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Q: What is the frecklebelly madtom鈥痑nd where does it occur?鈥赌�&苍产蝉辫;

The鈥痜recklebelly鈥痬adtom is a鈥痵mall, stout鈥痗atfish that inhabits the main channels and tributaries of medium to large river systems in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.  The fish has a broad but scattered distribution across the Pearl River and Mobile Basin drainages. Throughout its range, the frecklebelly madtom primarily occupies streams and rivers within the Gulf Coastal Plain province. However, it also occurs in the upland areas of the Ridge and Valley province in the Conasauga River and Piedmont Upland province in the Etowah River.   

Q: What action is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service taking?鈥赌�&苍产蝉辫;

After reviewing the best available science, the Service has determined that a distinct population segment of the鈥痵pecies located in the Upper Coosa River warrants listing as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) with critical habitat. The Service proposed this rule in November 2020, allowing a 60-day comment period. The listing is now being finalized along with critical habitat and 4(d)鈥痳ule which鈥痠ncludes鈥痚xceptions鈥痶o鈥痠ncidental take prohibitions resulting from projects that may benefit the species.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Q: What is a distinct population segment? 

Under the ESA, a distinct population segment (DPS) is a vertebrate population or group of populations that is discrete from other populations of the species and significant in relation to the entire species. After reviewing the best scientific information, the Service determined that the Upper Coosa River frecklebelly madtom populations in Georgia and Tennessee represent a DPS and that the DPS warranted listing. This DPS occupies the rivers and streams that join to form the Coosa River. 

By listing a DPS, the Service applies the ESA's protections only to the deteriorating portion of a species' range. Listing distinct population segments allows the Service to protect and conserve species and the ecosystems upon which they depend before a largescale decline occurs that would necessitate the ESA鈥檚 protections throughout a species鈥� entire range.  

Q: Why is the Service listing the frecklebelly madtom鈥痑s threatened under the Endangered Species Act?鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Poor water quality resulting from land development and agriculture use poses the largest risk to this DPS of the鈥痜recklebelly鈥痬adtom in the Upper Coosa River. These stressors put this DPS at risk of being endangered in the foreseeable future. Other potential stressors include channelization, dams, and impoundments. 

Q: Why isn鈥檛 the Service listing the entire range as threatened? 

The Service prepared a Species Status Assessment (SSA), a comprehensive compilation of the best available scientific and commercial information, which was then peer reviewed. The SSA showed that the species has sufficient levels of resiliency, representation, and redundancy across multiple units, sufficient to sustain the species into the foreseeable future. Therefore, the Service determined that listing the frecklebelly madtom as an endangered or a threatened species throughout all or a significant portion of its entire range is not warranted. However, the Service did find that the Upper Coosa River unit of the frecklebelly madtom is discrete and significant under the DPS policy. After determining this, the Service then evaluated the status of the Upper Coosa River DPS and found that listing is warranted for that DPS in Georgia and Tennessee.  Accordingly, we are listing the Upper Coosa River DPS of the frecklebelly madtom as a threatened species. 

Q: What is the critical habitat designation for the frecklebelly madtom?鈥赌�&苍产蝉辫;

The critical habitat designation鈥痜or the Upper Coosa River DPS of the frecklebelly madtom consists of 134鈥痵tream鈥痬iles of occupied habitat鈥痠n two units in Georgia and Tennessee. The final critical habitat does not include riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.

Learn more about riparian areas, only instream habitat to the high-water mark.  Unit 1 consists of 51.5 stream miles of the鈥疌onasauga鈥疪iver鈥痓eginning from the mouth of Coahulla Creek on the border between Whitfield and Murray counties, Georgia, continuing upstream to the mouth of Graham Branch in Polk County, Tennessee. Unit鈥�2鈥痗onsists of 82.5 stream miles鈥痮f the Etowah River, beginning at its confluence with Shoal Creek in Cherokee County, Georgia, continuing to a point that is 0.5 mile upstream where the Etowah River crosses Jay Bridge Road in Lumpkin County, Georgia.鈥疊oth units鈥痑re occupied by the鈥痵pecies鈥痑nd contain most of the physical or biological features essential to鈥痠ts鈥痗onservation.  

