Interior Department, Fish and Wildlife Service
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the southern elktoe (Alasmidonta triangulata), a freshwater mussel species endemic to the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Basin of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, as an endangered species and designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This determination also serves as our 12-month finding on a petition to list the southern elktoe. After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the southern elktoe as an endangered species under the Act. We also propose to designate critical habitat for the southern elktoe under the Act. In total, approximately 578 river miles (929 river kilometers) in Russell County, Alabama; Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, and Liberty Counties, Florida; and Baker, Coweta, Crawford, Decatur, Dooly, Dougherty, Fayette, Harris, Macon, Meriwether, Mitchell, Peach, Pike, Spalding, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, and Upson Counties, Georgia, fall within the boundaries of the proposed critical habitat designation. We announce the availability of a draft economic analysis of the proposed designation of critical habitat for southern elktoe. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and extend the Act's protections to the species and its critical habitat.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 [Docket No. FWS–R4–ES–2022–0179; FF09E21000 FXES1111090FEDR 234] RIN 1018–BE93 AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior. ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the southern elktoe ( Alasmidonta triangulata ), a freshwater mussel species endemic to the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Basin of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, as an endangered species and designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This determination also serves as our 12-month finding on a petition to list the southern elktoe. After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the southern elktoe as an endangered species under the Act. We also propose to designate critical habitat for the southern elktoe under the Act. In total, approximately 578 river miles (929 river kilometers) in Russell County, Alabama; Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, and Liberty Counties, Florida; and Baker, Coweta, Crawford, Decatur, Dooly, Dougherty, Fayette, Harris, Macon, Meriwether, Mitchell, Peach, Pike, Spalding, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, and Upson Counties, Georgia, fall within the boundaries of the proposed critical habitat designation. We announce the availability of a draft economic analysis of the proposed designation…
Citation: 88 FR 40160
