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Federal Register: January 6, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 3)

DOCID: fr06ja09-12 FR Doc E8-31454

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

CFR Citation: 50 CFR Part 17

FWS ID: [FWS-R2-ES-2008-0130; MO 9221050083]

NOTICE: PROPOSED RULES

DOCID: fr06ja09-12

ACTION: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants:

DOCUMENT ACTION: Notice of 90-day petition finding.

SUBJECT CATEGORY:

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Partial 90-Day Finding on a Petition To List 475 Species in the Southwestern United States as Threatened or Endangered With Critical Habitat

DATES: The finding announced in this document was made on January 6, 2009. You may submit new information concerning this species for our consideration at any time.

DOCUMENT SUMMARY:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), announce a 90day finding on 270 species from a petition to list 475 species in the southwestern United States as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We find that for these 270 species the petition does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing these species may be warranted. Therefore, for these 270 species, we will not initiate a further status review in response to this petition. We ask the public to submit to us any new information that becomes available concerning the status of these 270 species or threats to them or their habitat at any time. This information will help us monitor and encourage the conservation of these species. An additional 5 species of the 475 included in the petition do not fall within the scope of the petition or are not a listable entity and, therefore, were not considered in this finding (see Petition).

SUMMARY:

Partial 90-Day Finding on a Petition to List 475 Species in the Southwestern United States, etc.,

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

Background

Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) requires that we make a finding on whether a petition to list, delist, or reclassify a species presents substantial scientific or commercial information to indicate that a petitioned action may be warranted. We are to base this finding on information provided in the petition. To the maximum extent practicable, we are to make the finding within 90 days of our receipt of the petition, and publish our notice of this finding promptly in the Federal Register.

Our standard for ``substantial information,'' as defined in the Code of Federal Regulations at 50 CFR 424.14(b), with regards to a 90 day petition finding is ``that amount of information that would lead a reasonable person to believe that the measure proposed in the petition may be warranted.'' If we find that substantial information was presented, we are required to promptly commence a status review of the species.

In making this finding, we based our decision on information provided by the petitioner that we determined to be reliable after reviewing sources referenced in the petition and otherwise available in our files. We evaluated that information in accordance with 50 CFR 424.14(b). Our process for making this 90day finding under section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Act is limited to a determination of whether the information in the petition meets the ``substantial information'' threshold.

Petition

On June 25, 2007, we received a formal petition dated June 18, 2007, from Forest Guardians (now WildEarth Guardians) requesting that the Service: (1) Consider all full species in our Southwest Region ranked as G1 or G1G2 by the organization NatureServe, except those that are currently listed, proposed for listing, or candidates for listing; and (2) list each species as either endangered or threatened with critical habitat. The petition incorporates all analyses, references, and documentation provided by NatureServe in its online database at http://www.natureserve.org/ into the petition. The petition clearly identified itself as a petition and included the identification information,
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as required in 50 CFR 424.14(a). We sent a letter to the petitioners dated July 11, 2007, acknowledging receipt of the petition and stating that the petition was under review by staff in our Southwest Regional Office. On June 18, 2008, we received a petition from WildEarth Guardians dated June 12, 2008, to emergency list 32 species under the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) and the Endangered Species Act. Of those 32 species, 21 were included in the June 18, 2007, petition to be listed on a nonemergency basis. In a letter dated July 22, 2008, we stated that the information provided in both the 2007 and 2008 petitions and in our files did not indicate that an emergency situation existed for any of the 21 species. This letter concludes our processing of the emergency aspect of the 2008 petition under the APA. The following discussion presents our partial evaluation of the June 18, 2007 and June 12, 2008 petitions, based on information provided in the petition and our current understanding of the species.

The 2007 petition included a list of 475 species. One species, Salina mucket (Potamilus metnecktayi), is also known by the scientific name Disconaias salinasensis; we were petitioned to list the species under both names. The species files in NatureServe for these two names are identical. For the remainder of our review we used the name P. metnecktayi; therefore, we reviewed only 474 actual species files. This finding addresses 270 of the 475 species for which we were petitioned. The remaining 200 species will be addressed in one or more additional 90day findings in the future. Although we are not making a finding on the remaining 200 species at this time, the lack of inclusion of those species in this finding does not imply that we are making or will make a positive finding on any or all of the remaining species. Our priority for responding to a petition is a function of the resources that are available and competing demands for those resources.

