USFWS to review 35 Southeastern species

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced its intent to conduct five-year status reviews of 35 threatened and endangered species. This session of reviews will involve species occurring in the Southeastern United States, including the Ivory-billed woodpecker (Campephilus principalis), the Bermuda petrel (Pterodroma cahow), the eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon corais couperi) and the ringed map turtle (Graptemys oculifera).

Five-year reviews are mandated by the Endangered Species Act and include a 60-day comment period to obtain the “best available science.” After this information is gathered, a special committee may offer one of four recommendations: maintain the current status, “uplist” a species from threatened to endangered, “downlist” a species from endangered to threatened or “delist” a species no longer considered in peril.

For more information and to submit comments on these species by the July 6 deadline, see the Federal Register announcement.

See The Wildlife Society’s standing position on threatened and endangered species and position statement on the U.S. Endangered Species Act.