Search Results for agency_names:"Fish and Wildlife Service"

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced an emergency rule to list the blue tree monitor, a lizard species from Indonesia, as endangered. This decision is due to significant threats from overcollection for the international pet trade and ongoing deforestation, which put the species at high risk of extinction. The emergency protection will last for 240 days starting from December 26, 2024, while a proposed permanent listing rule is being considered concurrently. The agency's action aims to provide immediate federal protection to help prevent the species from becoming extinct.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is revising the process for granting rights-of-way across National Wildlife Refuge System lands and other lands they manage. The changes are aimed at making the permitting process quicker and more efficient by aligning it with other Department of the Interior procedures. Key updates include requiring a preapplication meeting, allowing electronic submission of applications, and ensuring flexibility in determining the value of rights-of-way. The rule also introduces new terms and conditions for permits to ensure use is compatible with the conservation goals of the Refuge System, effective January 10, 2025.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing updates to regulations governing Federal financial assistance programs under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act. The changes aim to align regulations with recent legislation, ensure consistency across the nation, and respond to prior feedback on rulemaking. The proposal includes clarifications on eligible activities, agency responsibilities, and administrative processes to improve program clarity and efficiency. Public comments will be accepted until early 2025, and the updates are meant to enhance management of wildlife and sport fish restoration and related activities.

The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have released a draft plan for managing the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument over the next 15 years. This plan outlines the goals, objectives, and potential management activities, and it includes an environmental assessment to understand the possible impacts on the human environment. The public is invited to comment on this draft by May 25, 2021, and comments can be submitted electronically or by mail. The agencies will consider all these comments before finalizing the management plan.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a draft recovery plan for Jones cycladenia, a plant listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The plan outlines specific criteria and management actions needed to conserve the plant and potentially remove it from the list. Public comments are requested by March 15, 2021, to aid in finalizing the plan. The aim is to maintain stable populations across its habitat while addressing threats like energy development, and enhancing genetic diversity through seed or tissue collections.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is inviting public comments on permit applications for certain activities involving foreign species listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). These activities typically require Federal authorization but can be permitted for scientific research or to help the species survive. Public comments are accepted until April 30, 2025, and can be submitted online or by mail as detailed in the document. The notice includes various applications, such as importing biological samples for research and exporting live animals for species propagation, which are open for public reviewing and commenting.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is correcting an error concerning the Hawaiian hoary bat on the endangered species list. Initially, there was a plan to update the bat's scientific name and add a common name, but this was withdrawn after receiving comments. The Service mistakenly thought these changes hadn't been properly documented and asked for a correction. Now, they are fixing this issue by reverting to the bat's original scientific name without the proposed common name.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing an application from BNSF Railway for a permit that would allow incidental harm to the federally threatened grizzly bear during railroad operations in Montana. The application includes a Habitat Conservation Plan proposing methods to reduce risks to grizzly bears and support their recovery, like reducing food sources that attract them near the railway. The Service is seeking public comments on the plan and related documents by February 11, 2021, through various submission methods. They aim to determine if BNSF's proposal will have minimal impact on the grizzly bear and the overall environment.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes to classify the Suckley's cuckoo bumble bee as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. This decision is based on a significant decline in the bee's population due to factors like habitat loss, pesticides, pathogens, and climate change, which also affect its host species. The proposed listing aims to provide federal protections for the bee, although specific critical habitat designation is not yet possible due to insufficient data. Public comments on the proposal will be accepted until February 18, 2025.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced its decision to issue a 30-year incidental take permit (ITP) under the Endangered Species Act for the Deschutes Basin Habitat Conservation Plan. This ITP allows activities that might inadvertently harm two threatened species, the Oregon spotted frog and bull trout, covered in the plan. The decision supports a conservation strategy designed to mitigate the negative impacts on these species by adjusting water flow patterns and setting up conservation funds over the permit term. The Service evaluated various alternatives before selecting this plan as the best course of action.