Because the petition requested that we consider all species from the list that were not currently listed, proposed for listing, or candidates for listing, 3 of the 474 species were also not included in the review. Quitobaquito pupfish (Cyprinodon eremus) is currently listed as endangered under the name desert pupfish (Cyprinodon macularius eremus). In Arizona, this family was historically represented by two recognized subspecies, Cyprinodon m. macularius and C. m. eremus, and an undescribed species, the Monkey Spring pupfish. Minckley et al. (2002, p. 701) raised C. m. eremus to a full species, C. eremus. The species is listed as endangered throughout its range, so we did not consider it as part of this petition. On December 13, 2007, we made a 12month finding that the Jollyville Plateau salamander (Eurycea tonkawae) warrants listing, but that listing is precluded by higher listing priorities (72 FR 71040), thus rendering the species to candidate status. On December 6, 2007, we published our annual review of native species that are candidates for listing as endangered or threatened (72 FR 69034), in which we made the San Bernadino springsnail (Pyrgulopsis bernardina) a candidate species. Because these three species, Quitobaquito pupfish, Jollyville Plateau salamander, and San Bernardino springsnail, are currently listed or are candidates for listing, and we were petitioned to list species that are not listed or candidates, they were not evaluated as part of this petition.

Agave arizonica (Arizona agave) was recently delisted (71 FR 35195; June 19, 2006) because it was determined to be a product of hybridization and, therefore, not a listable entity. No new information was presented in the petition for Arizona agave. Because of its current status, the Arizona agave was not considered in our review. After eliminating review of Quitobaquito pupfish, Jollyville Plateau salamander, San Bernardino springsnail, and Arizona agave, there were 470 species files to continue with our review in the NatureServe database.

This finding addresses 270 of the 470 species for which we were validly petitioned. The remaining 200 species will be addressed in one or more additional 90day findings in the future. Our priority for responding to a petition is a function of the resources that are available and competing demands for those resources. Thus, in any given fiscal year, multiple factors dictate whether it will be possible to undertake work on particular listing actions. The resources available for listing actions are determined through the annual Congressional appropriations process. The appropriation for the Listing Program is available to support work involving the following listing actions: Proposed and final listing rules; 90day and 12month findings on petitions to revise critical habitat and to add species to the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants or to change the status of a species from threatened to endangered; annual determinations on prior ``warranted but precluded'' petition findings as required under section 4(b)(3)(C)(i) of the Act; proposed and final rules designating critical habitat; and litigationrelated, administrative, and program management functions (including preparing and allocating budgets, responding to Congressional and public inquiries, and conducting public outreach regarding listing and critical habitat). The work involved in preparing various listing documents can be extensive and may include, but is not limited to, gathering and assessing the best scientific and commercial data available and conducting analyses used as the basis for our determinations under section 4(a)(1) of the Act; writing and publishing documents; and obtaining, reviewing, and evaluating public comments and peer review comments on proposed rules and incorporating relevant information into final rules. The number of listing actions that we can undertake in a given year also is influenced by the complexity of those listing actions; that is, more complex actions generally are more costly.

We cannot spend more than is appropriated for the Listing Program without violating the AntiDeficiency Act (see 31 U.S.C.
1341(a)(1)(A)). In addition, in FY 1998 and for each fiscal year since then, Congress has placed a statutory cap on funds which may be expended for the Listing Program, equal to the amount expressly appropriated for that purpose in that fiscal year. This cap was designed to prevent funds appropriated for other functions under the Act (e.g., Recovery funds for removing species from the Lists), or for other Service programs, from being used for Listing Program actions (see House Report 105163, 105th Congress, 1st Session, July 1, 1997). Thus, through the listing cap and the amount of funds needed to address courtmandated listing actions, Congress and the courts have in effect determined the amount of money available for other listing activities. Therefore, the funds in the listing cap, other than those needed to address courtmandated listing actions, set the limits on our ability to fully respond to this petition. When funds become available, we will continue our review of the remaining petitioned species that are not addressed in this finding and publish one or more findings for those species.

Species Information

The petitioners presented two tables that collectively listed the 475 species for consideration and requested that the Service incorporate all analyses, references, and documentation provided by NatureServe in its online database into the petition. The information presented by NatureServe (http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/) is found
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in peerreviewed professional journal articles and is considered to be a reputable source of scientific information. We judge this source to be reliable with regard to the information it presents.

We accessed the NatureServe database on July 5, 2007. We saved electronic and hardcopies of each species file and used this information, including references cited within these files, during our review. Therefore, all information we used from the species files in NatureServe was current to that date. All of the petitioned species were ranked by NatureServe as G1 (critically imperiled) or G1G2 (between critically imperiled and imperiled).

We reviewed all references cited in the NatureServe database species files that were available to us. For some species in NatureServe, there is a ``Local Programs'' link to the Web sites of the State programs that contribute information to NatureServe. We found this ``Local Programs'' link to have additional information for very few of the 470 species. We reviewed information in references cited in NatureServe and information readily available in our files, on the Internet, and in local libraries that was directly relevant to the information raised in the petition. For the 21 of the 32 species which were also included in the petition to emergency list dated June 12, 2008, we also used information provided in that petition. Following review of the available information, we separated the 470 species into categories based on the level of information found.

