Candidate Conservation | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southeast Region

ESA Actions

USFWS is one of two Federal agencies that administers the Endangered Species Act (ESA), which was passed by Congress. FWS maintains a list of threatened and endangered species, which includes animals and plants.

Background

The Endangered Species Act, passed by Congress in 1973, is administered by USFWS and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Service.

Endangered species are those that are in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. Threatened species are those likely to become endangered. A candidate species are those plants and animals for which USFWS has sufficient information to list under the Act, but their status is on hold due to higher priority listing activities.

As of April 2013, the Southeast Region is the lead for 344 species that are listed as threatened or endangered. In total, 389 listed species occur in the Southeast Region.

USFWS lists species as threatened or endangered based on their biological status and threats to their existence. When evaluating a species for listing, USFWS considers five factors:

1) Damage to, or destruction of, a species’ habitat;
2) Overutilization of the species for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes
3) Disease or predation;
4) Inadequacy of existing protection; and
5) Other natural or manmade factors that affect the continued existence of the species.

Listing Proposals and Decisions

In December 2012, FWS proposed to upgrade the status of the U. S. breeding population of wood storks from endangered to threatened under the ESA. The proposal follows a comprehensive review, conducted by Service biologists, of the best available scientific and commercial information about the species’ status. Read more.

Petitions

Under the Act, citizens may petition USFWS to add species to the list of threatened and endangered species.

Currently, the Southeast Region is responding to the following petitions (all PDF):

April 20, 2010: Petition to list 404 Aquatic and Aquatic-Dependent Species
August 22, 2011Petition to list Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
September 1, 2011: Petition to list Black-Capped Petrel
September 28, 2011: Petition to list Caribbean Mayten
July 11, 2012: Petition to list 53 Amphibians and Reptiles
December 14, 2012: Petition of Save Crystal River, Inc. to Downlist West Indian Manatee and Subspecies Thereof from Endangered to Threatened

Withdrawn Petitions

Petitioners may choose to withdraw petitions, based on additional information.

January 23, 2013: Lower Florida Keys Striped Mud Turtle Withdrawal
- Background: Lower Keys Striped Mud Turtle Biological Status Review
January 24, 2013: Seepage Salamander Withdrawal
- Background: Good News at Last on the Seepage Salamander

90-day Findings

To the extent possible, USFWS has 90 days to determine if there is enough information in the petition to warrant further review. During this period, FWS is limited to using the scientific data already available.

USFWS can either determine the petition is not valid and further review is not necessary, or the petition contains substantial information that warrants further review of the species. If the petition would lead a “reasonable person” to believe protecting the species my be warranted, then further review is necessary.

USFWS issues the results in a 90-day finding.

After a 90-day finding is issued for species that warrant further review, USFWS will ask partner agencies, academic institutions and the general public for any and all information on the species in question.

The Southeast Region has recently issued the following 90-day Findings (all PDF):

September 27, 2011: 90-day Finding Substantial on 374 Aquatics
October 6, 2011: 90-day Finding Not Substantial for 30 Aquatics
May 10, 2012: 90-day Finding on Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
June 21, 2012: 90-day Finding on Black-capped Petrel
July 5, 2012: 90-day finding on petition to list Carribean Mayten

12-month Findings

If USFWS determines a petition warrants further review, the next step is a status review and 12-month Finding. USFWS has one year from the date the substantial petition was received to make a 12-month Finding.

After completing a status review, USFWS will make one of three determinations: the species does not warrant Federal protection; the species does warrant Federal protection but is precluded from being listed by other higher priority actions; or the species warrants Federal protection and the USFWS will issue a proposed rule.

The Southeast Region has recently issued the following 12-month Finding (all PDF):