USFWS Reopens Salamander Listing Comment Period; FERC Corrects Financial Forms Reply Deadline

Fish and Wildlife Service: Salamander Listing and Critical Habitat

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reopening the comment period on its proposed rules to list the Kern Canyon slender salamander (Batrachoseps simatus) as a threatened species and the relictual slender salamander (Batrachoseps relictus) as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and to designate critical habitat for both species. The Service is also seeking comment on a section 4(d) rule for the Kern Canyon slender salamander. Comments will be accepted through August 6, 2026. The action is governed by 50 CFR Part 17.

The current reopening builds on two earlier rounds: a proposed rule published October 18, 2022 (87 FR 63150), and a revised proposed rule published November 21, 2023 (88 FR 81028). The Service states that comments previously submitted during those periods need not be resubmitted, as they are already incorporated into the public record and will be fully considered in the final rule. The agency notes that, based on new information received across the prior comment periods, it may ultimately conclude that the Kern Canyon slender salamander is endangered rather than threatened.

A primary focus of this reopening is a new provision for the section 4(d) rule, added in response to previously submitted public comments and the Service's "necessary and advisable" determination — including consideration of conservation and economic impacts. The Service is specifically requesting information on: the extent to which section 9 prohibitions should be included in the 4(d) rule; whether additional or different exceptions from those prohibitions should be considered; conservation and economic impacts of the rule's implementation; how frequently and in what geographic areas regulated activities such as sale or "take" currently occur; whether other laws already regulate such activities; and data on the time and economic costs of obtaining section 10(a)(1)(A) and section 10(a)(1)(B) permits under 50 CFR 17.32. The Service also seeks identification of entities likely to develop habitat conservation plans and request incidental-take permits for the Kern Canyon slender salamander.

The Service states that its final determination will be based on the best scientific and commercial data available, as directed by section 4(b)(1)(A) of the Act for species listing determinations and section 4(b)(2) for critical habitat designation. It invites comment from governmental agencies, Native American Tribes, the scientific community, industry, and other interested parties, and notes that submissions stating only support or opposition without supporting information do not provide the substantial information necessary to support a determination.

FERC: Correction to Financial Forms Reply-Comment Deadline

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has published a correction to a notice of proposed rulemaking that appeared in the Federal Register on June 24, 2026 (FR Doc. 2026-12712; 195 FERC ¶ 61,206). That rulemaking sought comment on the Commission's proposal to amend certain annual and quarterly financial forms and its current regulations governing those forms, affecting 18 CFR Parts 141, 260, 357, and 369.

The original document incorrectly stated that reply comments were due July 24, 2026, in both the DATES section (page 37881, third column) and in paragraph 61 of section VI (page 37888, second column). The correction, effective July 7, 2026, and applicable as of June 24, 2026, changes both instances to read that reply comments are due September 22, 2026.

What to Watch

• August 6, 2026 — Deadline for public comments to the Fish and Wildlife Service on the proposed ESA listings, critical habitat designations, and section 4(d) rule for the Kern Canyon slender salamander and relictual slender salamander.
• September 22, 2026 — Corrected deadline for reply comments to FERC on the proposed revisions to annual and quarterly financial forms and related regulations.

Related

• Build hub
• FAA Issues Final Airworthiness Directive for Boeing 757 and 767 Over 5G C-Band Radio Altimeter Interference in Canadian Airspace
• FERC Discloses Exempt Off-the-Record Communication in Docket ER26-2389-000
• DOT and NRC Advance Cluster of Transportation and Safety Rulemakings, All Due July 27