[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 198 (Tuesday, October 13, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64527-64529]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22547]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R5-ES-2020-N083; FXES11130500000-201-FF05E00000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Initiation of 5-
Year Reviews of 10 Northeastern Species

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 reviews under the Endangered Species Act, as amended, 
for 10 northeastern species. A 5-year review is based on the best 
scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review. We 
are requesting submission of any such information that has become 
available since the previous 5-year review for each species.

DATES: To ensure consideration, please submit your written information 
by November 12, 2020. However, we will continue to accept new 
information about any listed species at any time.

ADDRESSES: For instructions on how and where to submit information, see 
Request for New Information and Table 2--Contacts under SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General Information: Martin Miller, 
via email at [email protected], and via U.S. mail at U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate Center Drive, Hadley, MA 01035.
    Species-Specific Information and Submission of Comments: Contact 
the appropriate person or office listed in Table 2--Contacts in 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    Individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the Federal 
Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339 for TTY assistance.

[[Page 64528]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are 
initiating 5-year reviews under the ESA (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) for 10 
northeastern species: The endangered Virginia fringed mountain snail, 
Plymouth red-bellied cooter, Jesup's milk-vetch, shale barren rock-
cress, Maryland darter, Lee County cave isopod, James spinymussel, and 
Guyandotte River crayfish, and the threatened red knot and Big Sandy 
crayfish.
    A 5-year review is based on the best scientific and commercial data 
available at the time of the review. We are requesting submission of 
any such information that has become available since the most recent 
status review for each species.

Why do we conduct 5-year reviews and species status assessments?

    Under the ESA, we maintain Lists of Endangered and Threatened 
Wildlife and Plants (which we collectively refer to as the List) in 
title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations at 50 CFR 17.11(h) (for 
wildlife) and 50 CFR 17.12(h) (for plants). Listed wildlife and plants 
can also be found at http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public/pub/listedAnimals.jsp and http://ecos.fws.gov/tess_public/pub/listedPlants.jsp, respectively. 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 species under active review. For 
additional information about 5-year reviews, refer to our fact sheet at 
http://www.fws.gov/endangered/what-we-do/recovery-overview.html.

What species are under review?

    We are initiating 5-year status reviews of the species in table 1.

                                          Table 1--Species Under Review
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                                                                                                Listing date and
          Common name             Scientific name           Status             Where listed         citation
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Virginia fringed mountain snail  Polygyriscus       Endangered............  Wherever found...  43 FR 28932; 07/
                                  virginianus.                                                  03/1978.
Plymouth red-bellied cooter....  Pseudemys          Endangered............  Wherever found...  45 FR 21828; 04/
                                  rubriventris.                                                 02/1980.
Jesup's milk-vetch.............  Astragalus         Endangered............  Wherever found...  52 FR 21481
                                  robbinsii var.                                               06/05/1987.
                                  jesupii.
Shale barren rock-cress........  Arabis serotina..  Endangered............  Wherever found...  54 FR 29655; 07/
                                                                                                13/1989.
Maryland darter................  Etheostoma         Endangered............  Wherever found...  32 FR 4001; 03/11/
                                  sellare.                                                      1967.
Lee County cave isopod.........  Lirceus usdagalun  Endangered............  Wherever found...  57 FR 54722; 11/
                                                                                                20/1992.
James spinymussel..............  Pleurobema         Endangered............  Wherever found...  53 FR 27689; 07/
                                  collina.                                                      22/1988.
Red knot.......................  Calidris canutus   Threatened............  Wherever found...  79 FR 73706; 12/
                                  rufa.                                                         11/2014.
Big Sandy crayfish.............  Cambarus           Threatened............  Wherever found...  81 FR 20450; 04/
                                  callainus.                                                    07/2016.
Guyandotte River crayfish......  Cambarus           Endangered............  Wherever found...  81 FR 20450; 04/
                                  veteranus.                                                    07/2016.
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What information do we consider in our 5-year reviews and species 
status assessments?

