[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 3 (Tuesday, January 6, 2009)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 419-427]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-31454]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17

[FWS-R2-ES-2008-0130; MO 9221050083]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Partial 90-Day 
Finding on a Petition To List 475 Species in the Southwestern United 
States as Threatened or Endangered With Critical Habitat

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of 90-day petition finding.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 
90-day finding on 270 species from a petition to list 475 species in 
the southwestern United States as threatened or endangered under the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We find that for 
these 270 species the petition does not present substantial scientific 
or commercial information indicating that listing these species may be 
warranted. Therefore, for these 270 species, we will not initiate a 
further status review in response to this petition. We ask the public 
to submit to us any new information that becomes available concerning 
the status of these 270 species or threats to them or their habitat at 
any time. This information will help us monitor and encourage the 
conservation of these species. An additional 5 species of the 475 
included in the petition do not fall within the scope of the petition 
or are not a listable entity and, therefore, were not considered in 
this finding (see Petition).

DATES: The finding announced in this document was made on January 6, 
2009. You may submit new information concerning this species for our 
consideration at any time.

ADDRESSES: This finding is available on the Internet at http://www.regulations.gov. Supporting information we used in preparing this 
finding is available for public inspection, by appointment, during 
normal business hours, at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Southwest 
Regional Ecological Services Office, 500 Gold Ave., SW., Albuquerque, 
NM 87102. Please submit any new information, materials, comments, or 
questions concerning these species or this finding to the above 
address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nancy Gloman, Assistant Regional 
Director, Southwest Regional Ecological Services Office (see 
ADDRESSES); telephone 505/248-6920; facsimile 505/248-6788. If you use 
a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), please call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) requires 
that we make a finding on whether a petition to list, delist, or 
reclassify a species presents substantial scientific or commercial 
information to indicate that a petitioned action may be warranted. We 
are to base this finding on information provided in the petition. To 
the maximum extent practicable, we are to make the finding within 90 
days of our receipt of the petition, and publish our notice of this 
finding promptly in the Federal Register.
    Our standard for ``substantial information,'' as defined in the 
Code of Federal Regulations at 50 CFR 424.14(b), with regards to a 90-
day petition finding is ``that amount of information that would lead a 
reasonable person to believe that the measure proposed in the petition 
may be warranted.'' If we find that substantial information was 
presented, we are required to promptly commence a status review of the 
species.
    In making this finding, we based our decision on information 
provided by the petitioner that we determined to be reliable after 
reviewing sources referenced in the petition and otherwise available in 
our files. We evaluated that information in accordance with 50 CFR 
424.14(b). Our process for making this 90-day finding under section 
4(b)(3)(A) of the Act is limited to a determination of whether the 
information in the petition meets the ``substantial information'' 
threshold.

Petition

    On June 25, 2007, we received a formal petition dated June 18, 
2007, from Forest Guardians (now WildEarth Guardians) requesting that 
the Service: (1) Consider all full species in our Southwest Region 
ranked as G1 or G1G2 by the organization NatureServe, except those that 
are currently listed, proposed for listing, or candidates for listing; 
and (2) list each species as either endangered or threatened with 
critical habitat. The petition incorporates all analyses, references, 
and documentation provided by NatureServe in its online database at 
http://www.natureserve.org/ into the petition. The petition clearly 
identified itself as a petition and included the identification 
information,

