Based on a review of the best available science, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has found that the Black Creek crayfish and the hairy-peduncled beakrush plant are not at risk of extinction now or in the foreseeable future. As such, they do not warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Existing protections of these species on conservation lands and new survey data demonstrating healthy, robust populations informed these findings.
The Black Creek crayfish is found only in the lower St. Johns River watershed (Clay, Duval, Putnam and St. Johns counties, Florida). With 19 known populations, almost half occur on lands protected by state and federal agencies and private organizations. Listed by the state of Florida as a threatened species under its Endangered and Threatened Species List, efforts are already underway to protect this crayfish’s habitat. Camp Blanding Joint Training Center in Starke, Florida, owned by the state of Florida and managed by the Florida Army National Guard, is host to the largest known population. In 2017, Camp Blanding entered into a 15-year Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) with the Service to protect federal candidate species and state-protected species. Enrolled lands include 121 miles of streams, many of which are occupied by the Black Creek crayfish.
Additional protection for the Black Creek crayfish is provided by the Ocala to Osceola Conservation Corridor (O2O), a network of forested and rural lands that make up a 1.6-million-acre wildlife corridor wildlife corridor
To maintain healthy species populations and ecosystems, fish and wildlife need the freedom to move and migrate. As habitats and migration routes are affected by climate change and fragmented by roads, fences, energy development and other man-made barriers, wildlife struggle to reach necessary areas to feed, breed and find shelter. A wildlife corridor is a piece of undeveloped land connecting two habitats so wildlife can move safely between them.
Learn more about wildlife corridor connecting Ocala National Forest to Osceola National Forest. The O2O project includes federal, state and local agencies and organizations and conserves a network of lands spanning 100 miles. This includes the Camp Blanding Joint Training Center and some of the best remaining upland pine forests, wetlands and waterways in North Florida.
The hairy-peduncled beakrush is a perennial grass-like plant in the sedge family. It typically occurs on banks and bars along blackwater streams and associated spring runs that are prone to flooding and periodic scouring. Its broad geographic range in the southeastern U.S. spans nearly 700 miles from southwestern Mississippi to central North Carolina. Thirty-nine populations have been documented among 40 watersheds across the states of Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina. Searches for the plant since the 1980s have substantially expanded its known range and number of populations. Nearly half of all known populations occur entirely or in part on state or federally owned or managed public lands. Overall, there are few documented threats to the hairy-peduncled beakrush. It has adapted to occasionally disturbed stream environments and demonstrated an ability to thrive in some locations with man-made disturbances, such as stream crossings and boat launches.
Detailed descriptions and contact information for these findings are available online at the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov/ under the following docket numbers:
Species | Docket Number |
Black Creek crayfish | FWS–R4–ES–2021–0045 |
Hairy-peduncled beakrush | FWS–R4–ES–2021–0046 |
The Service continues to support partners in their conservation and research efforts on behalf of these species. The Species Status Assessments (SSA) for the crayfish and beakrush summarize the data the Service assembled and reviewed for both species and incorporate the best scientific and commercial information available. The SSAs are available in our online catalog system at https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp/. SSAs are also living reports, and the Service accepts relevant new information on these species at any time.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov. Connect with our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/usfwssoutheast, follow our tweets at www.twitter.com/usfwssoutheast, watch our YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/usfws and download photos from our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwssoutheast.
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