Proposed removal of Helianthus eggertii (Eggert's sunflower) from the federal list of endangered and threatened species and determination that designation of critical habitat is not prudent

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to remove the plant Helianthus eggertii (Eggert's sunflower) from the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), because recovery actions have secured a number of populations and identified additional populations not previously known. Therefore, the threatened designation no longer correctly reflects the current status of this plant. This action is based on a review of all available data, which indicates that the species is more widespread and abundant than was documented at the time of listing, is more resilient and less vulnerable to certain activities than previously thought, and is now protected on Federal, State, and county lands. Due to the recent development of a management plan for H. eggertii, a management plan for the barrens/woodland ecosystem, and an Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan at the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering and Development Center, on whose land a significant number of sites/populations occur, new management practices will include managing for, and monitoring the areas that contain, this species. Occurrences of H. eggertii are also found on six other Federal, State, or county lands, three of which now have conservation agreements with us to protect, manage, and monitor the species. At the time of listing, there were 34 known Helianthus eggertii sites occurring in 1 county in Alabama, 5 counties in Kentucky, and 8 counties in Tennessee. The species was not defined in terms of "populations" at that time. Increased knowledge of H. eggertii and its habitat has resulted in increased success in locating new plant sites. Presently, there are 279 known H. eggertii sites (making up 68 populations) distributed across 2 counties in Alabama, 9 counties in Kentucky, and 15 counties in Tennessee. Consequently, H. eggertii is not likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range and, therefore, is no longer considered to be threatened. If made final, this rule would remove H. eggertii from the list of threatened and endangered species. In response to a court order, we have also reconsidered whether designating critical habitat for Helianthus eggertii would be prudent based on this species' current status. We have determined that such a designation would not be prudent because, as set out in detail elsewhere in this proposal, we believe the species no longer warrants listing under the Act. There is accordingly no area which meets the definition of critical habitat.