What is a 5-Year Review?
Under the Endangered Species Act (Act), the Service maintains a List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants. Under section 4(c)(2)(A) of the Act, we are required to conduct a review of listed species at least once every 5 years.
On the basis of these 5-year reviews, we determine whether or not any species should be removed from the List (delisted), or reclassified from endangered to threatened or from threatened to endangered.
The Service publishes a notice in the Federal Register announcing the initiation of these reviews and provides the public an opportunity to submit relevant information regarding the species and its threats.
View U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Federal Register Documents.
View Southeast Region 5-Year Reviews for Federally Listed Species.
What Information Is Considered in a 5-Year Review?
A 5-year review considers all new information available at the time of the review. These reviews will consider the best scientific and commercial data that has become available since the current listing determination or most recent status review, such as:
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Species biology including, but not limited to, population trends, distribution, abundance, demographics, and genetics;
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Habitat conditions including, but not limited to, amount, distribution, and suitability;
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Conservation measures that have been implemented that benefit the species;
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Threat status and trends; and
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Other new information, data, or corrections including, but not limited to, taxonomic or nomenclatural changes, identification of erroneous information contained in the List, and improved analytical methods.
What Could Happen as a Result of a 5-Year Review?
If we find that there is information indicating a change in classification for a species may be warranted, we may propose a new rule that could do one of the following: (a) Reclassify the species from threatened to endangered; (b) reclassify the species from endangered to threatened; or (c) remove the species from the List.
See Delisting a Species.
If we find that a change in classification is not warranted, the species will remain on the List under its current status.
To ensure that 5-year reviews are complete and based on the best available scientific and commercial information, the Service solicits new information from the public, concerned governmental agencies, Tribes, the scientific community, industry, environmental entities, and any other interested parties concerning the status of any species that is the subject of a 5-Year review.
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