Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for Southern Elktoe and Designation of Critical Habitat

Issuing agencies

Abstract

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the southern elktoe (Alasmidonta triangulata), a freshwater mussel species endemic to the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Basin of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, as an endangered species and designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This determination also serves as our 12-month finding on a petition to list the southern elktoe. After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the southern elktoe as an endangered species under the Act. We also propose to designate critical habitat for the southern elktoe under the Act. In total, approximately 578 river miles (929 river kilometers) in Russell County, Alabama; Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Jackson, and Liberty Counties, Florida; and Baker, Coweta, Crawford, Decatur, Dooly, Dougherty, Fayette, Harris, Macon, Meriwether, Mitchell, Peach, Pike, Spalding, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, and Upson Counties, Georgia, fall within the boundaries of the proposed critical habitat designation. We announce the availability of a draft economic analysis of the proposed designation of critical habitat for southern elktoe. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and extend the Act's protections to the species and its critical habitat.