Southeastern Fishes Council
News
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 8, 2006
Contact: Tom MacKenzie, 404/679-7291
Fish and Wildlife Service conducts five-year status reviews of 14
Southeastern species
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces plans to conduct five-year
status reviews of the endangered Alabama beach mouse and 13 other
endangered and threatened species.
These five-year reviews are conducted to ensure that listing
classifications under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) are accurate. Any
interested party is invited to provide information and comments pertaining
to these species. Written comments and information related to these
five-year reviews must be received on or before November 7, 2006.
This notice covers fourteen species including the federally listed,
endangered Alabama beach mouse, southern combshell (mussel), black
clubshell (mussel), flat pigtoe (mussel), heavy pigtoe (mussel), and
stirrupshell (mussel). This notice also includes the federally listed,
threatened eastern indigo snake, Red Hills salamander, Ozark cavefish,
bayou darter, Arkansas fatmucket (mussel), Louisiana pearlshell (mussel),
Kral's water-plantain (plant), and Alabama streak-sorus fern (plant).
Specifically, this review seeks information on: (1) species biology,
including population trends, distribution, abundance, demographics, and
genetics; (2) habitat conditions, including amount, distribution, and
suitability; (3) conservation measures that have been implemented; (4)
threat status and trends; and, (5) other new information, data, or
corrections, including taxonomic or nomenclatural changes, identification
of erroneous information contained in the ESA list, and improved analytical
methods. Comments and materials received will be available for public
inspection by appointment.
In addition to reviewing the classification of these species, a five-year
review presents an opportunity to track the species' recovery progress. It
may benefit species by providing valuable information to guide future
conservation efforts. Information gathered during a review can assist in
making funding decisions, conducting interagency consultations, making
permitting decisions, and determining whether to update recovery plans, and
other actions under the ESA.
The Federal Register notice announcing the status review of these fourteen
federally listed species is available on-line at
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/E6-14866.htm
Written comments and information submitted on the Alabama beach mouse may
be e-mailed to robert_tawes@fws.gov, faxed to 251-441-6222, or sent via
regular mail to the Field Supervisor, Daphne Field Office, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 1208-B Main Street, Daphne, Alabama 36526.
Information submitted on the eastern indigo snake, Red Hills salamander,
bayou darter, southern combshell, black clubshell, flat pigtoe, heavy
pigtoe, stirrupshell, Kral's water plaintain, and Alabama streak-sorus
fern, may be e-mailed to cary_norquist@ fws.gov, faxed to 601/965 4340, or
sent via regular mail to the Field Supervisor, Jackson Field Office, 6578
Dogwood View Parkway, Suite A, Jackson, Mississippi 39213.
Information submitted on the Ozark cavefish and the Arkansas fatmucket may
be e-mailed to chris_davidson@fws.gov, faxed to 501/513-4480, or sent via
regular mail to the Acting Field Supervisor, Conway Field Office, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, 110 South Amity Road, Suite 300, Conway,
Arkansas 72032.
Information submitted on the Louisiana pearlshell may be e-mailed to
deborah_fuller@ fws.gov, faxed at 337/291-3139, or sent via regular
mail to the Field Supervisor, Lafayette Field Office, U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, 646 Cajundome Boulevard, Suite 400, Lafayette, Louisiana
70506.
Information received in response to this notice of review will be available
for public inspection by appointment, during normal business hours, at the
same addresses. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal
agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife
and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American
people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge
System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small
wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national
fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services
field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the
Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores
nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat
such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal
governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the
Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of
dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish
and wildlife agencies.
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