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as required in 50 CFR 424.14(a). We sent a letter to the petitioners 
dated July 11, 2007, acknowledging receipt of the petition and stating 
that the petition was under review by staff in our Southwest Regional 
Office. On June 18, 2008, we received a petition from WildEarth 
Guardians dated June 12, 2008, to emergency list 32 species under the 
Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and the Endangered Species Act. Of 
those 32 species, 21 were included in the June 18, 2007, petition to be 
listed on a non-emergency basis. In a letter dated July 22, 2008, we 
stated that the information provided in both the 2007 and 2008 
petitions and in our files did not indicate that an emergency situation 
existed for any of the 21 species. This letter concludes our processing 
of the emergency aspect of the 2008 petition under the APA. The 
following discussion presents our partial evaluation of the June 18, 
2007 and June 12, 2008 petitions, based on information provided in the 
petition and our current understanding of the species.
    The 2007 petition included a list of 475 species. One species, 
Salina mucket (Potamilus metnecktayi), is also known by the scientific 
name Disconaias salinasensis; we were petitioned to list the species 
under both names. The species files in NatureServe for these two names 
are identical. For the remainder of our review we used the name P. 
metnecktayi; therefore, we reviewed only 474 actual species files. This 
finding addresses 270 of the 475 species for which we were petitioned. 
The remaining 200 species will be addressed in one or more additional 
90-day findings in the future. Although we are not making a finding on 
the remaining 200 species at this time, the lack of inclusion of those 
species in this finding does not imply that we are making or will make 
a positive finding on any or all of the remaining species. Our priority 
for responding to a petition is a function of the resources that are 
available and competing demands for those resources.
    Because the petition requested that we consider all species from 
the list that were not currently listed, proposed for listing, or 
candidates for listing, 3 of the 474 species were also not included in 
the review. Quitobaquito pupfish (Cyprinodon eremus) is currently 
listed as endangered under the name desert pupfish (Cyprinodon 
macularius eremus). In Arizona, this family was historically 
represented by two recognized subspecies, Cyprinodon m. macularius and 
C. m. eremus, and an undescribed species, the Monkey Spring pupfish. 
Minckley et al. (2002, p. 701) raised C. m. eremus to a full species, 
C. eremus. The species is listed as endangered throughout its range, so 
we did not consider it as part of this petition. On December 13, 2007, 
we made a 12-month finding that the Jollyville Plateau salamander 
(Eurycea tonkawae) warrants listing, but that listing is precluded by 
higher listing priorities (72 FR 71040), thus rendering the species to 
candidate status. On December 6, 2007, we published our annual review 
of native species that are candidates for listing as endangered or 
threatened (72 FR 69034), in which we made the San Bernadino 
springsnail (Pyrgulopsis bernardina) a candidate species. Because these 
three species, Quitobaquito pupfish, Jollyville Plateau salamander, and 
San Bernardino springsnail, are currently listed or are candidates for 
listing, and we were petitioned to list species that are not listed or 
candidates, they were not evaluated as part of this petition.
    Agave arizonica (Arizona agave) was recently delisted (71 FR 35195; 
June 19, 2006) because it was determined to be a product of 
hybridization and, therefore, not a listable entity. No new information 
was presented in the petition for Arizona agave. Because of its current 
status, the Arizona agave was not considered in our review. After 
eliminating review of Quitobaquito pupfish, Jollyville Plateau 
salamander, San Bernardino springsnail, and Arizona agave, there were 
470 species files to continue with our review in the NatureServe 
database.
    This finding addresses 270 of the 470 species for which we were 
validly petitioned. The remaining 200 species will be addressed in one 
or more additional 90-day findings in the future. Our priority for 
responding to a petition is a function of the resources that are 
available and competing demands for those resources. Thus, in any given 
fiscal year, multiple factors dictate whether it will be possible to 
undertake work on particular listing actions. The resources available 
for listing actions are determined through the annual Congressional 
appropriations process. The appropriation for the Listing Program is 
available to support work involving the following listing actions: 
Proposed and final listing rules; 90-day and 12-month findings on 
petitions to revise critical habitat and to add species to the Lists of 
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants or to change the status 
of a species from threatened to endangered; annual determinations on 
prior ``warranted but precluded'' petition findings as required under 
section 4(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Act; proposed and final rules designating 
critical habitat; and litigation-related, administrative, and program 
management functions (including preparing and allocating budgets, 
responding to Congressional and public inquiries, and conducting public 
outreach regarding listing and critical habitat). The work involved in 
preparing various listing documents can be extensive and may include, 
but is not limited to, gathering and assessing the best scientific and 
commercial data available and conducting analyses used as the basis for 
our determinations under section 4(a)(1) of the Act; writing and 
publishing documents; and obtaining, reviewing, and evaluating public 
comments and peer review comments on proposed rules and incorporating 
relevant information into final rules. The number of listing actions 
that we can undertake in a given year also is influenced by the 
complexity of those listing actions; that is, more complex actions 
generally are more costly.
    We cannot spend more than is appropriated for the Listing Program 
without violating the Anti-Deficiency Act (see 31 U.S.C. 
1341(a)(1)(A)). In addition, in FY 1998 and for each fiscal year since 
then, Congress has placed a statutory cap on funds which may be 
expended for the Listing Program, equal to the amount expressly 
appropriated for that purpose in that fiscal year. This cap was 
designed to prevent funds appropriated for other functions under the 
Act (e.g., Recovery funds for removing species from the Lists), or for 
other Service programs, from being used for Listing Program actions 
(see House Report 105-163, 105th Congress, 1st Session, July 1, 1997). 
Thus, through the listing cap and the amount of funds needed to address 
court-mandated listing actions, Congress and the courts have in effect 
determined the amount of money available for other listing activities. 
Therefore, the funds in the listing cap, other than those needed to 
address court-mandated listing actions, set the limits on our ability 
to fully respond to this petition. When funds become available, we will 
continue our review of the remaining petitioned species that are not 
addressed in this finding and publish one or more findings for those 
species.

Species Information

    The petitioners presented two tables that collectively listed the 
475 species for consideration and requested that the Service 
incorporate all analyses, references, and documentation provided by 
NatureServe in its online database into the petition. The information 
presented by NatureServe (http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/) is 
found