Both units of critical habitat overlap with multiple listed species, including the鈥痑mber and trispot鈥痙arters and freshwater mussels like the southern鈥痗lubshell and fine-lined pocketbook. No other river basin in North America has a higher percentage of endemic species as the Upper Coosa River, which researchers call a 鈥済lobally significant biological treasure.鈥�  

Q: Is there a map for the critical habitat designation?鈥赌�&苍产蝉辫;

鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Image Details

Final designation of critical habitat for the Upper Coosa River DPS of鈥痜recklebelly鈥痬adtom with鈥痷nits, riparian ownership, and length of units. 鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Q: What is critical habitat?鈥赌�&苍产蝉辫;

The Service鈥痟as the authority to identify鈥痗ritical habitat when it proposes to list an animal or plant鈥痑s鈥痚ndangered or threatened. Critical habitat鈥痠s identified based on what an animal or plant needs to survive and reproduce by reviewing the best scientific information concerning a species鈥� present and historical ranges, habitat, and biology.  

The designation of critical habitat helps ensure federal agencies and the public are aware of the habitat needs of the鈥痜recklebelly madtom and proper consultation is conducted by federal agencies when required by law.  

The designation will have no impact on private landowners taking actions on their land that do not require federal funding or permits.  

Q: What does a critical habitat designation do?鈥赌�&苍产蝉辫;

When an area is designated as critical habitat for a listed species, federal agencies are required to ensure that any action they fund, authorize, or carry out is not likely鈥痶o result in the destruction鈥痮f the habitat.  This is carried out through consultation with the Service鈥痷nder Section 7 Section 7
Section 7 Consultation The Endangered Species Act (ESA) directs all Federal agencies to work to conserve endangered and threatened species and to use their authorities to further the purposes of the Act. Section 7 of the Act, called "Interagency Cooperation," is the mechanism by which Federal agencies ensure the actions they take, including those they fund or authorize, do not jeopardize the existence of any listed species.

Learn more about Section 7 of the ESA. This only affects projects that鈥痳equire鈥痑 federal permit or鈥痮ther actions鈥痜unded or conducted by a federal agency. 鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

The designation of critical habitat does not affect land ownership or establish a refuge, wilderness, reserve, preserve or other conservation area conservation area
A conservation area or wildlife management area is a type of national wildlife refuge that consists primarily or entirely of conservation easements on private lands. These conservation easements support private landowner efforts to protect important habitat for fish and wildlife. There are 15 conservation areas and nine wildlife management areas in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Learn more about conservation area . A critical habitat designation also does not allow the government or public to access private lands, nor does it require implementation of restoration, recovery, or enhancement measures by non-federal landowners.  

Q: What is a 4(d) rule? 

For a threatened species, the Service may use flexibility provided under the ESA鈥檚 section 4(d) to tailor the take prohibitions to accommodate those actions that may provide conservation benefits for the species, referred to as a 4(d) rule.鈥疶he ESA allows for 4(d) rules that are 鈥渘ecessary and advisable鈥� for the conservation of the species.鈥疶his targeted approach can reduce ESA conflicts by allowing some activities to鈥痗ontinue鈥痶hat may benefit the madtom and鈥痙o not significantly harm it, while focusing our efforts on the threats that slow species recovery.鈥疶hese customized protections of the ESA minimize regulatory burden while maximizing the鈥痩ikelihood of recovery of a threatened species.鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Q: How does the 4(d) rule affect activities occurring in the frecklebelly madtom鈥檚 habitat? 

The final 4(d) rule will provide exceptions to incidental take resulting from the following:鈥� channel restoration projects, streambank restoration projects, and activities carried out under programs like the鈥疦atural Resource Conservation Service鈥檚 (NRCS)鈥使谔逵齛pp下载 Lands for Wildlife鈥�(WLFW) program鈥痮r similar projects. Based on information the Service received during the comment period, an exception was added for silviculture practices and forest management activities that use state-approved best management practices. 鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

Q: Where can I find the final listing, critical habitat, and 4(d) rule?鈥�&苍产蝉辫;

The complete listing rule can be obtained鈥痓y visiting鈥痶he Federal鈥痚Rulemaking鈥疨ortal: at Docket Number鈥疐WS鈥揜4鈥揈S鈥�2020-0058.鈥赌�&苍产蝉辫;