    A 5-year review considers all new information available at the time 
of the review. In conducting the review, we consider the best 
scientific and commercial data that have become available since the 
most recent status review. We are seeking new information specifically 
regarding:
    (1) Species biology, including but not limited to life history and 
habitat requirements and impact tolerance thresholds;
    (2) Historical and current population conditions, including but not 
limited to population abundance, trends, distribution, demographics, 
and genetics;
    (3) Historical and current habitat conditions, including but not 
limited to amount, distribution, and suitability;
    (4) Historical and current threats, threat trends, and threat 
projections in relation to the five listing factors (as defined in 
section 4(a)(1) of the ESA);
    (5) Conservation measures for the species that have been 
implemented or are planned; and
    (6) 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 received will be considered during the 5-year 
review and will also be useful in evaluating ongoing recovery programs 
for the species.

Request for New Information

    To ensure that 5-year reviews are based on the best available 
scientific and commercial information, we request new information from 
all sources. 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.

How do I ask questions or provide information?

    Please submit your questions, comments, and materials to the 
appropriate contact in table 2. Individuals who are hearing impaired or 
speech impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339 for 
TTY assistance.

Public Availability of Comments

    Before including your address, phone number, electronic mail 
address, or other personal identifying information in your submission, 
you should be aware that your entire submission--including your 
personal identifying information--may be made publicly available at any 
time. Although you can request that personal information be withheld 
from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

Contacts

    New information on the species covered in this notice should be 
submitted by mail or electronic mail to the appropriate contact shown 
in table 2, by the deadline provided in DATES.

[[Page 64529]]



                            Table 2--Contacts
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                                 Contact person,
           Species                    email           Contact address
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Virginia fringed mountain      Jennifer Stanhope,  U.S. Fish and
 snail.                         jennifer_stanhope   Wildlife Service,
                                @fws.gov.           Virginia Field
                                                    Office, 6669 Short
                                                    Lane, Gloucester, VA
                                                    23061.
Plymouth red-bellied cooter..  Eliese Dykstra,     U.S. Fish and
                                eliese_dykstra@fw   Wildlife Service,
                                s.gov.              New England Field
                                                    Office, 70
                                                    Commercial Street,
                                                    Suite 300, Concord,
                                                    NH 03301.
Jesup's milk-vetch...........  Susi von            U.S. Fish and
                                Oettingen,          Wildlife Service,
                                susi_vonoettingen   New England Field
                                @fws.gov.           Office, 70
                                                    Commercial Street,
                                                    Suite 300, Concord,
                                                    NH 03301.
Shale barren rock-cress......  Sumalee Hoskin,     U.S. Fish and
                                sumalee_hoskin@fw   Wildlife Service,
                                s.gov.              Virginia Field
                                                    Office, 6669 Short
                                                    Lane, Gloucester, VA
                                                    23061.
Maryland darter..............  Julie Thompson,     U.S. Fish and
                                julie_thompson@fw   Wildlife Service,
                                s.gov.              Chesapeake Bay Field
                                                    Office, 177 Admiral
                                                    Cochrane Drive,
                                                    Annapolis, MD 21401.
Lee County cave isopod.......  Rose Agbalog,       U.S. Fish and
                                rose_agbalog@fws.   Wildlife Service,
                                gov.                Southwestern
                                                    Virginia Field
                                                    Office, 330 Cummings
                                                    Street, Abingdon, VA
                                                    24210.
James spinymussel............  Jennifer Stanhope,  U.S. Fish and
                                jennifer_stanhope   Wildlife Service,
                                @fws.gov.           Virginia Field
                                                    Office, 6669 Short
                                                    Lane, Gloucester, VA
                                                    23061.
Red knot.....................  Wendy Walsh,        U.S. Fish and
                                [email protected]   Wildlife Service,
                                ov.                 New Jersey Field
                                                    Office, 4 East
                                                    Jimmie Leeds Road,
                                                    Suite 4, Galloway,
                                                    NJ 08205.
Big Sandy crayfish...........  Barbara Douglas,    U.S. Fish and
                                barbara_douglas@f   Wildlife Service,
                                ws.gov.             West Virginia Field
                                                    Office, 6263
                                                    Appalachian Highway,
                                                    Davis, WV 26260.
Guyandotte River crayfish....  Barbara Douglas,    U.S. Fish and
                                barbara_douglas@f   Wildlife Service,
                                ws.gov.             West Virginia Field
                                                    Office, 6263
                                                    Appalachian Highway,
                                                    Davis, WV 26260.
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Authority

    We publish this document under the authority of the Endangered 
Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Wendi Weber,
Regional Director, Northeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2020-22547 Filed 10-9-20; 8:45 am]
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