🐍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🐋Proposed Authorization for Polar Bears and Walruses in Alaska
We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in response to a request under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, as amended, from Narwhal LLC, propose to authorize nonlethal, incidental take by harassment of small numbers of Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) and Southern Beaufort Sea (SBS) polar bears (Ursus maritimus) between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026. The applicant requested this authorization for take by harassment that may result from activities associated with shallow hazard surveys, preliminary field surveys, exploratory drilling operations, and summer cleanup activities in West Harrison Bay, Alaska. This proposed authorization, if finalized, will be for up to 15 takes of walruses and 13 takes of polar bears by Level B harassment only. No take by injury or mortality is requested, expected, or proposed to be authorized. We invite comments on the proposed incidental harassment authorization and the accompanying draft environmental assessment from the public and local, State, Tribal, and Federal agencies.
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