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in peer-reviewed professional journal articles and is considered to be 
a reputable source of scientific information. We judge this source to 
be reliable with regard to the information it presents.
    We accessed the NatureServe database on July 5, 2007. We saved 
electronic and hard-copies of each species file and used this 
information, including references cited within these files, during our 
review. Therefore, all information we used from the species files in 
NatureServe was current to that date. All of the petitioned species 
were ranked by NatureServe as G1 (critically imperiled) or G1G2 
(between critically imperiled and imperiled).
    We reviewed all references cited in the NatureServe database 
species files that were available to us. For some species in 
NatureServe, there is a ``Local Programs'' link to the Web sites of the 
State programs that contribute information to NatureServe. We found 
this ``Local Programs'' link to have additional information for very 
few of the 470 species. We reviewed information in references cited in 
NatureServe and information readily available in our files, on the 
Internet, and in local libraries that was directly relevant to the 
information raised in the petition. For the 21 of the 32 species which 
were also included in the petition to emergency list dated June 12, 
2008, we also used information provided in that petition. Following 
review of the available information, we separated the 470 species into 
categories based on the level of information found.
    We were unable to readily locate one or more references, which we 
believed might contain additional information on threats for 82 of the 
species. Without review of those references, we could not be certain 
that we had assigned them to the correct category. Therefore, on May 
12, 2008, we sent a letter to the petitioners requesting those 
references. The petitioners responded with copies of all but three of 
the requested references or information on how to purchase them. The 
date we received the last of the references from the petitioners was 
July 15, 2008. That did not provide us with sufficient time to review 
those references for 79 of the 82 species, so we have not addressed 
them in this finding, but we will consider them in one or more future 
findings. The 270 species included in this finding are listed in Table 
1; they fit into four distinct information level categories.
    The first category, titled Category A in Table 1, has only minimal 
information about each species, and in some cases no more information 
than the name of the species. An example of a species in this category 
that had minimal information is a cave obligate spider with no common 
name (Cicurina travisae). The NatureServe file for this species names 
the species, states that it is endemic to Texas, and lives in 
subterrestrial habitat. The file provides one reference (Gertsch 1992), 
which contains no information on threats to the species, but describes 
many spiders within the genus. The Gertsch publication describes the 
physical characteristics of C. travisae, diagrams of body parts, and 
some locations where it has been found with no information on the level 
of survey effort to determine its range (Gertsch 1992, p. 101). The 
magnitude and type of information provided for other species in this 
category was similar in nature, or was mainly taxonomic without as much 
locational information. Category A contains 225 species, of which 1 is 
a vertebrate, 189 are invertebrates, and 35 are plants.
    Occasionally, generic information was presented in the NatureServe 
species files for a larger group of species we placed in Category A, 
such as for the class or family the species belongs to, but not 
specific information on the individual species. The references were 
taxonomic in nature or simply checklists (lists of species, for example 
Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States and Canada 
(Robbins et al. 1991)) or taxonomic keys (which provide anatomical 
characteristics for identification of species) and did not address 
threats to the species. An example that illustrates the type of generic 
information that was presented for such species in Category A is Silver 
Creek woodlandsnail (Ashmunella binneyi). The NatureServe file for this 
species states the name of the species and lists one reference that is 
a checklist of names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States 
and Canada (Turgeon et al. 1998). The file contains no other 
information specific to Silver Creek woodlandsnail. The file does 
describe the basic biology of terrestrial snails (pulmonates) in 
general stating ``terrestrial gastropods do not move much usually only 
to find food or reproduce'' and ``as a whole, pulmonates (previously 
Subclass Pulmonata) are better dispersers than prosobranchs (previously 
Subclass Prosobranchia) possibly due to their hermaphroditic 
reproduction increasing the chance of new colonization.'' The identical 
language was used in other NatureServe files for terrestrial snail 
species, and no specific information was provided about the species or 
threats to the species or its habitat.
    The information we reviewed for the species in Category B (see 
Table 1) contained basic information on the range of the species, based 
on some level of survey effort. Habitat was frequently mentioned as 
well as other aspects of the species' biology, such as food habitats. 
Population size or abundance, if addressed, was rarely quantified, and 
the database instead used descriptors such as large, small, or 
numerous. The available information we reviewed did not address 
specific threats to the species. Category B contains 38 species, of 
which 2 are vertebrates, 25 are invertebrates, and 11 are plants.
    An example of the type of information we found for species in 
Category B is illustrated by the Animas Mountains tubeshell (Holospira 
animasensis). The NatureServe file for the Animas Mountains tubeshell 
provides one reference, which is a published description of the newly 
discovered species (Gilbertson and Worthington 2003, pp. 220-224). That 
article describes the physical characteristics of the species and the 
habitat in which it was discovered. The article does not address 
threats to the Animas Mountains tubeshell. The NatureServe file for 
this species cites Gilbertson and Worthington (2003) and states that 
live individuals are known only from the north slope of a single hill 
at the north end of Animas Mountains, and that fossil shells were found 
from sediments exposed in a mine roadcut on the south side of the hill. 
The file also states, under Global Protection, that no occurrences are 
appropriately protected and managed, but under Threats, it states that 
threats are unknown. This information is typical for the species in 
Category B.
    The information we reviewed for the species in Category C (see 
Table 1) described one or more threats for the general area, but it did 
not link the threats to the species or the habitat at the site occupied 
by the species. Information for species in this category is sometimes 
provided on distribution, habitat, population size, or other aspects of 
the species' biology. There are five species in Category C, of which 
one is an invertebrate and four are plants.
    An example of the type of information we reviewed for Category C 
species is for Panicum mohavense (Mojave panicgrass), which occurs at 
one site on a large military base in New Mexico and five sites in 
Arizona. The NatureServe file states that for the New Mexico site, 
there is some grazing in the remote area where the species occurs, but 
that the threat to the species is unknown. The habitat is described for 
all of the sites,

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but no threats are mentioned for the sites in Arizona. Ladyman (1999), 
which was cited in NatureServe, did not name additional threats to the 
species, but recommended additional surveys to determine habitat 
requirements and abundance.
    The information we reviewed for the species in Category D (see 
Table 1) cited one or more threats and generally linked them to the 
species or its habitat. However, we have no documentation to support 
significant impacts from the threats. These species are addressed in 
the Threats Analysis section. There are two species in Category D, both 
of which are plants.
    This finding addresses the 270 petitioned species that are listed 
in Table 1. Of the 270 species, 3 are vertebrates, 215 are 
invertebrates, and 52 are plants.

