2015-31725. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Initiation of 5-Year Status Reviews of One Listed Animal and Five Listed Plant Species

AGENCY:

Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION:

Notice of initiation of reviews; request for information.

SUMMARY:

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are initiating 5-year status reviews under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), for one animal and five plant species. A 5-year status review is based on the best scientific and commercial data available at the time of the review; therefore, we are requesting submission of any such information that has become available since the last review for the species.

DATES:

To ensure consideration, please send your written information by February 16, 2016. However, we will continue to accept new information about any listed species at any time.

ADDRESSES:

For how to send comments or information for each species, see the table in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

To request information, contact the appropriate person in the table in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section. Individuals who are hearing impaired or speech impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339 for TTY assistance.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

We are initiating 5-year status reviews under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), for one animal and five plant species: Illinois cave amphipod (Gammarus acherondytes), Michigan monkey flower (Mimulus michiganensis), Running buffalo clover (Trifolium stoloniferum), Minnesota dwarf trout lily (Erythronium propullans), Western prairie fringed orchid (Platanthera praeclara), and Prairie bush clover (Lespedeza leptostachya).

Why do we conduct 5-year reviews?

Under the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), we maintain Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants (which we collectively refer to as the List) in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 17.11 (for animals) 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.

What information do we consider in our review?

A 5-year review considers all new information available at the time of the review. In conducting these reviews, we consider the best scientific and commercial data that have become available since the listing determination or most recent status review, 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 that benefit the species;

(D) Threat status and trends in relation to the five listing factors (as defined in section 4(a)(1) of the Act); 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.

Any new information will be considered during the 5-year review and will also be useful in evaluating the ongoing recovery programs for the species.

What species are under review?

This notice announces our active 5-year status reviews of the species in the following table.

Animals
Common name	Scientific name	Listing status	Where listed	Final listing rule (Federal Register citation and publication date)	Contact person, phone, email	Contact person's U.S. mail address
Illinois cave amphipod	Gammarus acherondytes	E	Illinois	63 FR 46900; September 3, 1988	Kristin Lundh; [e-mail]; 309-757-5800, x215	USFWS; 1511 47th Avenue; Moline, IL 61265.

Plants
Scientific name	Common name	Listing status	Where listed	Final listing rule (Federal Register citation and publication date)	Contact person, phone, email	Contact person's U.S. mail address
Mimulus michiganensis	Michigan monkey flower	E	Michigan	55 FR 25596; June 21, 1990	Barb Hosler; [e-mail]; 517-351-6326	USFWS; 2651 Coolidge Road, Suite 101; East Lansing, MI 48823.
Trifolium stoloniferum	Running buffalo clover	E	Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, West Virginia	52 FR 21481; June 5, 1987	Jennifer Finfera; 614-416-8993, x13; [e-mail]	USFWS; 4625 Morse Road, Suite 104; Columbus, OH 43230.
Erythronium propullans	Minnesota dwarf trout lily	E	Minnesota	73 FR 21643; March 26, 1986	Phil Delphey; [e-mail]; 612-725-3548, x2206	USFWS; 4101 American Boulevard East; Bloomington, MN 55425.
Platanthera praeclara	Western prairie fringed orchid	T	Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota	54 FR 39875; September 28, 1989	Phil Delphey; [e-mail]; 612-725-3548, x2206	USFWS; 4101 American Boulevard East; Bloomington, MN 55425.
Lespedeza leptostachya. *	Prairie bush clover	T	Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin	52 FR 781; June 9, 1987	Phil Delphey; [e-mail]; 612-725-3548, x2206	USFWS; 4101 American Boulevard East; Bloomington, MN 55425.
* Species' 5-year review was previously initiated, but that review was never completed. We are reinitiating here to ensure that we have the most up-to-date information to complete the review.

Request for Information

To ensure that a 5-year review is complete and based on the best available scientific and commercial information, we request new information from all sources. See “What Information Do We Consider in Our Review?” for specific topics. If you submit information, please support it with 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.

How do I ask questions or provide information?

If you wish to provide information for any species listed above, please submit your comments and materials to the appropriate contact in the table above. You may also direct questions to those contacts. Individuals who are hearing impaired or speech impaired may call the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339 for TTY assistance.

Public Availability of Submissions

Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your 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.

Comments and materials received will be available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the offices where the comments are submitted.

Completed and Active Reviews

A list of all completed 5-year reviews addressing species for which the Midwest Region of the Service has lead responsibility is available at http://www.fws.gov/​midwest/​endangered/​recovery/​5yr_​rev/​completed5yrs.hml.

Authority

We publish this notice under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

Dated: November 23, 2015.

Lynn M. Lewis,

Assistant Regional Director, Ecological Services, Midwest Region.