We were unable to readily locate one or more references, which we believed might contain additional information on threats for 82 of the species. Without review of those references, we could not be certain that we had assigned them to the correct category. Therefore, on May 12, 2008, we sent a letter to the petitioners requesting those references. The petitioners responded with copies of all but three of the requested references or information on how to purchase them. The date we received the last of the references from the petitioners was July 15, 2008. That did not provide us with sufficient time to review those references for 79 of the 82 species, so we have not addressed them in this finding, but we will consider them in one or more future findings. The 270 species included in this finding are listed in Table 1; they fit into four distinct information level categories.

The first category, titled Category A in Table 1, has only minimal information about each species, and in some cases no more information than the name of the species. An example of a species in this category that had minimal information is a cave obligate spider with no common name (Cicurina travisae). The NatureServe file for this species names the species, states that it is endemic to Texas, and lives in subterrestrial habitat. The file provides one reference (Gertsch 1992), which contains no information on threats to the species, but describes many spiders within the genus. The Gertsch publication describes the physical characteristics of C. travisae, diagrams of body parts, and some locations where it has been found with no information on the level of survey effort to determine its range (Gertsch 1992, p. 101). The magnitude and type of information provided for other species in this category was similar in nature, or was mainly taxonomic without as much locational information. Category A contains 225 species, of which 1 is a vertebrate, 189 are invertebrates, and 35 are plants.

Occasionally, generic information was presented in the NatureServe species files for a larger group of species we placed in Category A, such as for the class or family the species belongs to, but not specific information on the individual species. The references were taxonomic in nature or simply checklists (lists of species, for example Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States and Canada (Robbins et al. 1991)) or taxonomic keys (which provide anatomical characteristics for identification of species) and did not address threats to the species. An example that illustrates the type of generic information that was presented for such species in Category A is Silver Creek woodlandsnail (Ashmunella binneyi). The NatureServe file for this species states the name of the species and lists one reference that is a checklist of names of aquatic invertebrates from the United States and Canada (Turgeon et al. 1998). The file contains no other information specific to Silver Creek woodlandsnail. The file does describe the basic biology of terrestrial snails (pulmonates) in general stating ``terrestrial gastropods do not move much usually only to find food or reproduce'' and ``as a whole, pulmonates (previously Subclass Pulmonata) are better dispersers than prosobranchs (previously Subclass Prosobranchia) possibly due to their hermaphroditic reproduction increasing the chance of new colonization.'' The identical language was used in other NatureServe files for terrestrial snail species, and no specific information was provided about the species or threats to the species or its habitat.

The information we reviewed for the species in Category B (see Table 1) contained basic information on the range of the species, based on some level of survey effort. Habitat was frequently mentioned as well as other aspects of the species' biology, such as food habitats. Population size or abundance, if addressed, was rarely quantified, and the database instead used descriptors such as large, small, or numerous. The available information we reviewed did not address specific threats to the species. Category B contains 38 species, of which 2 are vertebrates, 25 are invertebrates, and 11 are plants.

An example of the type of information we found for species in Category B is illustrated by the Animas Mountains tubeshell (Holospira animasensis). The NatureServe file for the Animas Mountains tubeshell provides one reference, which is a published description of the newly discovered species (Gilbertson and Worthington 2003, pp. 220224). That article describes the physical characteristics of the species and the habitat in which it was discovered. The article does not address threats to the Animas Mountains tubeshell. The NatureServe file for this species cites Gilbertson and Worthington (2003) and states that live individuals are known only from the north slope of a single hill at the north end of Animas Mountains, and that fossil shells were found from sediments exposed in a mine roadcut on the south side of the hill. The file also states, under Global Protection, that no occurrences are appropriately protected and managed, but under Threats, it states that threats are unknown. This information is typical for the species in Category B.

The information we reviewed for the species in Category C (see Table 1) described one or more threats for the general area, but it did not link the threats to the species or the habitat at the site occupied by the species. Information for species in this category is sometimes provided on distribution, habitat, population size, or other aspects of the species' biology. There are five species in Category C, of which one is an invertebrate and four are plants.

An example of the type of information we reviewed for Category C species is for Panicum mohavense (Mojave panicgrass), which occurs at one site on a large military base in New Mexico and five sites in Arizona. The NatureServe file states that for the New Mexico site, there is some grazing in the remote area where the species occurs, but that the threat to the species is unknown. The habitat is described for all of the sites,
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but no threats are mentioned for the sites in Arizona. Ladyman (1999), which was cited in NatureServe, did not name additional threats to the species, but recommended additional surveys to determine habitat requirements and abundance.

The information we reviewed for the species in Category D (see Table 1) cited one or more threats and generally linked them to the species or its habitat. However, we have no documentation to support significant impacts from the threats. These species are addressed in the Threats Analysis section. There are two species in Category D, both of which are plants.