 Table 1--List of 270 Species Included in This Finding by Category. An Asterisk Denotes Species in the June 12,
                                   2008 Petition to Emergency List 32 Species
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          Category              Scientific name        Common name               Range                Group
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A...........................  Eurycea sp. 10.....  Dolan Falls          TX.....................  vertebrate
                                                    Salamander.
A...........................  Gammarus pecos.....  Pecos Amphipod.....  TX.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Hyalella texana....  Clear Creek          TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Amphipod.
A...........................  Agylla               A Tiger Moth.......  AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               septentrionalis.
A...........................  Sonorarctia fervida  A Tiger Moth.......  AZ.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Ceratopsyche vanaca  A Caddisfly........  NM.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Hydroptila abbotti.  A Caddisfly........  TX.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Neotrichia juani...  A Caddisfly........  TX.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Neotrichia sonora..  A Caddisfly........  TX.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Taeniopteryx starki  Texas Willowfly....  TX.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Melanoplus           A Spur-throat        AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               chiricahuae.         Grasshopper.
A...........................  Melanoplus pinaleno  A Spur-throat        AZ.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Grasshopper.
A...........................  Agathon arizonicus.  A Net-winged Midge.  AZ.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Isoperla sagittata.  A Stonefly.........  TX.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Phreatodrobia        Hueco Cavesnail....  TX.....................  invertebrate
                               conica.
A...........................  Pyrgulopsis sola...  Brown Springsnail..  AZ.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Pyrgulopsis sp. 2..  Mimbres Springsnail  NM.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Stygopyrgus          Barton Cavesnail...  TX.....................  invertebrate
                               bartonensis.
A...........................  Texapyrgus longleyi  Striated Hydrobe...  TX.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Tryonia brunei.....  Brune Spring Snail.  TX.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Tryonia diaboli....  Devil Tryonia......  TX.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Ashmunella           Animas Peak          NM.....................  invertebrate
                               animasensis.         Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella ashmuni.  Jemez Woodlandsnail  NM.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Ashmunella           Goat Cave            TX.....................  invertebrate
                               bequaerti.           Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella binneyi.  Silver Creek         NM.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella danielsi  Whitewater Creek     NM.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella edithae.  Mckittrick           TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella ferrissi  Reed's Mountain      AZ.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella           Horseshoe Canyon     AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               lenticula.           Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella mendax..  Iron Creek           NM.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella           Mogollon             AZ.....................   invertebrate
                               mogollonensis.       Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella mudgei..  Sawtooth Mountain    TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella           Blue Mountain        AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               pilsbryana.          Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella           Capitan              NM.....................  invertebrate
                               pseudodonta.         Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella           Mount Riley          NM.....................  invertebrate
                               rileyensis.          Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella           Salinas Peak         NM.....................  invertebrate
                               salinasensis.        Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella todseni.  Maple Canyon         NM.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella walkeri.  Florida Mountain     NM.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Coelostemma          Bishop Cap           NM.....................  invertebrate
                               pyrgonasta.          Tubesnail.
A...........................  Daedalochila         A Terrestrial Snail  TX.....................  invertebrate
                               scintilla.
A...........................  Gastrocopta          Sonoran              AZ, NM.................  invertebrate
                               prototypus.          Snaggletooth.
A...........................  Gastrocopta          Ruidoso              KS, NE, NM, OK, TX.....  invertebrate
                               ruidosensis.         Snaggletooth.
A...........................  Holospira            Cockerell Holospira  NM.....................  invertebrate
                               cockerelli.
A...........................  Holospira metcalfi.  Metcalf Holospira..  NM.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Holospira            Silver Creek         AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               sherbrookei.         Holospira.
A...........................  Humboldtiana         Capote Threeband...  TX.....................  invertebrate
                               fullingtoni.
A...........................  Naesiotus            Santa Rita Rabdotus  AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               christenseni.
A...........................  Nesovitrea suzannae  Live Oak Glass.....  TX.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Oreohelix barbata..  Bearded              AZ, NM.................  invertebrate
                                                    Mountainsnail.
A...........................  Oreohelix            Pinos Altos          NM.....................  invertebrate
                               confragosa.          Mountainsnail.
A...........................  Oreohelix houghi...  Diablo               AZ, NM.................  invertebrate
                                                    Mountainsnail.
A...........................  Oreohelix litoralis  San Agustin          NM.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Mountainsnail.
A...........................  Oreohelix            Magdalena            NM.....................  invertebrate
                               magdalenae.          Mountainsnail.
A...........................  Oreohelix swopei...  Morgan Creek         NM, WY.................  invertebrate
                                                    Mountainsnail.
A...........................  Pallifera            Ouachita Mantleslug  OK.....................  invertebrate
                               tournescalis.
A...........................  Paravitrea alethia.  Goddess Supercoil..  TN, TX.................  invertebrate
A...........................  Patera leatherwoodi  Pedernales Oval....  TX.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Philomycus batchi..  Dusky Mantleslug...  OK.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Philomycus bisdodus  Grayfoot Mantleslug  OK.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Sonorella anchana..  Sierra Ancha         AZ.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Talussnail.
A...........................  Sonorella            Animas Talussnail..  NM.....................  invertebrate
                               animasensis.

