Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Nine Species Not Warranted for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species
Key claim: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided that nine species—including several California snails, two eastern fishes, a Midwest snake, and a western wildflower—do not currently qualify for Endangered Species Act protection, while inviting the public to send any new information about them.
Abstract
(Rule · Interior Department, Fish and Wildlife Service) We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce findings that nine species are not warranted for listing as endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA or Act). After a thorough review of the best scientific and commercial data available, we find that it is not warranted at this time to list the Big Bar hesperian (Vespericola pressleyi), Chesapeake logperch (Percina bimaculate), Kirtland’s snake (Clonophis kirtlandii), orangefin madtom (Noturus gilberti), Shasta chaparral (Trilobopsis roperi), Shasta hesperian (Vespericola shasta), Shasta sideband (Monadenia troglodytes troglodytes), tall western penstemon (Penstemon hesperius), and Wintu sideband (Monadenia troglodytes wintu). However, we ask the public to submit to us at any time any new information relevant to the status of any of the species mentioned above or their habitats.
Why this matters
Not-warranted 12-month findings determine whether petitioned species enter the ESA regulatory pipeline that drives federal consultation, critical habitat designations, and land-use constraints. Batch negative findings like this one preserve the status quo for landowners, developers, and public-lands managers in the affected ranges, while the open comment window keeps the door open for future re-petitions if new science emerges.