This finding addresses the 270 petitioned species that are listed in Table 1. Of the 270 species, 3 are vertebrates, 215 are invertebrates, and 52 are plants.
Table 1List of 270 Species Included in This Finding by Category. An Asterisk Denotes Species in the June 12, 2008 Petition to Emergency List 32 Species Category Scientific name Common name Range Group A........................... Eurycea sp. 10..... Dolan Falls TX..................... vertebrate Salamander. A........................... Gammarus pecos..... Pecos Amphipod..... TX..................... invertebrate A........................... Hyalella texana.... Clear Creek TX..................... invertebrate Amphipod. A........................... Agylla A Tiger Moth....... AZ..................... invertebrate septentrionalis.
A........................... Sonorarctia fervida A Tiger Moth....... AZ..................... invertebrate A........................... Ceratopsyche vanaca A Caddisfly........ NM..................... invertebrate A........................... Hydroptila abbotti. A Caddisfly........ TX..................... invertebrate A........................... Neotrichia juani... A Caddisfly........ TX..................... invertebrate A........................... Neotrichia sonora.. A Caddisfly........ TX..................... invertebrate A........................... Taeniopteryx starki Texas Willowfly.... TX..................... invertebrate A........................... Melanoplus A Spurthroat AZ..................... invertebrate chiricahuae. Grasshopper. A........................... Melanoplus pinaleno A Spurthroat AZ..................... invertebrate Grasshopper. A........................... Agathon arizonicus. A Netwinged Midge. AZ..................... invertebrate A........................... Isoperla sagittata. A Stonefly......... TX..................... invertebrate A........................... Phreatodrobia Hueco Cavesnail.... TX..................... invertebrate conica.
A........................... Pyrgulopsis sola... Brown Springsnail.. AZ..................... invertebrate A........................... Pyrgulopsis sp. 2.. Mimbres Springsnail NM..................... invertebrate A........................... Stygopyrgus Barton Cavesnail... TX..................... invertebrate bartonensis.
A........................... Texapyrgus longleyi Striated Hydrobe... TX..................... invertebrate A........................... Tryonia brunei..... Brune Spring Snail. TX..................... invertebrate A........................... Tryonia diaboli.... Devil Tryonia...... TX..................... invertebrate A........................... Ashmunella Animas Peak NM..................... invertebrate animasensis. Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella ashmuni. Jemez Woodlandsnail NM..................... invertebrate A........................... Ashmunella Goat Cave TX..................... invertebrate bequaerti. Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella binneyi. Silver Creek NM..................... invertebrate Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella danielsi Whitewater Creek NM..................... invertebrate Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella edithae. Mckittrick TX..................... invertebrate Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella ferrissi Reed's Mountain AZ..................... invertebrate Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella Horseshoe Canyon AZ..................... invertebrate lenticula. Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella mendax.. Iron Creek NM..................... invertebrate Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella Mogollon AZ..................... invertebrate mogollonensis. Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella mudgei.. Sawtooth Mountain TX..................... invertebrate Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella Blue Mountain AZ..................... invertebrate pilsbryana. Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella Capitan NM..................... invertebrate pseudodonta. Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella Mount Riley NM..................... invertebrate rileyensis. Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella Salinas Peak NM..................... invertebrate salinasensis. Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella todseni. Maple Canyon NM..................... invertebrate Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella walkeri. Florida Mountain NM..................... invertebrate Woodlandsnail. A........................... Coelostemma Bishop Cap NM..................... invertebrate pyrgonasta. Tubesnail. A........................... Daedalochila A Terrestrial Snail TX..................... invertebrate scintilla.
A........................... Gastrocopta Sonoran AZ, NM................. invertebrate prototypus. Snaggletooth. A........................... Gastrocopta Ruidoso KS, NE, NM, OK, TX..... invertebrate ruidosensis. Snaggletooth. A........................... Holospira Cockerell Holospira NM..................... invertebrate cockerelli.
A........................... Holospira metcalfi. Metcalf Holospira.. NM..................... invertebrate A........................... Holospira Silver Creek AZ..................... invertebrate sherbrookei. Holospira. A........................... Humboldtiana Capote Threeband... TX..................... invertebrate fullingtoni.
A........................... Naesiotus Santa Rita Rabdotus AZ..................... invertebrate christenseni.
A........................... Nesovitrea suzannae Live Oak Glass..... TX..................... invertebrate A........................... Oreohelix barbata.. Bearded AZ, NM................. invertebrate Mountainsnail. A........................... Oreohelix Pinos Altos NM..................... invertebrate confragosa. Mountainsnail. A........................... Oreohelix houghi... Diablo AZ, NM................. invertebrate Mountainsnail. A........................... Oreohelix litoralis San Agustin NM..................... invertebrate Mountainsnail. A........................... Oreohelix Magdalena NM..................... invertebrate magdalenae. Mountainsnail. A........................... Oreohelix swopei... Morgan Creek NM, WY................. invertebrate Mountainsnail. A........................... Pallifera Ouachita Mantleslug OK..................... invertebrate tournescalis.
A........................... Paravitrea alethia. Goddess Supercoil.. TN, TX................. invertebrate A........................... Patera leatherwoodi Pedernales Oval.... TX..................... invertebrate A........................... Philomycus batchi.. Dusky Mantleslug... OK..................... invertebrate A........................... Philomycus bisdodus Grayfoot Mantleslug OK..................... invertebrate A........................... Sonorella anchana.. Sierra Ancha AZ..................... invertebrate Talussnail. A........................... Sonorella Animas Talussnail.. NM..................... invertebrate animasensis.
