Search Results for agency_names:"Fish and Wildlife Service"

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced 90-day findings on petitions to add several species to the endangered or threatened species list and to remove one species. They are starting detailed status reviews for the Amargosa toad, Carson Valley monkeyflower, large marble butterfly, Mohave ground squirrel, Morrison bumble bee, Oasis Valley speckled dace, Tennessee bottlebrush crayfish, and the golden-cheeked warbler to understand if these actions are necessary. The agency invites scientific and commercial data to ensure thorough status reviews and will publish further findings after these reviews. The reviews will consider factors such as habitat destruction, climate change, and other threats to the species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing changes to the boundaries of the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS) in Florida and South Carolina. This involves revising maps to add and remove certain areas based on their development status and suitability to be coastal barriers. The proposed changes will impact several counties, including the addition of new units and the adjustment of existing boundaries, and the public is invited to review and comment on these proposed modifications. Final recommendations will be submitted to Congress after considering public input and further evaluations.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued permits that allow certain activities with endangered and threatened species. These permits were issued under the Endangered Species Act after reviewing permit applications and considering public comments. Each permit applicant demonstrated good faith, ensured no disadvantage to the species, and aligned with the Act's purposes. Details and documents related to these permits are accessible online at regulations.gov.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced the reclassification of the June sucker from "endangered" to "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act, reflecting significant improvements in its population through conservation efforts. The agency has implemented a set of rules under section 4(d) to continue the protection and recovery of the species, allowing certain activities like research, habitat restoration, and the management of recreational fisheries to occur without violating the Act, provided they aid in the conservation of the June sucker. These activities include removing nonnative fish, conducting habitat restoration projects, and monitoring populations, all aimed at securing the June sucker's recovery while maintaining public engagement and education efforts.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed removing Ute ladies'-tresses, a type of orchid, from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants. The decision is based on a review of scientific data indicating that the species has recovered enough and is no longer threatened by extinction. The proposal explains that conservation efforts and regulatory protections, along with the species' natural resilience to threats such as urban development and climate change, ensure its survival. If the rule is finalized, the legal protections under the Endangered Species Act for this plant would no longer apply, but post-delisting monitoring will be conducted to ensure the species remains secure.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced a request for public comments on permit applications involving activities with endangered foreign species. The Endangered Species Act generally prohibits certain interactions with listed species unless a permit is granted, which is why public input is important before making any decisions. Various institutions and individuals have applied for permits for purposes like scientific research, species propagation, or importing/exporting specimens. The public can view and comment on these applications via the regulations.gov website until January 21, 2025.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing a new information collection related to their concessions program, as part of their efforts to reduce paperwork and gather comments from the public. This program involves private businesses and nonprofits managing recreation facilities within National Wildlife Refuges. They aim to collect information to ensure operations minimize wildlife disturbance, offer high-quality visitor experiences, and comply with financial and management requirements. Comments are invited from the public until February 3, 2021, focusing on the necessity, accuracy, and ways to improve the information collection process.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have announced the availability of the Records of Decision (ROD) for the Northern Corridor highway right-of-way (ROW) in Washington County, Utah. These decisions include issuing an incidental take permit (ITP) and making amendments to the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and St. George Field Office Resource Management Plans. The actions are taken to support the installation of the highway while considering the conservation of the Mojave desert tortoise and other protected species. The public and various stakeholders were involved in the decision-making process through consultations and comment periods.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing new hunting regulations for migratory game birds for the 2025-26 season. These regulations are part of an annual process where they set general guidelines, called frameworks, within which individual states can decide specifics like hunting season dates. The proposal includes various regulatory alternatives, particularly for duck hunting, and potential changes to the system of zones and split seasons. The Service is also exploring a new administrative process to streamline regulation, aiming to increase efficiency and save costs while maintaining conservation goals. Public comments are encouraged on all aspects of the proposal.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a final rule listing three butterflies from Brazil—the Fluminense swallowtail, Harris' mimic swallowtail, and Hahnel's Amazonian swallowtail—as endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. This move aims to extend legal protections to these butterflies, mainly due to threats like habitat loss and degradation, capture, and insufficient existing regulatory mechanisms to address these issues. These butterflies are facing extinction risks because their populations have been reduced and isolated in their natural habitats, which are undergoing severe urbanization and deforestation. The agency has highlighted both the challenges these species face and the legal measures in place to protect them.