Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews of Five Species in Oregon, Palau, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands

AGENCY:

Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of initiation of reviews; request for information.

SUMMARY:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are initiating 5-year status reviews for five species in Oregon, Palau, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands, under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). A 5-year status review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, we are requesting submission of any new information on these species that has become available since the last review.

DATES:

To ensure consideration in our reviews, we are requesting submission of new information no later than April 21, 2014. However, we will continue to accept new information about any listed species at any time.

ADDRESSES:

For the four species in Palau, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands (see table below), submit information to: Deputy Field Supervisor-Programmatic, Attention: 5-Year Review, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Room 3-122, Box 50088, Honolulu, HI 96850.

For the Foskett speckled dace (Oregon), submit information to: Field Supervisor, Attention: 5-Year Review, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, 2600 SE 98th Avenue, Suite 100, Portland, OR 97266. Information on the Oregon species can also be submitted by email to: fw1or5yearreview@fws.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Kristi Young, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office (see ADDRESSES), 808-792-9400 (for species in Palau, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands); or Jeff Dillon, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, 503-231-6179 (for Foskett speckled dace, Oregon). Individuals who are hearing impaired or speech impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339 for TTY assistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Why do we conduct 5-year reviews?

Under the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), we maintain Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants (which we collectively refer to as the List) in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 17.11 (for animals) and 17.12 (for plants). Section 4(c)(2)(A) of the Act requires us to review each listed species' status at least once every 5 years. Our regulations at 50 CFR 424.21 require that we publish a notice in the Federal Register announcing those species under active review.

What information do we consider in the review?

A 5-year review considers all new information available at the time of the review. In conducting these reviews, we consider the best scientific and commercial data that has become available since the listing determination or most recent status review, such as:

(A) Species biology, including but not limited to population trends, distribution, abundance, demographics, and genetics;

(B) Habitat conditions, including but not limited to amount, distribution, and suitability;

(C) Conservation measures that have been implemented that benefit the species;

(D) Threat status and trends in relation to the five listing factors (as defined in section 4(a)(1) of the Act); and

(E) Other new information, data, or corrections, including but not limited to, taxonomic or nomenclatural changes, identification of erroneous information contained in the List, and improved analytical methods.

Any new information will be considered during the 5-year review and will also be useful in evaluating the ongoing recovery programs for these species.

What species are under review?

This notice announces our active review of the five species listed in the table below.

Request for New Information

To ensure that a 5-year review is complete and based on the best available scientific and commercial information, we request new information from all sources. See “What Information Do We Consider in Our Review?” for specific criteria. If you submit information, please support it with documentation such as maps, bibliographic references, methods used to gather and analyze the data, and/or copies of any pertinent publications, reports, or letters by knowledgeable sources.

If you wish to provide information for any species listed above, please submit your comments and materials to the appropriate contact in either the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office or the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office (see ADDRESSES section).

Public Availability of Comments

Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Comments and materials received will be available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the offices where the comments are submitted.

Completed and Active Reviews

A list of all completed and currently active 5-year reviews addressing species for which the Pacific Region of the Service has lead responsibility is available at http://www.fws.gov/pacific/ecoservices/endangered/recovery/5year.html.

Authority

This document is published under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).