🐍Proposed Regulation for Southern Hognose Snake Listing
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the southern hognose snake (Heterodon simus), a small, fossorial snake species from the coastal plains and sandhills across the southeastern United States, as a threatened species 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 hognose snake. After a review of the best scientific and commercial data available, we find that listing the species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the southern hognose snake as a threatened species with protective regulations under section 4(d) of the Act ("4(d) rule"). 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. We find that designating critical habitat for this species is prudent but not determinable at this time.
Learn More🦆Economic Impact of 2025-26 Migratory Bird Hunting Regulations
This rule prescribes the seasons, hours, areas, and daily bag and possession limits for hunting migratory game birds. Taking of migratory game birds is prohibited unless specifically provided for by annual regulations. This rule permits the taking of designated species during the 2025-26 season.
Learn More⚖️Civil Monetary Penalties Adjusted for 2025 by Fish and Wildlife Service
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service or we) issues this final rule to adjust for inflation the statutory civil monetary penalties that may be assessed for violations of Service-administered statutes and their implementing regulations. We issue this rule in accordance with the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 (the 2015 Act) and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) memorandum M-25-02. We are required to adjust civil monetary penalties annually for inflation according to a formula specified in the 2015 Act. This rule replaces the previously issued amounts with the updated amounts after using the 2025 inflation adjustment multiplier provided in M-25-02.
Learn More🦎Proposed Rule for Borneo Earless Monitor Endangered Status
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the Borneo earless monitor (Lanthanotus borneensis), a lizard species from Borneo, as a threatened species 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 Borneo earless monitor. After a review of the best scientific and commercial data available, we find that listing the species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the Borneo earless monitor as a threatened species with protective regulations under section 4(d) of the Act ("4(d) rule"). 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.
Learn More🌿Proposed Delisting of Virginia Sneezeweed and Business Implications
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to remove Virginia sneezeweed (Helenium virginicum) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants. Our review indicates that the threats to Virginia sneezeweed have been eliminated or reduced to the point that the species no longer meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Accordingly, we propose to delist Virginia sneezeweed. If we finalize this rule as proposed, the prohibitions and conservation measures provided by the Act, particularly through sections 7 and 9, would no longer apply to Virginia sneezeweed.
Learn More🐟Roanoke Logperch Delisting and Its Impact on Business Operations
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are removing the Roanoke logperch (Percina rex), a freshwater fish in the perch family (Percidae), from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. After a review of the best scientific and commercial data available, we find that delisting the species is warranted. Our review indicates that the threats to the Roanoke logperch have been eliminated or reduced to the point that the species no longer meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Accordingly, the prohibitions and conservation measures provided by the Act, particularly through sections 7 and 9, will no longer apply to the Roanoke logperch.
Learn More🐟Proposed Endangered Status for Barrens Darter
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the Barrens darter (Etheostoma forbesi), a fish species from Cannon, Coffee, Grundy, and Warren Counties, Tennessee, as an endangered species 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 Barrens darter. After a review of the best scientific and commercial data available, we find that listing the species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the Barrens darter as an endangered species under the Act. 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. We find that designating critical habitat for this species is not determinable at this time.
Learn More🦙Proposed Endangered Species Listing for Seven Pangolin Species
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list seven species of pangolin distributed throughout Asia and Africa as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This determination also serves as our 12-month finding on a petition to list these species. After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing these species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla), Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), Sunda pangolin (Manis javanica), Philippine pangolin (Manis culionensis), white-bellied pangolin (Phataginus tricuspis), black- bellied pangolin (Phataginus tetradactyla) and giant pangolin (Smutsia gigantea) as endangered species under the Act. Finalizing this rule as proposed would add these species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and extend the Act's protections to these species. We also propose to revise the entry for Temminck's ground pangolin, which is listed as an endangered species under the Act, to reflect the species' current common name spelling and to use the most recently accepted scientific name.
Learn More🐟Proposed Rule to Delist Gila Chub from Endangered Species List
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to remove the Gila chub (Gila intermedia) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. Our review indicates that, based on the best scientific and commercial data available, the Gila chub is not a valid taxonomic entity and does not meet the definition of a species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Accordingly, we propose to delist the Gila chub. If we finalize this rule as proposed, the prohibitions and conservation measures provided by the Act, particularly through sections 7 and 9, would no longer apply to the Gila chub.
Learn More🌱Proposed Endangered Status for Ghost Orchid
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii), a flowering plant species found in the United States in southwestern Florida and in Cuba as an endangered species 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 ghost orchid. After a review of the best scientific and commercial data available, we find that listing the species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the ghost orchid as an endangered species under the Act. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would add this species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Plants and extend the Act's protections to the species. We find that designating critical habitat for this species is not prudent.
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