The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will assess the status of four wildlife species found in the Midwest to determine whether protection under the Endangered Species Act is warranted. The Service is seeking input as it conducts in-depth studies of the northern bog lemming, wood turtle, rusty-patched bumble bee and regal fritillary, a butterfly.
The Service is initiating status reviews in response to a variety of petitions seeking to protect 25 species under the Endangered Species Act. The northern bog lemming is found insphagnum bogs, wet subalpine meadows and mossy forests in northern states including Minnesota, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. Wood turtles occur in Minnesota, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia and West Virginia. They inhabit streams, woodland bogs and marshy pastures. The rusty-patched bumble bee is found in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin. This pollinator needs a supply of flowers that bloom from April to September. A large orange and black butterfly, the regal fritillary is sometimes mistaken for a monarch butterfly if seen from a distance. It is found in grasslands and prairies from eastern Colorado to the East Coast, including the Midwest states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. As a caterpillar, the fritillary eats only violets. Once the Service has completed its assessment of these species, the agency will determine whether to propose any as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. For each species, the Service must determine that listing is warranted or not warranted, and may determine that listing is warranted but currently precluded due to needs of higher priority species. The notice of the initiation of status reviews appears in the September 18, 2015, Federal Register. The Service is seeking information about these species; information may be submitted beginning September 18, 2015, through November 17, 2015.
Use the specified docket number:
Public Comments Processing Attn: Docket No. [Insert appropriate docket number; see table above] U.S. Fish and Wildlife, MS: BPHC 5275 Leesburg Pike Falls Church, VA 22041-3803 The Service will post all information received on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that the Service will post any personal information that is provided. For more information on these and other Midwest species of concern, visit www.fws.gov/midwest/es/soc.
|
|||||||||||||||
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws/gov.
Connect with our Facebook page at facebook.com/usfwsmidwest, follow our tweets at twitter.com/usfwsmidwest, watch our YouTube Channel at youtube.com/usfws and download photos from our Flickr page at flickr.com/photos/usfwsmidwest. |