Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Final Rule To List the Flatwoods Salamander as a Threatened Species

We, the Fish and Wildlife Service, determine the flatwoods salamander (Ambystoma cingulatum) to be a threatened species under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This salamander occurs in isolated populations scattered across the lower southeastern Coastal Plain in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Habitat loss and degradation from agriculture, urbanization, and silvicultural practices have resulted in the loss of more than 80 percent of its pine flatwoods habitat. Surviving populations are currently threatened by the continued destruction and degradation of their habitat. This action extends the protection of the Act for the flatwoods salamander.