U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Finding on Gray Wolf Petition

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces Finding on Gray Wolf Petition

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that a petition to reclassify all gray wolves in the conterminous United States, except for the Mexican wolf in the Southwest, as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) does not present substantial information indicating that reclassification may be warranted. As a result, the Service will take no further action on the petition, which was submitted by The Humane Society of the United States and 22 other petitioners in January.

The Service’s review concluded that the petition did not provide information to indicate that the population petitioned for listing, which does not correspond to any currently listed gray wolf population, may qualify as a listable entity under the ESA. 

The Service also found that the petition failed to provide substantial information indicating these wolves may meet the definition of a threatened species, specifically are likely to be in danger of extinction within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of their range.

This finding will appear in a 90-day batched notice with 30 other petition findings, both not-substantial and substantial with separate docket numbers as follows:

Not-substantial petition findings – no further status review

Species

Docket number

Docket link

Blue Ridge gray-cheeked salamander

FWS–R4–ES–2015–0042

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R4-ES-2015-0042

Caddo Mountain salamander

FWS–R4–ES–2015–0043

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R4-ES-2015-0043

California giant salamander

FWS–R8–ES–2015–0044

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R8-ES-2015-0044

Colorado checkered whiptail

FWS–R6–ES–2015–0048

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R6-ES-2015-0048

Distinct population segment of North American wild horse

FWS–R8–ES–2015–0049

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R8-ES-2015-0049

Gray wolf, excluding Mexican wolf, in the conterminous U.S.

FWS–HQ–ES–2015–0072

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-HQ-ES-2015-0072

Olympic torrent salamander

FWS–R1–ES–2015–0056

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R1-ES-2015-0056

Pigeon Mountain salamander

FWS–R4–ES–2015–0058

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R4-ES-2015-0058

Weller’s salamander

FWS–R4–ES–2015–0065

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R4-ES-2015-0065

Wingtail crayfish

FWS–R4–ES–2015–0067

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R4-ES-2015-0067

Substantial petition findings – status review initiated

Species

Docket number

Docket link

Alligator snapping turtle

FWS–R4–ES–2015–0038

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R4-ES-2015-0038

Apalachicola kingsnake

FWS–R4–ES–2015–0039

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R4-ES-2015-0039

Arizona toad

FWS–R2–ES–2015–0040

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R2-ES-2015-0040

Blanding’s turtle

FWS–R3–ES–2015–0041

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R3-ES-2015-0041

Cascade Caverns salamander

FWS–R2–ES–2015–0045

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R2-ES-2015-0045

Cascades frog

FWS–R1–ES–2015–0046

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R1-ES-2015-0046

Cedar Key mole skink

FWS–R4–ES–2015–0047

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R4-ES-2015-0047

Foothill yellow-legged frog

FWS–R8–ES–2015–0050

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R8-ES-2015-0050

Gopher frog

FWS–R4–ES–2015–0051

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R4-ES-2015-0051

Green salamander

FWS–R4–ES–2015–0052

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R4-ES-2015-0052

Illinois chorus frog

FWS–R3–ES–2015–0053

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R3-ES-2015-0053

Kern Canyon slender salamander

FWS–R8–ES–2015–0054

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R8-ES-2015-0054

Key ringneck snake

FWS–R4–ES–2015–0055

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R4-ES-2015-0055

Oregon slender salamander

FWS–R1–ES–2015–0057

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R1-ES-2015-0057

Relictual slender salamander

FWS–R8–ES–2015–0059

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R8-ES-2015-0059

Rim Rock crowned snake

FWS–R4–ES–2015–0060

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R4-ES-2015-0060

Rio Grande cooter

FWS–R2–ES–2015–0061

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R2-ES-2015-0061

Silvery phacelia

FWS–R1–ES–2015–0062

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R1-ES-2015-0062

Southern hog-nosed snake

FWS–R4–ES–2015–0063

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R4-ES-2015-0063

Spotted turtle

FWS–R5–ES–2015–0064

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R5-ES-2015-0064

Western spadefoot toad

FWS–R8–ES–2015–0066

http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=FWS-R8-ES-2015-0066


The notice will publish in the Federal Register on July 1, 2015, and also will be available at www.fws.gov/policy/frsystem/default.cfm by clicking on the 2015 Notices link under Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. Information can be submitted on species for which a status review is being initiated, using the specified docket number, beginning upon publication in the Federal Register, for 60 days until August 31, 2015. UPDATE (7/1/2015):Direct link to Notice on Federal Register website

For more information on the gray wolf, visit: http://www.fws.gov/home/wolfrecovery/.

The ESA provides a critical safety net for fish, wildlife and plants and has prevented the extinction of hundreds of imperiled species, as well as promoting the recovery of many others. The Service is actively engaged with conservation partners and the public in the search for improved and innovative ways to conserve and recover imperiled species.

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