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A........................... Sonorella apache... Apache Talussnail.. AZ..................... invertebrate A........................... Sonorella bagnarai. Rincon Talussnail.. AZ..................... invertebrate A........................... Sonorella bartschi. Escabrosa AZ..................... invertebrate Talussnail. A........................... Sonorella binneyi.. Horseshoe Canyon AZ..................... invertebrate Talussnail. A........................... Sonorella bowiensis Quartzite Hill AZ, CA................. invertebrate Talussnail. A........................... Sonorella Bradshaw Talussnail AZ..................... invertebrate bradshaveana.
A........................... Sonorella clappi... Madera Talussnail.. AZ..................... invertebrate A........................... Sonorella Walnut Canyon AZ..................... invertebrate coltoniana. Talussnail. A........................... Sonorella compar... Oak Creek AZ..................... invertebrate Talussnail. A........................... Sonorella dalli.... Garden Canyon AZ..................... invertebrate Talussnail. A........................... Sonorella delicata. Tollhouse Canyon AZ..................... invertebrate Talussnail. A........................... Sonorella Stronghold Canyon AZ..................... invertebrate dragoonensis. Talussnail. A........................... Sonorella ferrissi. Dragoon Talussnail. AZ..................... invertebrate A........................... Sonorella Total Wreck AZ..................... invertebrate imperatrix. Talussnail. A........................... Sonorella Empire Mountain AZ..................... invertebrate imperialis. Talussnail. A........................... Sonorella insignis. Whetstone AZ..................... invertebrate Talussnail. A........................... Sonorella meadi.... Aqua Dulce AZ..................... invertebrate Talussnail. A........................... Sonorella Milk Ranch AZ..................... invertebrate micromphala. Talussnail. A........................... Sonorella reederi.. Rampart Talussnail. AZ..................... invertebrate A........................... Sonorella russelli. Black Mesa AZ..................... invertebrate Talussnail. A........................... Sonorella tryoniana Sanford Talussnail. AZ..................... invertebrate A........................... Sonorella Evening Talussnail. AZ..................... invertebrate vespertina.
A........................... Sonorella waltoni.. Doubtful Canyon AZ..................... invertebrate Talussnail. A........................... Vertigo berryi..... Rotund Vertigo..... AZ, CA................. invertebrate A*.......................... Vertigo binneyana.. Cylindrical Vertigo CAN: BC, MB, ON; USA: invertebrate IA, KS, MT, NM. A........................... Cisthene conjuncta. A Tiger Moth....... TX..................... invertebrate A........................... Catinella texana... A Terrestrial Snail LA, TX................. invertebrate A........................... Artesia subterranea A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Amphipod. A........................... Artesia welbourni.. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Amphipod. A........................... Caecidotea adenta.. A Cave Obligate OK..................... invertebrate Isopod. A........................... Caecidotea bisetus. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Isopod. A........................... Holsingerius A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate smaragdinus. Amphipod. A........................... Seborgia hershleri. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Amphipod. A........................... Stygobromus bowmani Bowman's Cave OK..................... invertebrate Amphipod. A........................... Stygobromus Reddell's Cave TX..................... invertebrate reddelli. Amphipod. A........................... Batrisodes grubbsi. A Beetle........... TX..................... invertebrate A........................... Rhadine austinica.. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Beetle. A........................... Rhadine insolita... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Beetle. A........................... Rhadine noctivaga.. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Beetle. A........................... Rhadine russelli... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Beetle. A........................... Alexicles aspersa.. A Tiger Moth....... AZ, NM................. invertebrate A........................... Lepidostoma A Caddisfly........ AR, OK................. invertebrate ozarkense.
A........................... Neotrichia A Caddisfly........ AL, TX................. invertebrate mobilensis.
A........................... Ochrotrichia A Caddisfly........ TX..................... invertebrate guadalupensis.
A........................... Melanoplus A Grasshopper...... TX..................... invertebrate alexanderi.
A........................... Melanoplus A Spurthroat AZ, NM................. invertebrate magdalenae. Grasshopper. A........................... Baetodes alleni.... A Mayfly........... TX..................... invertebrate A........................... Thalkethops A Cave Obligate NM..................... invertebrate grallatrix. Centipede. A........................... Balconorbis Balcones Ghostsnail TX..................... invertebrate uvaldensis.
A........................... Phreatoceras Nymph Trumpet...... TX..................... invertebrate taylori.
A........................... Phreatodrobia A Cavesnail........ TX..................... invertebrate coronae.
A........................... Phreatodrobia Beaked Cavesnail... TX..................... invertebrate rotunda.
A........................... Ashmunella Cave Creek AZ..................... invertebrate chiricahuana. Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella esuritor Barfoot AZ..................... invertebrate Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella Whitetail AZ..................... invertebrate lepiderma. Woodlandsnail. A........................... Ashmunella rhyssa.. Sierra Blanca NM..................... invertebrate Woodlandsnail. A........................... Deroceras heterura. Marsh Slug......... NM..................... invertebrate A........................... Holospira tantalus. Teasing Holospira.. AZ..................... invertebrate A........................... Holospira Whetstone Holospira AZ..................... invertebrate whetstonensis.
A........................... Neohelix lioderma.. Tulsa Whitelip..... OK..................... invertebrate A........................... Sonorella Blue Talussnail.... AZ..................... invertebrate caerulifluminis.
