5-year Status Review of the Lesser Long-nosed Bat (Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae)

About the Document

Title: 5-year Status Review of the Lesser Long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae)

Purpose: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) is conducting a 5-year status review of the endangered lesser long-nosed bat (Leptonycteris curasoae yerbabuenae) under section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act). The purpose of the 5-year review is to ensure that the listing classification of the species on the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants (50 CFR 17.12) is accurate and appropriate. The 5-year review document is an assessment of the best scientific data available at this time and will be the basis for recommendation by the Service on whether or not to propose a change in the current listing status (see Federal Register Notice announcing 5-year review; 70 FR 5460).

About the Peer Review Process

Type of Review: Influential

Date of Peer Review: Peer review will be initiated between February 26, 2007 and April 6, 2007.

Estimated Dissemination Date of the Final 5-year Review Document: August 2007.

Process: The Service will conduct external peer review of this document through letters to three or more independent scientific reviewers with expertise in nectar-feeding bat ecology and/or the conservation of bats.

Criteria for Reviewer Selection: Peer reviewers will be selected based on the following criteria:

• Expertise: Reviewers should have knowledge in one or more of the following areas: behavior and foraging of nectar-feeding bats and bat conservation.

• Independence: Reviewers should not be employed by the Service. Academic and consulting scientists and managers should have sufficient independence from the Service or the Department if the government supports their work.

• Objectivity: Reviewers should be recognized by their peers as being objective, open-minded, and thoughtful. Reviewers should be comfortable sharing their knowledge and identifying their knowledge gaps.

• Advocacy: Reviewers should not be known or recognized for an affiliation with an advocacy position regarding the protection of this species under the Endangered Species Act.

• Conflict of Interest: Reviewers should not have any financial or other interest that conflicts or that could impair their objectivity.

The Service will use the information received from the peer review in the conclusions and recommendations for the 5-year review of the lesser long-nosed bat.

About Public Participation

Public input for the 5-year review was sought with a Federal Register announcement (see 70 FR 5460) and the distribution by mail and press release of this announcement to interested parties.

The Service will post the final 5-year review document and recommendation for the lesser long-nosed bat, including a summary of the results of the peer review process on its web site at http://ecos.fws.gov/speciesProfile/SpeciesReport.do?spcode=A0AD.

If this 5-year review results in a recommendation to change the status of the lesser long-nosed bat, additional public review and comment will be sought with the publication of a proposed rule in the Federal Register to change the species status.

This peer review plan is made available on this website to allow the public to monitor our compliance with the Office of Management and Budget’s Final Information Quality Bulletin for Peer Review.