{"abstract":"We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS; collectively, the \"Services\"), propose to revise portions of our regulations for section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA or Act). The proposed revisions to the regulations clarify and interpret portions of the Act concerning the procedures and criteria used for listing, reclassifying, and delisting species on the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants and designating critical habitat.","action":"Proposed rule; request for comment.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR","name":"Interior Department","id":253,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/interior-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/253","parent_id":null,"slug":"interior-department"},{"raw_name":"Fish and Wildlife Service","name":"Fish and Wildlife Service","id":197,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/fish-and-wildlife-service","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/197","parent_id":253,"slug":"fish-and-wildlife-service"},{"raw_name":"DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE","name":"Commerce Department","id":54,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/commerce-department","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/54","parent_id":null,"slug":"commerce-department"},{"raw_name":"National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration","name":"National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration","id":361,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/361","parent_id":54,"slug":"national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administration"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2025/11/21/2025-20549.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":424,"title":50}],"citation":"90 FR 52607","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":"2025-12-22","correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"Comments must be received by December 22, 2025.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Docket No. FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0039, FXES11110900000-256-FF09E23000","Docket No. 251105-0168"],"dockets":[{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"20090116_DOI Solicitors Opinion M-37021","document_id":"FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0039-0004"},{"title":"RIN_1018–BI73_0648-BN70_prop-424-regs_100-Word Summary","document_id":"FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0039-0003"},{"title":"RIN_1018–BI73_0648-BN70_S4-compare-final-2024-proposed-2025","document_id":"FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0039-0002"}],"agency_name":"FWS","documents":[{"comment_count":349358,"comment_start_date":"2025-11-21","updated_at":"2026-01-25T00:56:06.102-05:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0039-0001","allow_late_comments":false,"id":"FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0039-0001","comment_end_date":"2025-12-23","regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":3,"id":"FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0039","title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat"},{"supporting_documents":[],"agency_name":"NOAA","documents":[{"comment_count":null,"comment_start_date":null,"updated_at":"2025-11-21T10:04:23.084-05:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/NOAA-NMFS-2025-0966-0001","allow_late_comments":false,"id":"NOAA-NMFS-2025-0966-0001","comment_end_date":null,"regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":0,"id":"NOAA-NMFS-2025-0966","title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat"}],"document_number":"2025-20549","effective_on":null,"end_page":52615,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"explanation":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2025/11/21/2025-20549.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/21/2025-20549/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-listing-endangered-and-threatened-species-and","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2025-20549?publication_date=2025-11-21","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2025-11-21/2025-20549/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":9,"page_views":{"count":13537,"last_updated":"2026-04-04 14:15:05 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-11-21/pdf/2025-20549.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-20549.pdf?1763568910","publication_date":"2025-11-21","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2025/11/21/2025-20549.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"0648-BN70":{"issue":"202504","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/0648-BN70/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-regulations-for-listing-species-and-designating-critic","title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations for Listing Species and Designating Critical Habitat","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202504&RIN=0648-BN70&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Other Significant"},"1018-B173":null},"regulation_id_numbers":["0648-BN70","1018-B173"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"20090116_DOI Solicitors Opinion M-37021","document_id":"FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0039-0004"},{"title":"RIN_1018–BI73_0648-BN70_prop-424-regs_100-Word Summary","document_id":"FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0039-0003"},{"title":"RIN_1018–BI73_0648-BN70_S4-compare-final-2024-proposed-2025","document_id":"FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0039-0002"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1018-BI73/regulations-for-listing-endangered-and-threatened-species-and-designating-critical-habitat","title":"Regulations for Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat"},"comments_count":349358,"agency_id":"FWS","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0039","supporting_documents_count":3,"docket_id":"FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0039","document_id":"FWS-HQ-ES-2025-0039-0001","regulation_id_number":"1018-BI73","title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2026-01-25T12:55:04Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":true,"signing_date":null,"start_page":52607,"subtype":null,"title":"Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat","toc_doc":"Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat","toc_subject":"Endangered and Threatened Species","topics":["Administrative practice and procedure","Endangered and threatened species"],"type":"Proposed Rule","volume":90}