Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Threatened Species Status With Section 4(d) Rule for Pecos Pupfish and Designation of Critical Habitat

摘要

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to list the Pecos pupfish (Cyprinodon pecosensis), a fish species from the Pecos River Basin of New Mexico and Texas, as a threatened species and designate critical habitat 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 Pecos pupfish. After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that listing the species is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list the Pecos pupfish as a threatened species with a rule issued under section 4(d) of the Act ("4(d) rule"). If we finalize this rule as proposed, the Pecos pupfish would be added to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and the Act's protections would be extended to the species. We also propose to designate critical habitat for the Pecos pupfish under the Act. In total, 136.12 river miles (219.06 river kilometers) and 26,555.54 acres (10,746.64 hectares) in Chaves and Eddy Counties, New Mexico, and Culberson and Reeves Counties, Texas, fall within the boundaries of the proposed critical habitat designation. We also announce the availability of