A........................... Sonorella micra.... Pygmy Sonorella.... AZ..................... invertebrate A........................... Sonorella neglecta. Portal Talussnail.. AZ..................... invertebrate A........................... Apocheiridium A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate reddelli. Pseudoscorpion. A........................... Archeolarca Guadalupe Cave TX..................... invertebrate guadalupensis. Pseudoscorpion. A........................... Archeolarca A Cave Obligate AZ..................... invertebrate welbourni. Pseudoscorpion. A........................... Cheiridium reyesi.. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Pseudoscorpion. A........................... Chitrella elliotti. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Pseudoscorpion. A........................... Chitrella major.... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Pseudoscorpion. A........................... Chitrella welbourni A Cave Obligate NM..................... invertebrate Pseudoscorpion. A........................... Cicurina barri..... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. [[Page 424]]
A........................... Cicurina caverna... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina coryelli.. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina cueva..... A Cave Spider...... TX..................... invertebrate A........................... Cicurina ezelli.... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina gruta..... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina holsingeri A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina machete... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina mckenziei. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina medina.... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina menardia.. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina obscura... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina orellia... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina pablo..... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina pastura... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina patei..... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina porteri... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate puentecilla. Spider. A........................... Cicurina rainesi... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina reclusa... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina reddelli.. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina reyesi.... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina russelli.. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina sansaba... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina selecta... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina serena.... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina sheari.... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina sprousei.. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina stowersi.. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina suttoni... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina travisae.. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina ubicki.... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina uvalde.... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina venefica.. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina vibora.... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Cicurina watersi... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Leucohya texana.... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Pseudoscorpion. A........................... Mexichthonius A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate exoticus. Pseudoscorpion. A........................... Neoallochernes A Cave Obligate NM..................... invertebrate incertus. Pseudoscorpion. A........................... Neoleptoneta A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate concinna. Spider. A........................... Neoleptoneta devia. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. A........................... Neoleptoneta A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate valverde. Spider. A........................... Pseudogarypus A Cave Obligate AZ..................... invertebrate hypogeus. Pseudoscorpion. A........................... Tartarocreagris A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate intermedia. Pseudoscorpion. A........................... Texella brevidenta. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Harvestman. A........................... Texella brevistyla. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Harvestman. A........................... Texella diplospina. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Harvestman. A........................... Texella fendi...... A Harvestman....... TX..................... invertebrate A........................... Texella grubbsi.... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Harvestman. A........................... Texella hardeni.... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Harvestman. A........................... Texella renkesae... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Harvestman. A........................... Texella welbourni.. A Cave Obligate NM..................... invertebrate Harvestman. A........................... Tuberochernes A Cave Obligate AZ..................... invertebrate ubicki. Pseudoscorpion. A........................... Tyrannochthonius A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate troglodytes. Pseudoscorpion. A........................... Holospira A Terrestrial Snail AZ..................... invertebrate millestriata.
A........................... Succinea pseudavara A Terrestrial Snail KS, OK................. invertebrate A........................... Apatania arizona... A Caddisfly........ AZ..................... invertebrate A........................... Chimarra A Caddisfly........ LA, TX................. invertebrate holzenthali.
A........................... Chimarra primula... A Caddisfly........ AZ..................... invertebrate A........................... Catapyrenium No common name..... NM..................... lichens granulosum.
A........................... Xanthoparmelia No common name..... AZ, NM................. lichens dissensa.
A........................... Cirsium rusbyi..... Rusby's Thistle.... AZ..................... plant A........................... Lupinus lemmonii... Lemmon's Lupine.... AZ..................... plant A........................... Aconitum infectum.. Arizona Monkshood.. AZ..................... plant A........................... Centaurium Blumberg Rosita.... TX..................... plant blumbergianum.
A........................... Crataegus Nixon's Hawthorn... TX..................... plant nananixonii.
A........................... Eleocharis Shortfruited TX..................... plant brachycarpa. Spikerush. A........................... Opuntia martiniana. Seashore Cactus.... AZ..................... plant A........................... Tetraneuris No common name..... AZ..................... plant verdiensis.
A........................... Fissidens littlei.. No common name..... NM..................... plant A........................... Arabis tricornuta.. Rincon Mountain AZ..................... plant Rockcress. A........................... Camissonia gouldii. Diamond Valley AZ, UT................. plant Suncup. [[Page 425]]
