Following a review of the best available science, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to downlist the relict darter, a small fish native to the Bayou de Chien stream system in western Kentucky, from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Service is also proposing a 4(d) rule that tailors protections for the darter and making available a draft recovery plan for review and comment.
鈥淪pecies like the relict darter have benefitted from focused conservation efforts from our partners and with the assistance of the Service鈥檚 Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program,鈥� said the Service鈥檚 Regional Director, Leopoldo Miranda-Castro. 鈥淒espite the challenges that the species has faced over the decades, concerted conservation efforts inspired by the ESA have paid off.鈥�
The relict darter鈥痺as first listed as an endangered species in 1993 due to habitat deterioration and water pollution and siltation, resulting from stream channelization and poor land use practices. Since then, the darter has benefitted from conservation actions鈥痠n the Bayou de鈥疌hien鈥痵tream system.
The Service has worked to recover the darter with multiple agencies and private partners, including the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, and The Nature鈥疌onservancy. The鈥疭ervice鈥檚鈥疨artners for Fish and Wildlife Program鈥痯layed a leading role in providing technical and financial assistance to agencies and private landowners.
The Service is seeking comments on the darter鈥檚 proposed downlisting to threatened and the proposed 4(d) rule, which tailors take prohibitions to those that benefit the species.鈥疶his targeted approach minimizes regulatory burdens and reduces ESA conflicts by allowing some activities to鈥痗ontinue鈥痶hat may benefit鈥痮r not significantly harm the darter, while focusing efforts on the threats that slow鈥痶he species鈥欌€痳ecovery.鈥�
This proposed rule and supporting documents,鈥痠ncluding the 5-year review, the鈥痙raft鈥疪ecovery Plan,鈥痑nd the species status assessment (SSA) report鈥痑re鈥痑vailable at under Docket No. FWS鈥揜4鈥揈S鈥�2021鈥�0093. The Service will accept comments received or postmarked on or before May 2, 2022. We must receive requests for public hearings, in writing, at the address shown below by April 18, 2022.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT鈥�
尝别别鈥疉苍诲谤别飞蝉, Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kentucky Ecological Services Field Office, 330 West Broadway, Suite 265, Frankfort, KY, 40601.鈥疨ersons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service at 800鈥�877鈥�8339.鈥�
For more information on the relict darter, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions.
