81 FR 56692 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 5-Year Status Reviews of 14 Caribbean Species

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 162 (August 22, 2016)

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are initiating 5-year status reviews of 14 Caribbean species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). A 5-year review is an assessment of the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review. We are requesting submission of information that has become available since the last review of each of these species.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 162 (Monday, August 22, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56692-56693]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-19940]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

[FWS-R4-ES-2016-N116; FXES11130900000C2-167-FF09E32000]


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 5-Year Status 
Reviews of 14 Caribbean 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 status reviews of 14 Caribbean species under the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). A 5-year review is an 
assessment of the best scientific and commercial data available at the 
time of the review. We are requesting submission of information that 
has become available since the last review of each of these species.

DATES: To allow us adequate time to conduct these reviews, we must 
receive your comments or information on or before October 21, 2016. 
However, we will continue to accept new information about any listed 
species at any time.

ADDRESSES: For instructions on how to submit information and review 
information we receive on these species, see ``Request for New 
Information.''

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For species-specific information, see 
``Request for New Information.''

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Why do we conduct a 5-year review?

    Under the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), we maintain lists of 
endangered and threatened wildlife and plant species in the Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 17.11 (for wildlife) and 17.12 (for 
plants). Section 4(c)(2)(A) of the Act 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 those species under active review. For additional 
information about 5-year reviews, go to http://www.fws.gov/endangered/what-we-do/recovery-overview.html, scroll down to ``Learn More about 5-
Year Reviews,'' and click on our factsheet.

Species Under Review

Endangered

    This notice announces our active review of 12 species that are 
currently listed as endangered:
Fish and Wildlife
Yellow-shouldered blackbird (Agelaius xanthomus)
Puerto Rican plain pigeon (Patagioenas inornata wetmorei)
Puerto Rican boa (Epicrates inornatus)
Virgin Islands boa (Epicrates monensis granti)
Plants
Auerodendron pauciflorum (no common name)
Catesbea melanocarpa (no common name)
Elaphoglossum serpens (no common name)
Mitracarpus maxwelliae (no common name)
Mitracarpus polycladus (no common name)
Polystichum calderonense (no common name)
Tectaria estremerana (no common name)

[[Page 56693]]

Trichilia triacantha (bariaco)

Threatened

    This notice also announces our active review of two species that 
are currently listed as threatened:
Fish and Wildlife
    Guajon (Elaphoglossum serpens)
Plants
Harrisia portoricensis (Higo chumbo)

What information do we consider in our review?

    A 5-year review considers the best scientific and commercial data 
that have become available since the current listing determination or 
most recent status review of each species, such as:
    A. Species biology, including but not limited to population trends, 
distribution, abundance, demographics, and genetics;
    B. Habitat conditions, including but not limited to amount, 
distribution, and suitability;
    C. Conservation measures that have been implemented to benefit the 
species;
    D. Threat status and trends (see five factors under heading ``How 
do we determine whether a species is endangered or threatened?''); and
    E. 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.
    New information will be considered in the 5-year review and ongoing 
recovery programs for the species.

Definitions

    A. Species means any species or subspecies of fish, wildlife, or 
plant, and any distinct population segment of any species of vertebrate 
which interbreeds when mature.
    B. Endangered means any species that is in danger of extinction 
throughout all or a significant portion of its range.
    C. Threatened means any species that is likely to become an 
endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a 
significant portion of its range.

How do we determine whether a species is endangered or threatened?

    Section 4(a)(1) of the Act establishes that we determine whether a 
species is endangered or threatened based on one or more of the 
following five factors:
    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. The inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or
    E. Other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued 
existence.

Request for New Information

    To do any of the following, contact the Service's Caribbean 
Ecological Services Field Office, Road 301, Km. 5.1, P.O. Box 491, 
Boquer[oacute]n, PR 00622; fax 787-851-7440, or the specific person at 
that office associated with the species you are interested in below:
    A. To get more information on a species;
    B. To submit information on a species; or
    C. To review information we receive, which will be available for 
public inspection by appointment, during normal business hours at the 
Caribbean Ecological Services Field Office at the address above.
Birds
     Yellow-shouldered blackbird (Agelaius xanthomus), and 
Puerto Rican plain pigeon (Patagioenas inornata wetmorei): For 
information on these species, contact Jos[eacute] Cruz-Burgos, by phone 
at 787-851-7297, ext. 218, or by email at jos[eacute][email protected].
Reptiles
     Puerto Rican boa (Epicrates inornatus): For information on 
this species, contact Jan P. Zegarra, by phone at 787-851-7297, ext. 
220, or by email at [email protected].
     Virgin Islands boa (Epicrates monensis granti): For 
information on this species, contact Carlos Pacheco, by phone at 787-
851-7297, ext. 221, or by email at [email protected].
Amphibians
     Guaj[oacute]n (Eleutherodacytlus cooki): For information 
on this species, contact Jan Zegarra (see contact information above).
Plants
     Auerodendron pauciflorum and Bariaco: For information on 
these species, contact Jos[eacute] Mart[iacute]nez, by phone at 787-
851-7297, ext. 219, or by email at [email protected].
     Catesbea melanocarpa: For information on this species, 
contact Maritza Vargas by phone at 787-851-7297 ext. 215 or by email at 
[email protected].
     Mitracarpus maxwelliae and M. polycladus: For information 
on these species, contact Carlos Pacheco (see contact information 
above).
     Elaphoglossum serpens, Polystichum calderonense, Tectaria 
estremerana, and Harrisia portoricensis (higo chumbo): For information 
on these species, contact Xiomara Labiosa, by phone at 787-851-7297, 
ext. 213, or by email at [email protected].
    We request any new information concerning the status of any of 
these 14 species. See ``What information do we consider in our 
review?'' heading for specific criteria. Information submitted should 
be supported by 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.

Public Availability of Comments

    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that the entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

Authority

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

    Dated: August 15, 2016.
Mike Oetker,
Acting Regional Director, Southeast Region.
[FR Doc. 2016-19940 Filed 8-19-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-55-P