2020-17091: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for Marron Bacora and Designation of Critical Habitat

Summary

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are proposing to list the marron bacora (Solanum conocarpum), a plant species from the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, as an endangered species and designate critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). 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 marron bacora as an endangered species under the Act. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would add this species to the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants and extend the Act's protections to the species. We also propose to designate critical habitat for the marron bacora under the Act. In total, approximately 2,549 acres (1,032 hectares) on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, fall within the boundaries of the proposed critical habitat designation. Finally, we announce the availability of a draft economic analysis (DEA) of the proposed designation of critical habitat for marron bacora.

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