50 CFR Part 17

Résumé

The Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) proposes to list five freshwater mussels (Cumberland elktoe (Alasmidonta atropurpurea), oyster mussel (Epioblasma capsaeformis), Cumberlandian combshell (Epioblasma brevidens), purple bean (Villosa perpurpurea), and rough rabbitsfoot (Quadrula cylindrica strigillata)) as endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). All five species have undergone significant reductions in range and now exist as relatively small, isolated populations. The Cumberland elktoe exists in very localized portions of the Cumberland River system in Kentucky and Tennessee. The oyster mussel and Cumberland combshell persist at extremely low numbers in portions of the Cumberland and Tennessee River basins in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. The purple bean and rough rabbitsfoot currently survive in a few river reaches in the Tennessee River system in Tennessee and Virginia. These species were historically eliminated from much of their range by impoundments. Presently, they and their habitat are impacted by deteriorated water quality, primarily resulting from poor land use practices.