[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 48 (Monday, March 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10737-10739]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-04886]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2017-N112; FXES11130900000C2-178-FF09E32000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 5-Year Status 
Reviews of the Coqui Llanero, Carolina Heelsplitter, Hell Creek Cave 
Crayfish, Aristida chaseae, Pelos Del Diablo, Smooth Coneflower, 
Cooley's Meadowrue, and Louisiana Quillwort

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of initiation of reviews; request for information.

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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are 
initiating 5-year status reviews of eight species under the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973. A 5-year review is an assessment of the best 
scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review. 
Therefore, we are requesting submission of information that has become 
available since the last reviews of these species.

DATES: To allow us adequate time to conduct these reviews, we must 
receive your comments or information on or before May 11, 2018. 
However, we will continue to accept new information about any listed 
species at any time.

ADDRESSES: For instructions on how to submit information and review 
information we receive on these species, see Request for New 
Information under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

[[Page 10738]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For species-specific information, see 
Request for New Information under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Why do we conduct 5-year reviews?

    Under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 
1531 et seq.; ESA), we maintain lists of endangered and threatened 
wildlife and plant species (referred to as the Lists) in the Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 17.11 (for wildlife) and 17.12 (for 
plants). Section 4(c)(2)(A) of the ESA 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. For additional 
information about 5-year reviews, go to http://www.fws.gov/endangered/what-we-do/recovery-overview.html, scroll down to ``Learn More about 5-
Year Reviews,'' and click on our factsheet.

Species Under Review

    This notice announces our active review of eight species that are 
currently listed as endangered:
Fish and Wildlife
Coqui llanero (Eleutherodactylus juanariveroi) (frog species)
Carolina heelsplitter (Lasmigona decorata) (freshwater mussel species)
Hell Creek Cave crayfish (Cambarus zophonastes)
Plants
Aristida chaseae (no common name)
Aristida portoricensis (Pelos del diablo)
Echinacea laevigata (Smooth coneflower)
Thalictrum cooleyi (Cooley's meadowrue)
Isoetes louisianensis (Louisiana quillwort)

What information do we consider in our review?

    A 5-year review considers the best scientific and commercial data 
that have become available since the current listing determination or 
most recent status review of each species, 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 to benefit the 
species;
    D. Threat status and trends (see the five factors under the heading 
How Do We Determine Whether A Species Is Endangered or Threatened?); 
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.
    We request any new information concerning the status of any of 
these eight species. Information submitted should be supported by 
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.

Definitions

    A. Species means any species or subspecies of fish, wildlife, or 
plant, and any distinct population segment of any species of vertebrate 
which interbreeds when mature.
    B. Endangered means any species that is in danger of extinction 
throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
    C. Threatened means any species that is likely to become an 
endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a 
significant portion of its range.

How do we determine whether a species is endangered or threatened?

    Section 4(a)(1) of the ESA requires that we determine whether a 
species is endangered or threatened based on one or more of the 
following five factors:
    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. The inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or
    E. Other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued 
existence.

Request for New Information

    To do any of the following, contact the person associated with the 
species you are interested in below:
    A. To get more information on a species;
    B. To submit information on a species; or
    C. To review information we receive, which will be available for 
public inspection by appointment, during normal business hours, at the 
listed addresses.

Fish and Wildlife

     Coqui llanero: Jan Zegarra, by mail at the Caribbean 
Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Road 
301, Km. 5.1, P.O. Box 491, Boquer[oacute]n, PR 00622; by fax at 787-
851-7440; by phone at 787-851-7297, ext. 220; or by email at 
[email protected].
     Carolina heelsplitter: Morgan Wolf, by mail at the South 
Carolina Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 176 Croghan Spur Road, Suite 200, Charleston, SC 29412; by fax 
at 843-727-4218; by phone at 843-727-4707, ext. 219; or by email at 
[email protected].
     Hell Creek Cave crayfish: Mitch Wine, by mail at Arkansas 
Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 110 
South Amity Road, Suite 300, Conway, AR 72032; by fax at 501-513-4480; 
by phone at 870-269-3228; or by email at [email protected].

Plants

     Aristida chaseae and Pelos del diablo: Carlos Pacheco, by 
mail at the Caribbean Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Road 301, Km. 5.1, P.O. Box 491, Boquer[oacute]n, PR 
00622; by fax at 787-851-7440; by phone at 787-851-7297, ext. 221; or 
by email at [email protected].
     Cooley's meadowrue and Smooth coneflower: Dale Suiter, by 
mail at the Raleigh Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 551 Pylon Drive, #F, Raleigh, NC 27606; by fax at 
919-856-4556; by phone at 919-856-4520, ext. 18; or by email at 
[email protected].
     Louisiana quillwort: Scott Wiggers, by mail at the 
Mississippi Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service, 6578 Dogwood View Parkway, Jackson, MS 39213; by fax at 601-
965-4340; by phone at 228-475-0765; or by email at 
[email protected].

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 the 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.

    Authority: We publish this document under the authority of the 
Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).


[[Page 10739]]


    Dated: March 2, 2018.
Mike Oetker,
Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2018-04886 Filed 3-9-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4333-15-P