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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Publishes Updated List of Candidates for Endangered Species Act Listing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 4, 2004 Contact:
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today published a revised list of species of plants and animals that may warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act, including 24 new candidate species added since the Candidate Notice of Review was last published in 2002. If the Service has sufficient information to propose listing a species as threatened or endangered, but is precluded from taking action by other, higher listing priorities, the species becomes a candidate species. The Service publishes an updated Candidate Notice of Review primarily to solicit new information on the status of candidate species and threats to their survival. Service biologists rely on a variety of sources for the scientific determination of whether a species may warrant listing under the Act, including information from private, university and government scientists, local, State and Federal land management and planning agencies and private citizens. The Notice also informs the public about species the Service is considering proposing for protection, and it encourages conservation of candidate species. In addition, the Notice includes 24 domestic animal species that have already been proposed for addition to the list of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants, but for which a final listing determination has not been made. A proposal undergoes public review and comment before a final decision is made. "The candidate list is an important tool, helping to identify imperiled species and focusing attention on the need to conserve them before they have to receive Endangered Species Act protection. By working to recover these species now, in partnership with states, local communities and individuals, we can implement flexible, cost-effective conservation measures that put them on the road to recovery," said Service Director Steve Williams. The Service has removed 19 species from the Candidate Species List since the lists were last revised in 2002:
The complete Notice and list of candidates and proposed species appear in today's Federal Register. Species added to the candidate list since 2002 are listed below. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving,
protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats
for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages
the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System
Species Added to the Candidate List Since 2002:
For more information about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, visit our home page at http://southeast.fws.gov/ or http://www.fws.gov/. NOTE: You can view our releases or subscribe to receive them -- via e-mail -- at the Service's Southeast Regional home page at http://southeast.fws.gov. Our national home page is
at: http://news.fws.gov/newsreleases/.
Atlanta, GA 30345 |
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