Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Mariana Mallard and the Guam Broadbill From the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife

Under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act), as amended, we, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), remove the Mariana mallard (Anas platyrhynchos oustaleti) and Guam broadbill (Myiagra freycineti) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. All available information indicates that these species are extinct. The Mariana mallard was endemic to the Mariana Archipelago and documented to have occurred on the islands of Guam, Tinian, and Saipan. We listed the Mariana mallard as endangered on June 2, 1977 (42 FR 28136), because its population was critically low due to excessive hunting and loss of wetland habitat. No confirmed sightings of the Mariana mallard have been made since 1979. The Guam broadbill was endemic to the island of Guam. We listed the Guam broadbill as endangered on August 27, 1984 (49 FR 33881), because of its critically low population. No confirmed sightings of the Guam broadbill have been made since 1984. This final rule removes the Federal protection provided by the Act for the Guam broadbill and Mariana mallard but does not alter or supersede their designation by the government of Guam as endangered species. The Mariana mallard is not a species protected by the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Government (CNMI).