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A...........................  Sonorella apache...  Apache Talussnail..  AZ.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Sonorella bagnarai.  Rincon Talussnail..  AZ.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Sonorella bartschi.  Escabrosa            AZ.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Talussnail.
A...........................  Sonorella binneyi..  Horseshoe Canyon     AZ.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Talussnail.
A...........................  Sonorella bowiensis  Quartzite Hill       AZ, CA.................  invertebrate
                                                    Talussnail.
A...........................  Sonorella            Bradshaw Talussnail  AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               bradshaveana.
A...........................  Sonorella clappi...  Madera Talussnail..  AZ.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Sonorella            Walnut Canyon        AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               coltoniana.          Talussnail.
A...........................  Sonorella compar...  Oak Creek            AZ.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Talussnail.
A...........................  Sonorella dalli....  Garden Canyon        AZ.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Talussnail.
A...........................  Sonorella delicata.  Tollhouse Canyon     AZ.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Talussnail.
A...........................  Sonorella            Stronghold Canyon    AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               dragoonensis.        Talussnail.
A...........................  Sonorella ferrissi.  Dragoon Talussnail.  AZ.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Sonorella            Total Wreck          AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               imperatrix.          Talussnail.
A...........................  Sonorella            Empire Mountain      AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               imperialis.          Talussnail.
A...........................  Sonorella insignis.  Whetstone            AZ.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Talussnail.
A...........................  Sonorella meadi....  Aqua Dulce           AZ.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Talussnail.
A...........................  Sonorella            Milk Ranch           AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               micromphala.         Talussnail.
A...........................  Sonorella reederi..  Rampart Talussnail.  AZ.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Sonorella russelli.  Black Mesa           AZ.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Talussnail.
A...........................  Sonorella tryoniana  Sanford Talussnail.  AZ.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Sonorella            Evening Talussnail.  AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               vespertina.
A...........................  Sonorella waltoni..  Doubtful Canyon      AZ.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Talussnail.
A...........................  Vertigo berryi.....  Rotund Vertigo.....  AZ, CA.................  invertebrate
A*..........................  Vertigo binneyana..  Cylindrical Vertigo  CAN: BC, MB, ON; USA:    invertebrate
                                                                         IA, KS, MT, NM.
A...........................  Cisthene conjuncta.  A Tiger Moth.......  TX.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Catinella texana...  A Terrestrial Snail  LA, TX.................  invertebrate
A...........................  Artesia subterranea  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Amphipod.
A...........................  Artesia welbourni..  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Amphipod.
A...........................  Caecidotea adenta..  A Cave Obligate      OK.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Isopod.
A...........................  Caecidotea bisetus.  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Isopod.
A...........................  Holsingerius         A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                               smaragdinus.         Amphipod.
A...........................  Seborgia hershleri.  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Amphipod.
A...........................  Stygobromus bowmani  Bowman's Cave        OK.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Amphipod.
A...........................  Stygobromus          Reddell's Cave       TX.....................  invertebrate
                               reddelli.            Amphipod.
A...........................  Batrisodes grubbsi.  A Beetle...........  TX.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Rhadine austinica..  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Beetle.
A...........................  Rhadine insolita...  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Beetle.
A...........................  Rhadine noctivaga..  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Beetle.
A...........................  Rhadine russelli...  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Beetle.
A...........................  Alexicles aspersa..  A Tiger Moth.......  AZ, NM.................  invertebrate
A...........................  Lepidostoma          A Caddisfly........  AR, OK.................  invertebrate
                               ozarkense.
A...........................  Neotrichia           A Caddisfly........  AL, TX.................  invertebrate
                               mobilensis.
A...........................  Ochrotrichia         A Caddisfly........  TX.....................  invertebrate
                               guadalupensis.
A...........................  Melanoplus           A Grasshopper......  TX.....................  invertebrate
                               alexanderi.
A...........................  Melanoplus           A Spur-throat        AZ, NM.................  invertebrate
                               magdalenae.          Grasshopper.
A...........................  Baetodes alleni....  A Mayfly...........  TX.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Thalkethops          A Cave Obligate      NM.....................  invertebrate
                               grallatrix.          Centipede.
A...........................  Balconorbis          Balcones Ghostsnail  TX.....................  invertebrate
                               uvaldensis.
A...........................  Phreatoceras         Nymph Trumpet......  TX.....................  invertebrate
                               taylori.
A...........................  Phreatodrobia        A Cavesnail........  TX.....................  invertebrate
                               coronae.
A...........................  Phreatodrobia        Beaked Cavesnail...  TX.....................  invertebrate
                               rotunda.
A...........................  Ashmunella           Cave Creek           AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               chiricahuana.        Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella esuritor  Barfoot              AZ.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella           Whitetail            AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               lepiderma.           Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Ashmunella rhyssa..  Sierra Blanca        NM.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Woodlandsnail.
A...........................  Deroceras heterura.  Marsh Slug.........  NM.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Holospira tantalus.  Teasing Holospira..  AZ.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Holospira            Whetstone Holospira  AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               whetstonensis.
A...........................  Neohelix lioderma..  Tulsa Whitelip.....  OK.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Sonorella            Blue Talussnail....  AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               caerulifluminis.
A...........................  Sonorella micra....  Pygmy Sonorella....  AZ.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Sonorella neglecta.  Portal Talussnail..  AZ.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Apocheiridium        A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                               reddelli.            Pseudoscorpion.
A...........................  Archeolarca          Guadalupe Cave       TX.....................  invertebrate
                               guadalupensis.       Pseudoscorpion.
A...........................  Archeolarca          A Cave Obligate      AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               welbourni.           Pseudoscorpion.
A...........................  Cheiridium reyesi..  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Pseudoscorpion.
A...........................  Chitrella elliotti.  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Pseudoscorpion.
A...........................  Chitrella major....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Pseudoscorpion.
A...........................  Chitrella welbourni  A Cave Obligate      NM.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Pseudoscorpion.
A...........................  Cicurina barri.....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.

[[Page 424]]

