FWS Extends Comment Period on Four Proposals to Designate Critical Habitat in Florida

On November 28, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service published a notice extending the comment periods on four rules pertaining to the listing of several species as threatened or endangered. The rules would also designate various areas in south Florida as critical habitat for the species. These species include the Florida Keys mole skink, Big Pine partridge pea, wedge spurge, sand flax, Blodgett’s silverbush, Everglades bully, Florida pineland crabgrass, pineland sandmat, Florida prairie-clover, Key ring-necked snake, and rim rock crowned snake. The agency states that it is allowing for additional time for those impacted by Hurricane Ian to review and comment on the rules. More details regarding each of the four rules are below.

Written comments on all the rules are due by January 12, 2023.

• Read the notice extending the comment periods.
• Read the rule covering the Florida Keys mole skink.
• Read the rule covering the Big Pine partridge pea, wedge spurge, sand flax, and Blodgett’s silverbush.
• Read the rule covering the Everglades bully, Florida pineland crabgrass, pineland sandmat, and Florida prairie-clover.
• Read the rule covering the Key ring-necked snake and rim rock crowned snake.  

Advocacy contact: Send an email to Prianka Sharma at prianka.sharma@sba.gov or call at (202) 205-6938.