As part of the process mandated by the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will conduct five-year status reviews of 37 endangered or threatened fish, wildlife, and plants. These species are found primarily in the Southeastern United States, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the Virgin Islands.
The public is invited to provide information and comments concerning these species on or before August 23, 2021.
These five-year reviews will ensure listing classifications under the ESA are accurate and recommend changes in status where appropriate based on the latest science and analysis. In addition to reviewing the classification of these species, a five-year review presents an opportunity to track the species’ recovery progress. It may benefit species by providing valuable information to guide future conservation efforts.
Information gathered during a review can assist in making funding decisions, consideration related to reclassifying species status, conducting interagency consultations, making permitting decisions, and determining whether to update recovery plans, and other actions under the ESA.
This notice announces our active review of 24 species listed here that are currently federally listed as endangered:
Endangered Fish and Wildlife
white-necked crow, Culebra Island giant anole, reticulated flatwoods salamander, Cahaba shiner, Cumberland elktoe, Cumberland pigtoe, finerayed pigtoe, heavy pigtoe, speckled pocketbook, cylindrical lioplax, flat pebblesnail, plicate rocksnail, round rocksnail
Endangered Plants
golden sedge, Chamaecrista glandulosa var. mirabilis, Cranichis ricartii, leafy prairie-clover, Leptocereus grantianus, Canby’s dropwort, Solanum drymophilum, St. Thomas prickly ash, Thelypteris inabonensis, T. verecunda, T. yaucoensis
This notice announces our active review of 13 species listed here that are currently federally listed as threatened:
Threatened Fish and Wildlife
elfin-woods warbler, roseate tern, Mona ground iguana, Puerto Rican crested toad, blackside dace, lacy elimia, painted rocksnail
Threatened Plants
Price’s potato-bean, palma de manaca, Mohr’s Barbara buttons, white fringeless orchid, Miccosukee gooseberry, Schoepfia arenaria
The five-year reviews seek information on: (1) species biology, including population trends, distribution, abundance, demographics, and genetics; (2) habitat conditions, including amount, distribution, and suitability; (3) conservation measures that have been implemented; (4) threat status and trends; and, (5) other new information, data, or corrections, including taxonomic or nomenclatural changes; identification of erroneous information contained in the ESA list; and improved analytical methods. Comments and materials received will be available for public inspection by appointment.
The Federal Register notice announcing the status review of these 37 federally listed fish, wildlife and plants is available on regulations.gov, search for Docket # FWS–R4–ES–2020–N147.
Written comments and information about these species should be e-mailed, faxed, or sent via regular mail to the contacts.