 
A...........................  Cicurina caverna...  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina coryelli..  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina cueva.....  A Cave Spider......  TX.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Cicurina ezelli....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina gruta.....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina holsingeri  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina machete...  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina mckenziei.  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina medina....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina menardia..  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina obscura...  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina orellia...  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina pablo.....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina pastura...  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina patei.....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina porteri...  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina             A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                               puentecilla.         Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina rainesi...  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina reclusa...  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina reddelli..  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina reyesi....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina russelli..  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina sansaba...  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina selecta...  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina serena....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina sheari....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina sprousei..  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina stowersi..  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina suttoni...  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina travisae..  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina ubicki....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina uvalde....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina venefica..  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina vibora....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Cicurina watersi...  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Leucohya texana....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Pseudoscorpion.
A...........................  Mexichthonius        A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                               exoticus.            Pseudoscorpion.
A...........................  Neoallochernes       A Cave Obligate      NM.....................  invertebrate
                               incertus.            Pseudoscorpion.
A...........................  Neoleptoneta         A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                               concinna.            Spider.
A...........................  Neoleptoneta devia.  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
A...........................  Neoleptoneta         A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                               valverde.            Spider.
A...........................  Pseudogarypus        A Cave Obligate      AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               hypogeus.            Pseudoscorpion.
A...........................  Tartarocreagris      A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                               intermedia.          Pseudoscorpion.
A...........................  Texella brevidenta.  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Harvestman.
A...........................  Texella brevistyla.  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Harvestman.
A...........................  Texella diplospina.  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Harvestman.
A...........................  Texella fendi......  A Harvestman.......  TX.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Texella grubbsi....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Harvestman.
A...........................  Texella hardeni....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Harvestman.
A...........................  Texella renkesae...  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Harvestman.
A...........................  Texella welbourni..  A Cave Obligate      NM.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Harvestman.
A...........................  Tuberochernes        A Cave Obligate      AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               ubicki.              Pseudoscorpion.
A...........................  Tyrannochthonius     A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                               troglodytes.         Pseudoscorpion.
A...........................  Holospira            A Terrestrial Snail  AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               millestriata.
A...........................  Succinea pseudavara  A Terrestrial Snail  KS, OK.................  invertebrate
A...........................  Apatania arizona...  A Caddisfly........  AZ.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Chimarra             A Caddisfly........  LA, TX.................  invertebrate
                               holzenthali.
A...........................  Chimarra primula...  A Caddisfly........  AZ.....................  invertebrate
A...........................  Catapyrenium         No common name.....  NM.....................  lichens
                               granulosum.
A...........................  Xanthoparmelia       No common name.....  AZ, NM.................  lichens
                               dissensa.
A...........................  Cirsium rusbyi.....  Rusby's Thistle....  AZ.....................  plant
A...........................  Lupinus lemmonii...  Lemmon's Lupine....  AZ.....................  plant
A...........................  Aconitum infectum..  Arizona Monkshood..  AZ.....................  plant
A...........................  Centaurium           Blumberg Rosita....  TX.....................  plant
                               blumbergianum.
A...........................  Crataegus            Nixon's Hawthorn...  TX.....................  plant
                               nananixonii.
A...........................  Eleocharis           Short-fruited        TX.....................  plant
                               brachycarpa.         Spikerush.
A...........................  Opuntia martiniana.  Seashore Cactus....  AZ.....................  plant
A...........................  Tetraneuris          No common name.....  AZ.....................  plant
                               verdiensis.
A...........................  Fissidens littlei..  No common name.....  NM.....................  plant
A...........................  Arabis tricornuta..  Rincon Mountain      AZ.....................  plant
                                                    Rockcress.
A...........................  Camissonia gouldii.  Diamond Valley       AZ, UT.................  plant
                                                    Suncup.

[[Page 425]]

 
A...........................  Lesquerella lata...  Lincoln County       NM.....................  plant
                                                    Bladderpod.
A...........................  Dryopteris rossii..  Ros's Woodfern.....  AZ.....................  plant
A...........................  Talinum gooddingii.  Goodding's           AZ.....................  plant
                                                    Flameflower.
A...........................  Cuscuta              Los Pinitos Dodder.  AZ.....................  plant
                               dentatasquamata.
A...........................  Potentilla           White-flowered       AZ.....................  plant
                               albiflora.           Cinquefoil.
A...........................  Agalinis calycina..  Leoncita False       TX, NM.................  plant
                                                    Foxglove.
A...........................  Arida mattturneri..  No Common Name.....  TX.....................  plant
A...........................  Eriogonum            San Pedro River      AZ.....................  plant
                               terrenatum.          Wild Buckwheat.
A...........................  Hedyotis             Mary's Bluet.......  TX.....................  plant
                               butterwickiae.
A...........................  Machaeranthera       Gypsum Hotspring     NM, TX.................  plant
                               gypsitherma.         Aster.
A...........................  Matelea texensis...  Trans Pecos Matelea  TX.....................  plant
A...........................  Mentzelia            September 11         AZ.....................  plant
                               memorabalis.         Stickleaf.
A*..........................  Paronychia           Mccart's Whitlow-    TX.....................  plant
                               maccartii.           wort.
A...........................  Perityle fosteri...  Foster's Rockdaisy.  TX.....................  plant
A...........................  Perityle             Glass Mountains      TX.....................  plant
                               vitreomontana.       Rockdaisy.
A...........................  Physalis latiphysa.  Broad-leaf Ground-   AZ.....................  plant
                                                    cherry.
A*..........................  Pseudoclappia        Watson's False-      TX.....................  plant
                               watsonii.            clappia.
A...........................  Scutellaria laevis.  Smooth-stem          TX.....................  plant
                                                    Skullcap.
A...........................  Senecio quaylei....  Quayle's Ragwort...  TX.....................  plant
A...........................  Yucca cernua.......  ...................  TX.....................  plant
A...........................  Camissonia           Bunch Flower         AZ.....................  plant
                               confertiflora.       Evening Primrose.
A...........................  Thelypodium tenue..  Fresno Creek         TX.....................  plant
                                                    Thelypody.
B...........................  Menidia clarkhubbsi  Texas Silverside...  TX.....................  vertebrate
B...........................  Syngnathus affinis.  Texas Pipefish.....  TX.....................  vertebrate
B*..........................  Procambarus nueces.  Nueces Crayfish....  TX.....................  invertebrate
B*..........................  Isoperla jewetti...  A Stonefly.........  CO, NM, TX.............  invertebrate
B...........................  Juturnia tularosae.  Tularosa Juturnia..  NM.....................  invertebrate
B...........................  Ashmunella harrisi.  Goat Mountain        NM.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Woodlandsnail.
B...........................  Humboldtiana         Agave Threeband....  TX.....................  invertebrate
                               agavophila.
B...........................  Humboldtiana         Chisos Threeband...  TX.....................  invertebrate
                               chisosensis.
B...........................  Hemigrapsus          Yellow Shore Crab..  TX.....................  invertebrate
                               oregonensis.
B...........................  Streptocephalus      Bowman's Fairy       NM.....................  invertebrate
                               thomasbowmani.       Shrimp.
B...........................  Stygobromus blinni.  Blinn's Amphipod...  AZ.....................  invertebrate
B...........................  Stygobromus          Boulton's Amphipod.  AZ.....................  invertebrate
                               boultoni.
B...........................  Stygobromus curroae  Curro's Amphipod...  NM.....................  invertebrate
B...........................  Stygobromus          Cascade Cave         TX.....................  invertebrate
                               dejectus.            Amphipod.
B...........................  Stygobromus          Devil's Sinkhole     TX.....................  invertebrate
                               hadenoecus.          Amphipod.
B...........................  Stygobromus          Jemez Mountains      NM.....................  invertebrate
                               jemezensis.          Amphipod.
B...........................  Culoptila kimminsi.  A Caddisfly........  AZ.....................  invertebrate
B...........................  Culoptila moselyi..  A Caddisfly........  AZ.....................  invertebrate
B...........................  Ochrotrichia         A Caddisfly........  AR, OK.................  invertebrate
                               weddleae.
B*..........................  Fallceon eatoni....  A Mayfly...........  AZ.....................  invertebrate
B...........................  Holospira            Animas Mountains     NM.....................  invertebrate
                               animasensis.         Tubeshell.
B...........................  Cicurina bandida...  Bandit Cave Spider.  TX.....................  invertebrate
B...........................  Cicurina browni....  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
B...........................  Eidmannella bullata  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
B...........................  Eidmannella          A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                               delicata.            Spider.
B...........................  Eidmannella nasuta.  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
B...........................  Eidmannella reclusa  A Cave Obligate      TX.....................  invertebrate
                                                    Spider.
B*..........................  Donrichardsia        No Common Name.....  TX.....................  plant
                               macroneuron.
B...........................  Erigeron kuschei...  Chiricahua Fleabane  AZ.....................  plant
B...........................  Perityle             Lace-leaf Rockdaisy  AZ.....................  plant
                               ambrosiifolia.
B...........................  Perityle ajoensis..  Ajo Rockdaisy......  AZ.....................  plant
B...........................  Townsendia smithii.  Black Rock Ground-   AZ.....................  plant
                                                    daisy.
B*..........................  Proboscidea spicata  Many-flowered        TX.....................  plant
                                                    Unicorn-plant.
B...........................  Sclerocactus sileri  Siler's Fishhook     AZ.....................  plant
                                                    Cactus.
B...........................  Silene rectiramea..  Grand Canyon         AZ.....................  plant
                                                    Catchfly.
B...........................  Viola guadalupensis  Guadalupe Mountains  TX.....................  plant
                                                    Violet.
B...........................  Cyperus              Cryptic Flatsedge..  LA, TX.................  plant
                               cephalanthus.
B...........................  Lechea mensalis....  Chisos Pinweed.....  TX.....................  plant
C...........................  Procambarus          Parkhill Prairie     TX.....................  invertebrate
                               steigmani.           Crayfish.
C...........................  Houstonia correllii  Correll's Bluet....  TX.....................  plant
C...........................  Panicum mohavense..  Mojave Panicgrass..  AZ, NM.................  plant
C...........................  Paronychia           Lundell's Nailwort.  TX.....................  plant
                               lundelliorum.
C...........................  Erigeron             Heliograph Peak      AZ.....................  plant
                               heliographis.        Fleabane.
D...........................  Erigeron hessii....  Hess' Fleabane.....  NM.....................  plant
D...........................  Cymopterus beckii..  Pinnate Spring-      AZ, UT.................  plant
                                                    parsley.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


