partners, and the general public on methods of minimizing threats to listed species and objectives against which to measure the progress towards recovery; they are guidance and not regulatory documents. A recovery plan identifies, organizes, and prioritizes recovery actions and is an important guide that ensures sound scientific decision-making throughout the recovery process, which can take decades. Writing robust recovery plans ensures that threatened species and endangered species benefit from timely partner-coordinated implementation, based on the most current and highest quality information.
For any species listed above, please submit your questions, comments, and materials to the appropriate contact listed below. Individuals who are hearing impaired or speech impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 800–877–8339 for TTY assistance.
- Reticulated and Frosted Flatwoods Salamanders - Lourdes Mena, 904–731–3134, Lourdes_Mena@fws.gov
- Fluted Kidneyshell and Kentucky Glade Cress - Lee Andrews, 502–695–0468, x 108, Lee_Andrews@fws.gov
The draft recovery plans can be downloaded from the Service’s Environmental Conservation Online System. Download the notice of availability.
The comment period will be open until 11:59 p.m. EST on April 26, 2021.
