Reclassification of the Okaloosa Darter From Endangered to Threatened
Peer Review Plan
About the Document
Title: Reclassification
of the Okaloosa
Darter (Etheostoma
okaloosae)
from Endangered
to Threatened
Purpose: The
U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service
(Service) is
assessing the
status of the
federally listed,
endangered Okaloosa
darter under
section 4 of
the Endangered
Species Act of
1973, as amended
(Act). Under
this section
of the Act, we
can determine
whether or not
any federally
listed species
should be removed
from the List
(delisted), or
reclassified
from endangered
to threatened
or from threatened
to endangered.
About the Peer Review Process
Type of Review: Influential
Date of Peer Review: Peer
review will likely
occur between
June and August
2008.
Estimated Dissemination Date of the Final Rulemaking Document: June
2008.
Process: The
Service will
conduct external
peer review of
this document
through letters
sent to three
or more independent
scientific reviewers
with expertise
in darter biology
and conservation,
conservation
biology, and
wildlife biology
and conservation.
The Service
will make formal
requests for
peer review including
the Florida Fish
and Wildlife
Conservation
Commission, Eglin
Air Force Base,
U.S. Geological
Survey, and The
Nature Conservancy.
Peer review of
the scientific
information used
in our analysis
and the validity
of the data will
be requested.
The Service
will use the
information received
from the peer
review, as appropriate,
in the conclusions
and recommendations
for the status
of the Okaloosa
darter.
About Public Participation
The Service
will publish
a notice in the
Federal Register
regarding the
reclassification
of the Okaloosa
darter, including
a summary of
the results of
the peer review.
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.
Contact
Janet Mizzi,
U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service,
Panama City Ecological
Services Office,
850-769-0552
|