[[Page 426]]

Threats Analysis

    Section 4 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1533) and its implementing 
regulations (50 CFR 424) set forth the procedures for adding species to 
the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. A 
species, subspecies, or distinct population segment of vertebrate taxa 
may be determined to be endangered or threatened due to one or more of 
the five factors described in section 4(a)(1) of the Act: (A) The 
present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its 
habitat or range; (B) overutilization for commercial, recreational, 
scientific, or educational purposes; (C) disease or predation; (D) 
inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or (E) other natural or 
manmade factors affecting its continued existence.
    In making this 90-day finding, we evaluated whether information on 
threats to the 270 species, as presented in the petition and other 
readily available information at the time of the petition review, is 
substantial, thereby indicating that the petitioned action may be 
warranted. Our evaluation of this information is presented below.

A. Present or Threatened Destruction, Modification, or Curtailment of 
the Species' Habitat or Range

    For those species we placed in Categories A, B, and C, no 
information was presented on threats to the species or their habitats; 
therefore we find the petition, including all available references and 
the NatureServe species files, does not present substantial information 
that the present or threatened destruction, modification, or 
curtailment of the species' habitat or range is a threat to any of the 
268 species in Categories A, B, and C. For one of the two plant species 
in Category D (Table 1), information related to habitat impacts at one 
or more occupied sites is presented.
    Cymopterus beckii (pinnate spring-parsley) occurs in 1 area in 
Arizona and in 2 areas in Utah; within the 2 areas in Utah, it is known 
to occur at more than 40 sites, most discovered in the past 10 years. 
NatureServe (http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/) cites park visitor 
impacts, presumably trampling, as a potential threat at Capitol Reef 
National Park in Utah. However, following 3 years of intensive surveys 
in the 2 Utah areas where the species was found at 42 new sites, Clark 
(2002, p. 49) stated that the majority of the new sites are in remote 
locations with difficult accessibility that serves to protect the 
plants from human disturbance. No additional threats were identified 
for those new sites, and we found no information about threats to the 
species in Arizona (Arizona Game and Fish Department 2004, p. 4). 
Therefore, we find the petition and supporting information does not 
present substantial scientific or commercial information to indicate C. 
beckii is threatened by the present or threatened destruction, 
modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range.

