On September 18, 2015, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) issued 90-day findings on 25 petitions to list various plants and animals under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Of the 25 petitions, the Service concluded that 23 petitions presented substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned actions may be warranted, and initiated 12-month status reviews for those species to determine if the listing is warranted under the ESA. These species include:
| Species | Latin Name | Range |
| Blue Calamintha bee | Osmia calaminthae | Florida |
| California spotted owl | Strix occidentalis occidentalis | California |
| Cascade torrent salamander | Rhyacotriton cascadae | Washington and Oregon |
| Columbia torrent salamander | Rhyacotriton kezeri | Washington and Oregon |
| Florida pine snake | Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus | Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina |
| Inyo Mountains salamander | Batrachoseps campi | California |
| Lesser slender salamander | Batrachoseps minor | California |
| Limestone salamander | Hydromantes brunus | California |
| Northern bog lemming | Synaptomys borealis | Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Maine, Montana, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New York |
| Panamint alligator lizard | Elgaria panamintina | California |
| Peaks of Otter salamander | Plethodon hubrichti | Virginia |
| Regal fritillary | Speyeria idalia | Kansas, Arkansas, North Carolina, Missouri, Nebraska, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia |
| Rusty patched bumble bee | Bombus affinis | Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Ontario, Canada |
| Shasta salamander | Hydromantes shastae | California |
| Short-tailed snake | Stilosoma extenuatum | Florida |
| Southern rubber boa | Charina bottae umbratica | California |
| Tinian monarch | Monarcha takatsukasae | Tinian Island |
| Tricolored blackbird | Agelaius tricolor | California, Oregon, Nevada, Washington (United States), and Baja California (Mexico |
| Contiguous U.S. distinct population segment (DPS) of tufted puffin | Fratercula cirrhata | Washington, Oregon, and California |
| Virgin River spinedace | Lepidomeda mollispinis mollispinis | Arizona, Nevada, and Utah |
| Yuman desert fringe-toed lizard | Uma rufopunctata | Arizona (United States) and Sonora (Mexico) |
The Service also concluded that a listing petitions for the Cahaba pebblesnail (Clappia cahabensis), found in Alabama, and a delisting petition for Stephens’ kangaroo rat (Dipodomys stephensi), found in California, did not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned actions may be warranted. Accordingly, the Service declined to initiate status reviews for those species.
The Service has indicated that it will be accepting comments on the 23 species undergoing status reviews until November 17, 2015.
Nossaman’s Endangered Species Law & Policy blog focuses on news, events, and policies affecting endangered species issues in California and throughout the United States. Topics include listing and critical habitat decisions, conservation and recovery planning, inter-agency consultation, and related developments in law, policy, and science. We also inform readers about regulatory and legislative developments, as well as key court decisions.
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