Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reclassification of Scutellaria montana (Large-Flowered Skullcap) From Endangered to Threatened

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are reclassifying Scutellaria montana (large-flowered skullcap) from its present endangered status to threatened status under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), because the endangered designation no longer correctly reflects the current status of this plant. This reclassification is based on the substantial improvement in the species' status. Since listing, when 10 occurrences (10 populations) were known, 74 additional occurrences (for a total of 48 populations) have been discovered, and the total known number of individual plants has increased from about 6,700 to more than 50,000. This final rule implements the Federal protection and recovery provisions for threatened plants, as provided by the Act, to large- flowered skullcap.