Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Animal Candidate Review for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species; Proposed Rule

In this notice the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) presents an updated compilation of vertebrate and invertebrate animal taxa native to the United States that are being reviewed for possible addition to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Such taxa are generally referred to as listing candidates (candidates). The changes in this document from previous animal notices of review primarily involve: (1) the addition of new candidate taxa; (2) changes in category for some candidates; (3) additions and deletions in State historic distributions; and (4) changes in status trend for some candidate taxa. Procedures initiated in the previous animal notice of review (November 21, 1991, 56 FR 58804) that are being continued include: (1) a category (PE or PT) for species that are currently proposed for listing under the Act; (2) alphabetical organization by scientific name of taxa under each major group heading (class or order) identified in previous notices; (3) the omission of taxa that have been identified as non-candidates in previous notices; and (4) identification of a Fish and Wildlife Service Region with lead responsibility for each taxon. While it is prudent to take candidate taxa into account during environmental planning, neither the substantive nor procedural provisions of the Act apply to a taxon that is designated as a candidate. (Species that have been proposed for listing are covered by the conference procedure of Section 7(a)(4) of the Act). Through the publication of this notice, the Service also requests any additional status information that may be available. This information will be considered in preparing listing documents and future revisions and/or supplements to the notice of review. It will also assist the Service in monitoring changes in the status of listing candidates.