U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Starts 5-Year Reviews for 78 Protected Species
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The notice starts required 5-year status reviews for 78 endangered or threatened species in Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, and California. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will use new scientific and commercial information to assess whether each species’ current protected status still fits its condition. Researchers, conservation groups, land managers, developers, agricultural operators, state agencies, and affected communities can submit new data by July 6, 2026. The review itself does not immediately change protections, but it can inform future decisions on recovery plans, listing status, habitat priorities, and conservation actions.
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Key Changes
- Starts 5-year status reviews for 78 endangered or threatened species across Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon, and California
- Requests new scientific and commercial information, including data on population trends, habitat, conservation measures, threats, and taxonomy
- Sets a July 6, 2026 deadline for comments submitted through regulations.gov or by authorized mail
Obligations
What this law requires
Any person submitting information for the 5-year status reviews must submit comments on or before July 6, 2026, and electronic submissions through Regulations.gov must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on that date.
Comment submissions must include docket number FWS-R1-ES-2026-0959.
Commenters must submit comments only through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at Regulations.gov or by U.S. mail to Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2026-0959, Policy and Regulations Branch, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB (JAO/3W), 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
Commenters must not submit comments by email, fax, hand delivery, unauthorized methods, or to addresses not listed in the notice, because those comments will not be considered.
Commenters submitting scientific or commercial information should support the submission with documentation such as maps, references, data collection and analysis methods, and copies of pertinent publications, reports, or letters by knowledgeable sources.