B. Overutilization for Commercial, Recreational, Scientific, or 
Educational Purposes

    For those species we placed in Categories A, B, and C, no 
information was presented on threats to the species or their habitats; 
therefore we find the petition, including all available references and 
the NatureServe species files, does not present substantial information 
that overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or 
educational purposes is a threat to 268 of the 270 species. For one of 
the two plants in Category D (Table 1), information related to 
overutilization for recreational use at one or more occupied sites is 
presented. This information is discussed below.
    Erigeron hessii (Hess' fleabane) is known from two sites in a 
Wilderness Area on the Gila National Forest in New Mexico. Plants are 
scattered in crevices of exposed rock (Nesom 1978, p. 443). The known 
sites are in a remote area (Sivinski 1998, p. 2). The NatureServe file 
contains a statement that at one of the sites, those plants that occur 
on a scenic overlook at the top of the outcrop that is occupied by the 
species may be trampled by hikers. No references are cited for this 
statement, and none of the references cited in the NatureServe file 
mention trampling by hikers (Kartez 1994; Nesom 1978; New Mexico Native 
Plant Protection Advisory Committee (NMPPAC 1984, p. 28); Sivinski 
1998; Sivinski and Lightfoot 1995), although Nesom (1978, p. 443) and 
NMPPAC (1984, p. 28) state that at one site, it occurs along one or 
more trails. Robert Sivinski is the sole State-employed botanist in New 
Mexico responsible for rare plants in the State. He leads the New 
Mexico Rare Plant Technical Committee (NMRPTC), formerly the NMPPAC, 
which meets regularly to review and update information on the status of 
rare New Mexico plants. Sivinski (1998), which is cited in NatureServe, 
appeared on the NMRTPC Web site in 1998, but is currently not readily 
available. In the 2008 version on the NMRTPC Web site that was accessed 
by the Service on March 4, 2008 at http://nmrareplants.unm.edu/rarelist.php, it states that there are no current land uses that 
threaten the species and points out that it is within a Wilderness 
Area, where major ground disturbing activities are prohibited. The 
NMPPAC (1984, p. 28) stated that no threats were known. The NMRPTC 2008 
Web site also provides a recommendation that surveys be conducted for 
the species at additional suitable rock outcrops in the area.
    For Erigeron hessii, we find that although a specific threat to 
each species was mentioned in NatureServe for a single site or area, 
additional substantial information was presented in cited references or 
was readily available to us that the species is not threatened by 
overutilization for recreational purposes. Therefore, the petition does 
not present substantial information that overutilization for 
commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes is a 
threat to this species.

C. Disease or Predation

    For those species we placed in Categories A, B, and C, no 
information was presented on threats to the species or their habitats; 
therefore we find the petition, including all available references and 
the NatureServe species files, does not present substantial information 
that disease or predation is a threat to any of the 268 species in 
Categories A, B, and C. For the two remaining species in Category D, no 
information on threats due to disease or predation was presented. 
Therefore we find that the petition does not present substantial 
scientific or commercial information that the petitioned action may be 
warranted due to threats from this factor.

D. Inadequacy of Existing Regulatory Mechanisms

    The petition discusses the lack of protection under the Act for the 
petitioned species, stating that unless a species is listed as 
threatened or endangered under the Act, it receives no protections from 
the statute. The petition provides no information addressing any other 
State or Federal regulations, and no information about the inadequacy 
of existing regulatory mechanisms.
    The petitioner's claim that we could afford more protection to 
these petitioned species if they were listed under the Act does not 
provide substantial information that the existing regulatory mechanisms 
are inadequate. As the petitioner acknowledges, under 16 U.S.C. 
1533(b)(1)(A), we must reach our determination solely on the basis of 
the best scientific and commercial data available. The petition did not 
present

[[Page 427]]

any specific information related to other Federal, State, or local 
government regulatory mechanisms that may exist to provide regulatory 
protections for the 270 species or their respective habitats. 
Therefore, we conclude that the petition does not present substantial 
information that any of the 270 species may warrant listing due to 
inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms.

E. Other Natural or Manmade Factors Affecting the Species' Continued 
Existence

    While we recognize that many of the species contained within the 
NatureServe database have limited distribution or small population 
size, limited distribution and population size were not identified as 
threats faced by the any of the 270 species in the petition, including 
all available references and the NatureServe species files and these 
two factors alone without elaboration may not be substantial 
information that may warrant listing under the Act. No other 
information that could be categorized under Factor E was presented in 
the petition or was readily available to us for the species in any of 
the four categories. Therefore, we conclude that the petition does not 
present substantial information that other natural or manmade factors 
affecting the species' continued existence are a threat to any of the 
270 species.

Finding

    We have reviewed and evaluated the five listing factors with regard 
to 270 of the 475 petitioned species, based on the information in the 
petition and the literature cited in the petition, and we have 
evaluated the information to determine whether the sources cited 
support the claims made in the petition. We also reviewed reliable 
information that was readily available to us. Based on this review and 
evaluation, we find that the petition does not present substantial 
scientific or commercial information that listing these 270 species as 
threatened or endangered under the Act may be warranted. For 8 of the 
32 species we were petitioned in 2008 to emergency list, we also find 
that the 2007 petition, the 2008 petition, NatureServe, references 
cited in the petitions and in NatureServe, and information readily 
available to us did not present substantial information that emergency 
listing those 8 species is warranted. Although we will not commence a 
status review in response to 270 of the 475 species petitioned in 2007 
and 8 of the 32 species petitioned in 2008, we will continue to accept 
information and materials regarding any of the 270 species at our 
Southwest Regional Ecological Services Office (see ADDRESSES). Further, 
as indicated previously, we will address the remaining 200 species in 
future findings.

References Cited

    A complete list of references cited is available on the Internet at 
http://www.regulations.gov and upon request from the Southwest Regional 
Ecological Services Office (see ADDRESSES).

Author

    The primary authors of this document are the staff members of the 
Southwest Regional Ecological Services Office (see ADDRESSES).

Authority

    The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended (U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

    Dated: December 23, 2008.
Kenneth Stansell,
Acting Deputy Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. E8-31454 Filed 1-5-09; 8:45 am]
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