Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Final Listing Priority Guidance for Fiscal Year 1997

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces final guidance for assigning relative priorities to listing actions conducted under section 4 of the Endangered Species Act (Act) during fiscal year (FY) 1997. Highest priority will be processing emergency listing rules for any species determined to face a significant risk to its well being. Second priority will be processing final determinations on proposed additions to the lists of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants. Third priority will be processing new proposals to add species to the lists and processing administrative findings on petitions to add species to the lists that are filed under section 4 of the Act. Processing of proposed or final designations of critical habitat and processing of proposed or final delistings and reclassifications from endangered to threatened status will be accorded lowest priority. Effective April 1, 1997, the Service will implement a more balanced listing program nationwide, which means that during the second half of FY 1997 the remaining listing appropriation will be apportioned among the processing of any emergency listing rules, the issuance of final listing determinations, the preparation of proposed listing rules for candidate species, and the processing of listing petitions. However, the lower priority accorded to rulemaking and petition processing activities for critical habitat designations and delisting (or downlisting) actions will be maintained throughout FY 1997.