Approved Recovery Plan for the Higgins Eye Pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsii)

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces the availability of the approved recovery plan for the Higgins eye pearlymussel (Lampsilis higginsii). This species is federally listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); it occurs in the Mississippi River and tributaries to the Mississippi River in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Actions needed for recovery of the Higgins eye pearlymussel include alleviating threats posed by exotic species, especially zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha), protecting remaining populations, and reintroducing the species into habitats that it historically occupied.