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Links to latest Federal Register notices on proposed, final listings and related items from FWS and NMFS

Northern Rockies gray wolf will be removed from list in Wyoming

 Posted by on August 31, 2012  Daily Links, ESA, FR, FWS, Listings
Aug 312012
 
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“Wyoming’s gray wolf population is stable, threats are sufficiently minimized, and a post-delisting monitoring and management framework has been developed,” the Fish and Wildlife Service said in a final rule to be published in the Federal Register that will remove ESA protection for gray wolves in Wyoming.

The decision means that the Northern Rocky Mountains Distinct Population Segment of the wolf will no longer be listed in Montana, Idaho or Wyoming. The first two states have already allowed hunting of the animals. The latest decision, feared and fought by environmental groups, paves the way for hunting in Wyoming.

 

  • Credit: Tracy Brooks/Mission Wolf / USFWS 

FWS to downlist wood bison

 FWS to downlist wood bison  Daily Links, ESA, FR, FWS, Listings  Comments Off
May 022012
 
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FWS will publish a final rule tomorrow (May 3) downlisting the wood bison.

For those not familiar with the terminology, “downlist” means “to change from endangered to threatened.” That’s my own definition; it may not be found in any reputable dictionary.

Just let me sleep (Photo from "The 'splorin' Wolfies" blog)

The service said it’s changing Bison bison athabascae‘s designation from E to T because there are more of the big fellows in the wild.

From the FR’s pre-publication version:

“This action is based on a review of the best available scientific and commercial data, which indicate that the primary threat that led to population decline, unregulated hunting, is no longer a threat and that recovery actions have led to a substantial increase in the number of herds that have a stable or increasing trend in population size. Critical habitat has not been designated because free-ranging wood bison only occur in Canada and we do not designate critical habitat in foreign countries.”

TABLE 1.—Sizes of wood bison herds in Canada from 1978 to 2008 (data provided by Canadian Wildlife Service).

Herd Category and Name 1978 1988 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008
Free-ranging, disease-free herds
Mackenzie 300 1,718 1,908 2,000 2,000 ~ 2,000 1,600
Nahanni - 30 160 170 399 400 400
Aishihik - - 500 530 550 700 1,100
Hay-Zama - - 130 234 350 600 750
Nordquist - - 50 60 112 140 140
Etthithun - - - 43 70 124 124
Chitek Lake - - 70 100 150 225 300
Free-ranging, diseased herds
Wood Buffalo1 National Park - - 2,178 4,050 4,9472 5,6413 4,6394

1 Excluding adjacent diseased Wentzel, Wabasca, and Slave River Lowlands herds.
2 Population estimate for year 2003.
3 Population estimate for year 2005.
4 Population estimate for year 2007.

Sonoran bald eagle not listed (again)

 Posted by on April 20, 2012  Court calls, Daily Links, ESA, FR, FWS, Listings
Apr 202012
 
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The Fish and Wildlife Service has declined again to list the bald eagle in Arizona as threatened or endangered. The service’s news release is pasted below. Contacts:  Steve Spangle, (602) 242-0210, Steve_Spangle@FWS.Gov,  Tom Buckley (505) 248-6455, Tom_Buckley@FWS.Gov, Jeff Humphrey (602) 242-0210, Jeff_Humphrey@FWS.Gov Service Determines Bald Eagle in the Sonoran Desert Does Not Warrant Protection under [...]

No surprises in polar bear special rule proposed by FWS

 Posted by on April 19, 2012  Daily Links, ESA, FR, FWS, Listings
Apr 192012
 
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Activities outside the range of the polar bear, including emissions of greenhouse gases, won’t be considered in determining the “take” of the bears under the Endangered Species Act, if a Fish and Wildlife Service proposal published April 19 becomes final. “None of the prohibitions in § 17.31 of this part apply to any taking of [...]

Bald/golden eagle take regs proposed; ice seal peer reviews released

 Posted by on April 16, 2012  Daily Links, FR, FWS, Listings, NMFS
Apr 162012
 
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FWS has proposed new regulations that would extend from five to 30 years the duration of programmatic permits that allow the taking of bald or golden eagles. In the proposal, published Friday, April 13, FWS said: In February 2011, we published draft Eagle Conservation Plan Guidance that provided information on how to prepare Eagle Conservation [...]

Miami blue butterfly alights on endangered species list

 Posted by on April 11, 2012  Daily Links, FR, FWS, Listings
Apr 112012
 
Miami blue butterfly alights on endangered species list
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The woeful record of this site in recording the addition of species to the threatened and endangered species list should not prevent us from noting a new member from Florida. Twelve years after it received a petition, the Fish and Wildlife Service placed the Miami blue butterfly on the list of endangered species. The butterfly was [...]

FWS proposed listing and other rules, 2011

 Posted by on December 21, 2011  FR, FWS, Listings
Dec 212011
 
FWS proposed listing and other rules, 2011
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http://www.eswr.com/docs/listing/proposedlistings.htm and below, as of Dec. 19. Federal Register Documents – Division of Policy and Directives Management Quick Search: 2011 Federal Register Index Final Rules  Proposed Rules Notices Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants Subtitle Text PDF 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List the Western Glacier Stonefly as Endangered With Critical Habitat, 78601-78609 12/19/2011 Docket ID: [...]

FWS final listing rules, 2011

 Posted by on December 19, 2011  FR
Dec 192011
 
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Go to this FWS page for proposed rules, 90-day findings, etc. Subtitle Text PDF Removal of the Concho Water Snake From the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Removal of Designated Critical Habitat 66780-66804 10/27/2011 RIN 1018–AU97 Docket ID: FWS-R2-ES-2008-0080 Action: Final rule. Text PDF Endangered Status for the Altamaha Spinymussel and Designation [...]