FWS: COMMENT PERIOD OPENS FOR PROPOSED BLACK PINESNAKE,

FWS: COMMENT PERIOD OPENS FOR PROPOSED BLACK PINESNAKE,

The US Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing listing the black
pinesnake (Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi) and the fisher (Pekania
pennanti) as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act.

The black pinesnake found in Mississippi and Alabama suffers from
population loss caused by habitat degradation, fire suppression
activities, road kills and intentional killing by humans. The West
Coast population of the fisher, commonly known as a type of weasel,
is threatened from habitat loss, rodent-killing pesticides and wildfires.

The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned listing both species.

Comments for the pinesnake listing are due by Dec. 8, 2014. Comments
of the fisher listing are due by Jan. 5, 2015.

Click here to view the Federal Register notice for the black pinesnake:
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/10/07/2014-23673/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-threatened-species-status-for-black-pinesnake