2021-18098: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Threatened Status With Section 4(d) Rule for the Dolphin and Union Caribou and 12-Month Finding for the Peary Caribou

Summary

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, announce a 12-month finding on a petition to list the Peary caribou (Rangifer tarandus pearyi) (a caribou subspecies) and the Dolphin and Union caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus x peary) as endangered or threatened subspecies under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Both Peary caribou and Dolphin and Union caribou are native only to Canada. After a review of the best available scientific and commercial information, we find that it is not warranted at this time to add the Peary caribou to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. We find that listing the Dolphin and Union caribou as a Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of the barren-ground caribou subspecies (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) is warranted. Accordingly, we propose to list this DPS with a rule issued under section 4(d) of the Act ("4(d) rule"). To ensure that subsequent rulemaking resulting from this proposed rule is as accurate and effective as possible, we are soliciting information from the public, other governmental agencies, the Government of Canada and its provincial governments, the scientific community, industry, and any other interested parties.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

What this changes

Amends 1 part of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

• 50 CFR 17 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants