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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 178 / Friday, September 17, 2021 / Proposed Rules On July 29, 2021, we received a new petition dated July 29, 2021 from Western Watersheds Project and 70
other organizations requesting that the gray wolf in western North America be listed as an endangered species under the Act second petition. On August 10, 2021, we received an addendum dated August 9, 2021 to the second petition.
Both petitions clearly identified themselves as such and included the requisite identification information for the petitioner, required at 50 CFR
424.14c. This finding addresses both petitions.
Evaluation of Information Summary and Finding We reviewed the petitions, sources cited in the petitions, and other readily available information. We considered the factors under section 4a1 and assessed the effect that the threats identified within the factorsas may be ameliorated or exacerbated by any existing regulatory mechanisms or conservation effortsmay have on the species now and in the foreseeable future. Based on our review of the petitions and readily available information regarding human-caused mortality, we find that the petitioners present credible and substantial information that human-caused mortality Factor B may be a potential threat to the species in Idaho and Montana. These two States include
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approximately 75 percent of gray wolves in a potential Northern Rocky Mountains or Western DPS. The petitioners also provide credible and substantial information that new regulations in these two States may be inadequate to address this potential threat Factor D. Therefore, we find that the petitions present substantial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted in a Northern Rocky Mountains or Western DPS. The petitioners also presented information suggesting that habitat modification due to a reduced prey base Factor A, disease Factor C, and loss of genetic diversity caused by isolation and small population size Factor E
may be threats to the gray wolf. We will fully evaluate these and all other potential threats, as well as the validity of each DPS, in detail based on the best scientific and commercial data available when we conduct the status assessment and make the 12-month finding.
The basis for our finding on these petitions, and other information regarding our review of the petitions, can be found as an appendix at http
www.regulations.gov under Docket No.
FWSHQES20210106 under the Supporting Documents section.
Conclusion On the basis of our evaluation of the information presented in the petitions under sections 4b3A and
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4b3Di of the Act, we have determined that the petitions summarized above for the gray wolf present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned actions may be warranted. We are, therefore, initiating a status review of the species to determine whether the actions are warranted under the Act. At the conclusion of the status review, we will issue a finding, in accordance with section 4b3B of the Act, as to whether the petitioned actions are not warranted, warranted, or warranted but precluded by pending proposals to determine whether any species is an endangered species or a threatened species.
Authors The primary authors of this document are staff members of the Ecological Services Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Authority The authority for these actions is the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq..
Gary Frazer, Assistant Director, Ecological Services, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.
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