A........................... Lesquerella lata... Lincoln County NM..................... plant Bladderpod. A........................... Dryopteris rossii.. Ros's Woodfern..... AZ..................... plant A........................... Talinum gooddingii. Goodding's AZ..................... plant Flameflower. A........................... Cuscuta Los Pinitos Dodder. AZ..................... plant dentatasquamata.
A........................... Potentilla Whiteflowered AZ..................... plant albiflora. Cinquefoil. A........................... Agalinis calycina.. Leoncita False TX, NM................. plant Foxglove. A........................... Arida mattturneri.. No Common Name..... TX..................... plant A........................... Eriogonum San Pedro River AZ..................... plant terrenatum. Wild Buckwheat. A........................... Hedyotis Mary's Bluet....... TX..................... plant butterwickiae.
A........................... Machaeranthera Gypsum Hotspring NM, TX................. plant gypsitherma. Aster.
A........................... Matelea texensis... Trans Pecos Matelea TX..................... plant A........................... Mentzelia September 11 AZ..................... plant memorabalis. Stickleaf. A*.......................... Paronychia Mccart's Whitlow TX..................... plant maccartii. wort.
A........................... Perityle fosteri... Foster's Rockdaisy. TX..................... plant A........................... Perityle Glass Mountains TX..................... plant vitreomontana. Rockdaisy. A........................... Physalis latiphysa. Broadleaf Ground AZ..................... plant cherry. A*.......................... Pseudoclappia Watson's False TX..................... plant watsonii. clappia. A........................... Scutellaria laevis. Smoothstem TX..................... plant Skullcap. A........................... Senecio quaylei.... Quayle's Ragwort... TX..................... plant A........................... Yucca cernua....... ................... TX..................... plant A........................... Camissonia Bunch Flower AZ..................... plant confertiflora. Evening Primrose. A........................... Thelypodium tenue.. Fresno Creek TX..................... plant Thelypody. B........................... Menidia clarkhubbsi Texas Silverside... TX..................... vertebrate B........................... Syngnathus affinis. Texas Pipefish..... TX..................... vertebrate B*.......................... Procambarus nueces. Nueces Crayfish.... TX..................... invertebrate B*.......................... Isoperla jewetti... A Stonefly......... CO, NM, TX............. invertebrate B........................... Juturnia tularosae. Tularosa Juturnia.. NM..................... invertebrate B........................... Ashmunella harrisi. Goat Mountain NM..................... invertebrate Woodlandsnail. B........................... Humboldtiana Agave Threeband.... TX..................... invertebrate agavophila.
B........................... Humboldtiana Chisos Threeband... TX..................... invertebrate chisosensis.
B........................... Hemigrapsus Yellow Shore Crab.. TX..................... invertebrate oregonensis.
B........................... Streptocephalus Bowman's Fairy NM..................... invertebrate thomasbowmani. Shrimp. B........................... Stygobromus blinni. Blinn's Amphipod... AZ..................... invertebrate B........................... Stygobromus Boulton's Amphipod. AZ..................... invertebrate boultoni.
B........................... Stygobromus curroae Curro's Amphipod... NM..................... invertebrate B........................... Stygobromus Cascade Cave TX..................... invertebrate dejectus. Amphipod. B........................... Stygobromus Devil's Sinkhole TX..................... invertebrate hadenoecus. Amphipod. B........................... Stygobromus Jemez Mountains NM..................... invertebrate jemezensis. Amphipod. B........................... Culoptila kimminsi. A Caddisfly........ AZ..................... invertebrate B........................... Culoptila moselyi.. A Caddisfly........ AZ..................... invertebrate B........................... Ochrotrichia A Caddisfly........ AR, OK................. invertebrate weddleae.
B*.......................... Fallceon eatoni.... A Mayfly........... AZ..................... invertebrate B........................... Holospira Animas Mountains NM..................... invertebrate animasensis. Tubeshell. B........................... Cicurina bandida... Bandit Cave Spider. TX..................... invertebrate B........................... Cicurina browni.... A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. B........................... Eidmannella bullata A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. B........................... Eidmannella A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate delicata. Spider. B........................... Eidmannella nasuta. A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. B........................... Eidmannella reclusa A Cave Obligate TX..................... invertebrate Spider. B*.......................... Donrichardsia No Common Name..... TX..................... plant macroneuron.
B........................... Erigeron kuschei... Chiricahua Fleabane AZ..................... plant B........................... Perityle Laceleaf Rockdaisy AZ..................... plant ambrosiifolia.
B........................... Perityle ajoensis.. Ajo Rockdaisy...... AZ..................... plant B........................... Townsendia smithii. Black Rock Ground AZ..................... plant daisy.
B*.......................... Proboscidea spicata Manyflowered TX..................... plant Unicornplant. B........................... Sclerocactus sileri Siler's Fishhook AZ..................... plant Cactus. B........................... Silene rectiramea.. Grand Canyon AZ..................... plant Catchfly. B........................... Viola guadalupensis Guadalupe Mountains TX..................... plant Violet. B........................... Cyperus Cryptic Flatsedge.. LA, TX................. plant cephalanthus.
B........................... Lechea mensalis.... Chisos Pinweed..... TX..................... plant C........................... Procambarus Parkhill Prairie TX..................... invertebrate steigmani. Crayfish. C........................... Houstonia correllii Correll's Bluet.... TX..................... plant C........................... Panicum mohavense.. Mojave Panicgrass.. AZ, NM................. plant C........................... Paronychia Lundell's Nailwort. TX..................... plant lundelliorum.
C........................... Erigeron Heliograph Peak AZ..................... plant heliographis. Fleabane. D........................... Erigeron hessii.... Hess' Fleabane..... NM..................... plant D........................... Cymopterus beckii.. Pinnate Spring AZ, UT................. plant parsley. [[Page 426]]

