The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces plans to conduct five-year status reviews of the threatened snail darter and eighteen other threatened and endangered species in Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Alabama.
These five-year reviews are conducted to ensure that listing classifications under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are accurate. Any interested party is invited to provide information and comments pertaining to these species. Written comments and information related to these five-year reviews must be received by September 26, 2006.
This notice covers nineteen species including the federally listed, endangered duskytail darter (fish), smoky madtom (fish), Carolina heelsplitter (mussel), birdwing pearlymussel, cracking pearlymussel, dromedary pearlymussel, little wing pearlymussel, fine-rayed pigtoe (mussel), shiny pigtoe (mussel), ring pink (mussel), royal marstonia (snail), Braun's rockcress (plant), golden sedge (plant), Canby's dropwort (plant), and Ruth's golden aster (plant). This notice also includes the federally listed, threatened snail darter (fish), yellowfin madtom (fish), mountain golden heather (plant), and American hart's-tongue fern (plant).
Specifically, this review seeks information on: (1) species biology, including population trends, distribution, abundance, demographics, and genetics; (2) habitat conditions, including amount, distribution, and suitability; (3) conservation measures that have been implemented; (4) threat status and trends; and (5) other new information, data, or corrections, including taxonomic or nomenclatural changes, identification of erroneous information contained in the ESA list, and improved analytical methods. Comments and materials received will be available for public inspection by appointment.
In addition to reviewing the classification of these species, five-year reviews present an opportunity to track the species? recovery progress. It may benefit species by providing valuable information to guide future conservation efforts. Information gathered during a review can assist in making funding decisions, conducting interagency consultations, making permitting decisions, determining whether to update recovery plans, and other actions under the ESA.
The Federal Register notice (Volume 71, Number 145, pages 42871-42872) announcing the status review of these nineteen federally listed species is available on-line at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/E6-12108.htm.
Written comments and information may be sent via e-mail for the duskytail darter, snail darter, smoky madtom, and yellowfin madtom, to tim_merritt@fws.gov; via e-mail for royal marstonia and Ruth's golden aster, to geoff_call@fws.gov; via e-mail for the birdwing pearlymussel, cracking pearlymussel and dromedary pearlymussel, to jim_widlak@fws.gov, faxed to 931-528-7075, or sent via regular mail to the Field Supervisor, Cookeville Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 446 Neal Street, Cookeville, Tennessee 38501.
Information may be sent via e-mail for the Carolina heelsplitter, fine-rayed pigtoe, and shiny pigtoe, to bob_butler@fws.gov; via e-mail for the American hart's-tongue fern to robert_currie@fws.gov; and via e-mail for mountain golden heather to carolyn_wells@fws.gov, faxed to 828-258-5330, or sent regular mail to the Field Supervisor, Asheville Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 160 Zillicoa Street, Asheville, North Carolina 28801.
Information may be sent via e-mail for Canby's dropwort to ed_eudaly@fws.gov; faxed to 843-727-4218, or sent regular mail to the Field Supervisor, Charleston Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 176 Croghan Spur Road, Suite 200, Charleston, South Carolina 29407.
Information may be sent via e-mail for the little wing and ring pink, to leroy_koch@fws.gov; and via e-mail for Braun's rockcress to mike_floyd@fws.gov, faxed to 502-695-1024, or sent regular mail to the Field Supervisor, Frankfort Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 3761 Georgetown Road, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601.
Information may be sent via e-mail for the golden sedge to dale_suiter@fws.gov; faxed to 919-856-4556, or sent regular mail to the Field Supervisor, Raleigh Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 551-F Pylon Drive, P. O. Box 33726, Raleigh, North Carolina 27636-3726.
Information received in response to this notice of review will be available for public inspection by appointment, during normal business hours, at the same addresses.
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, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 Ecological Services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
