News & Analysis as of

US Fish and Wildlife Service Regulatory Reform Comment Period

Troutman Pepper Locke

Déjà vu? FWS Solicits Feedback to Update Section 10(a) of the ESA

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On Monday, June 9, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) opened a short, 30-day public comment period soliciting information and comments to, “improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness” of Section 10(a) take...more

Foley Hoag LLP - Environmental Law

Major Shift Proposed for Endangered Species Act Interpretation: Redefining “Harm”

On April 17, 2025, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued a proposed rule to rescind the regulatory definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This...more

Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP

FWS and NOAA propose to narrow reach of Endangered Species Act

On April 17, 2025, the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published a notice of proposed rulemaking to rescind the definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act...more

Nossaman LLP

Agencies Move to Rescind “Harm” Definition under Endangered Species Act

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On April 17, 2025, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively, Services) published a notice in the Federal Register proposing to rescind the Services’ respective...more

Nossaman LLP

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes Listing Oblong Rocksnail, Once Believed Extinct

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On October 31, 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) proposed listing the oblong rocksnail (Leptoxis compacta) as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The freshwater snail exists only in...more

Nossaman LLP

Services Propose New Regulatory Revisions Under the Endangered Species Act

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On June 22, 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) (collectively, the Services), issued three sets of proposed revisions to their Endangered Species Act (ESA) regulations...more

Nossaman LLP

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes Revised Critical Habitat Designation for Rufa Red Knot

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On April 13, 2023, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (“Service”) published a proposed rule to revise the critical habitat designation for the rufa red knot (Calidris canutus rufa). The red knot is a shorebird that...more

Nossaman LLP

Service Proposes to Overhaul ESA Permitting Regulations

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On February 9, 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) published proposed revisions to its regulations governing incidental take and enhancement of survival permitting under Endangered Species Act (ESA) section 10....more

Nossaman LLP

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Proposes Revised Critical Habitat for the Sickle Darter

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On January 24, 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) proposed to designate approximately 104 river miles as critical habitat for the sickle darter (Percina williamsi) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The...more

Nossaman LLP

Service Proposes Listing Two California Salamander Species with Critical Habitat Designations

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On October 18, 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced 12-month findings on a petition to list three California-based salamander species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA): the Kern Plateau salamander...more

Nossaman LLP

Service Proposes Listing and Critical Habitat Designation for Magnificent Snail

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For the magnificent ramshorn (Planorbella magnifica), a fresh-water snail species native to southeastern North Carolina, efforts to secure protection under the federal Endangered Species Act have progressed at a snail’s pace....more

Nossaman LLP

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Seeks Input On Conservation Banking Rules

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On July 27, 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) seeking comment on species conservation banking. Species conservation banking gives developers and other...more

Nossaman LLP

Diminutive Desert Owl Makes Big Waves

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On December 22, 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) proposed to list the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl (Glaucidium brasilianum cactorum) (Owl) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) primarily due...more

Nossaman LLP

Threatened Listing and 4(d) Rule for Texas Plant Species

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On November 10, 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) published a proposed rule to list the bracted twistflower (Streptanthus bracteatus), a plant species found only in Texas, as a threatened species under the...more

Nossaman LLP

Service Proposes Critical Habitat Designation for Coastal DPS of Pacific Marten

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On October 25, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) published a proposed rule to designate critical habitat for the coastal distinct population segment (DPS) of Pacific marten (Martes caurina), also known as coastal...more

Nossaman LLP

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Proposes Listing Bog Buck Moth as Endangered

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On October 14, 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) issued a proposed rule to list the bog buck moth (Hemileuca maia menyanthevora) (= H.iroquois) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA)....more

Nossaman LLP

Biden Administration Turns Its Focus on Birds

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In the last few weeks, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has published several major regulatory actions affecting federal avian protections.  The Service has repealed a Trump-era rule that excluded incidental take...more

Nossaman LLP

Trump Administration Bird Rule on the Chopping Block

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On May 7, 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), as many anticipated, published a proposed rule to revoke a Trump Administration rule impacting the scope of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA).  The Trump...more

Nossaman LLP

Template for Mitigation Banking Instruments in California to be Revised

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On December 3, 2020, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other agencies (collectively, “Agencies”) announced an update to the standard Bank...more

Nossaman LLP

USFWS proposes to codify Trump Administration position on MBTA

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Yesterday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) released a pre-publication version of its long-awaited update to regulations governing Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) implementation (Proposed Regulations)....more

Nossaman LLP

Initiation of 5-year Status Reviews for 66 Species in California and Nevada

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On January 28, 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) published a notice and request for information in connection with USFWS’s initiation of 5-year status reviews for 66 species found in California and Nevada....more

Nossaman LLP

Service Launches Comprehensive Review of Grizzly Bear ESA Status

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On Tuesday, January 14, 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) published a federal register notice that it will be commencing a comprehensive study of the status of the Grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis)....more

Nossaman LLP

FWS Proposes Removing Kanab Ambersnail from ESA Protection

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On January 6, 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register announcing the agency’s finding that the Kanab ambersnail (Oxyloma haydeni kanabensis) is no longer warranted for...more

Nossaman LLP

FWS Proposes Removing Interior Least Tern from ESA Protection

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On October 24, 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) published a proposed rule in the Federal Register announcing the agency’s finding that the interior least tern (Sterna antillarum) is no longer warranted for...more

Nossaman LLP

USFWS Announces Plans to Revise Hundreds of ESA Recovery Plans

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On January 31, 2019, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced plans to amend up to 182 Endangered Species Act (ESA) recovery plans, which potentially cover over 305 animal and plant species, over the next year....more

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