Threats Analysis

Section 4 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1533) and its implementing regulations (50 CFR 424) set forth the procedures for adding species to the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. A species, subspecies, or distinct population segment of vertebrate taxa may be determined to be endangered or threatened due to one or more of the five factors described in section 4(a)(1) of the Act: (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) inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or (E) other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued existence.

In making this 90day finding, we evaluated whether information on threats to the 270 species, as presented in the petition and other readily available information at the time of the petition review, is substantial, thereby indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. Our evaluation of this information is presented below. A. Present or Threatened Destruction, Modification, or Curtailment of the Species' Habitat or Range

For those species we placed in Categories A, B, and C, no information was presented on threats to the species or their habitats; therefore we find the petition, including all available references and the NatureServe species files, does not present substantial information that the present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of the species' habitat or range is a threat to any of the 268 species in Categories A, B, and C. For one of the two plant species in Category D (Table 1), information related to habitat impacts at one or more occupied sites is presented.

Cymopterus beckii (pinnate springparsley) occurs in 1 area in Arizona and in 2 areas in Utah; within the 2 areas in Utah, it is known to occur at more than 40 sites, most discovered in the past 10 years. NatureServe (http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/) cites park visitor impacts, presumably trampling, as a potential threat at Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. However, following 3 years of intensive surveys in the 2 Utah areas where the species was found at 42 new sites, Clark (2002, p. 49) stated that the majority of the new sites are in remote locations with difficult accessibility that serves to protect the plants from human disturbance. No additional threats were identified for those new sites, and we found no information about threats to the species in Arizona (Arizona Game and Fish Department 2004, p. 4). Therefore, we find the petition and supporting information does not present substantial scientific or commercial information to indicate C. beckii is threatened by the present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range.
B. Overutilization for Commercial, Recreational, Scientific, or Educational Purposes

For those species we placed in Categories A, B, and C, no information was presented on threats to the species or their habitats; therefore we find the petition, including all available references and the NatureServe species files, does not present substantial information that overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes is a threat to 268 of the 270 species. For one of the two plants in Category D (Table 1), information related to overutilization for recreational use at one or more occupied sites is presented. This information is discussed below.

Erigeron hessii (Hess' fleabane) is known from two sites in a Wilderness Area on the Gila National Forest in New Mexico. Plants are scattered in crevices of exposed rock (Nesom 1978, p. 443). The known sites are in a remote area (Sivinski 1998, p. 2). The NatureServe file contains a statement that at one of the sites, those plants that occur on a scenic overlook at the top of the outcrop that is occupied by the species may be trampled by hikers. No references are cited for this statement, and none of the references cited in the NatureServe file mention trampling by hikers (Kartez 1994; Nesom 1978; New Mexico Native Plant Protection Advisory Committee (NMPPAC 1984, p. 28); Sivinski 1998; Sivinski and Lightfoot 1995), although Nesom (1978, p. 443) and NMPPAC (1984, p. 28) state that at one site, it occurs along one or more trails. Robert Sivinski is the sole Stateemployed botanist in New Mexico responsible for rare plants in the State. He leads the New Mexico Rare Plant Technical Committee (NMRPTC), formerly the NMPPAC, which meets regularly to review and update information on the status of rare New Mexico plants. Sivinski (1998), which is cited in NatureServe, appeared on the NMRTPC Web site in 1998, but is currently not readily available. In the 2008 version on the NMRTPC Web site that was accessed by the Service on March 4, 2008 at

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