Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Withdrawal of the Proposed Rule To List the Sacramento Mountains Checkerspot Butterfly as Endangered With Critical Habitat

Résumé

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), withdraw the proposed rule published in the Federal Register on September 6, 2001 (66 FR 46575), to list the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas anicia cloudcrofti) (butterfly) as endangered with critical habitat pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This withdrawal is based on our conclusion that the threats to the species as identified in the proposed rule are not as significant as earlier believed. We base this conclusion on our analysis of current threats. We find that best scientific and commercial data available indicate that the threats to the species and its habitat, as analyzed under the five listing factors described in section 4(a)(1) of the Act, have been reduced below the statutory definition of threatened or endangered. Therefore, we are withdrawing our proposal to list the species as endangered.