Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for the Alabama Hickorynut and Threatened Status With Section 4(d) Rule for Obovaria cf. unicolor

Resumen

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the Alabama hickorynut (Obovaria unicolor) as an endangered species and the undescribed Obovaria cf. unicolor as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended. Both species are freshwater mussels. This document also serves as our 12-month finding on a petition to list the Alabama hickorynut. For Obovaria cf. unicolor, we also propose a rule issued under section 4(d) of the Act to provide for the conservation of the species. If we adopt this rule as proposed, it would apply the protections of the Act to these species. We find that designation of critical habitat for both the Alabama hickorynut and Obovaria cf. unicolor is prudent but not determinable at this time.