Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Miami Tiger Beetle (Cicindelidia Floridana)
| Published date | 07 September 2021 |
| Citation | 86 FR 49945 |
| Record Number | 2021-19088 |
| Section | Proposed rules |
| Court | Fish And Wildlife Service |
Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 170 (Tuesday, September 7, 2021)
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 170 (Tuesday, September 7, 2021)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 49945-49985]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-19088]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
[Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2021-0053; FF09E21000 FXES11110900000 212]
RIN 1018-BF38
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of
Critical Habitat for the Miami Tiger Beetle (Cicindelidia Floridana)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to
designate critical habitat for the Miami tiger beetle (Cicindelidia
floridana) under the Endangered Species Act (Act). In total,
approximately 1,977 acres (ac) (800 hectares (ha)) in Miami-Dade
County, Florida, fall within the boundaries of the proposed critical
habitat designation. If we finalize this rule as proposed, it would
extend the Act's protections to this species' critical habitat. We also
announce the availability of a draft economic analysis of the proposed
designation of critical habitat for the Miami tiger beetle.
DATES: We will accept comments received or postmarked on or before
November 8, 2021. Comments submitted electronically using the Federal
eRulemaking Portal (see ADDRESSES, below) must be received by 11:59
p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date. We must receive requests for a
public hearing, in writing, at the address shown in FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT by October 22, 2021.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
(1) Electronically: Go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. In the Search box, enter FWS-R4-ES-2021-0053,
which is the docket number for this rulemaking. Then, click on the
Search button. On the resulting page, in the Search panel on the left
side of the screen, under the Document Type heading, check the Proposed
Rule box to locate this document. You may submit a comment by clicking
on ``Comment.''
(2) By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail to: Public Comments
Processing, Attn: FWS-R4-ES-2021-0053, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
MS: PRB/3W, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.
We request that you send comments only by the methods described
above. We will post all comments on http://www.regulations.gov. This
generally means that we will post any personal information you provide
us (see Information Requested, below, for more information).
Availability of supporting materials: For the critical habitat
designation, the coordinates or plot points or both from which the maps
are generated are included in the decision file for this rulemaking and
are available at http://www.regulations.gov under Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-
2021-0053 and at www.fws.gov/verobeach/. Any supporting information
that we developed for this critical habitat designation will be
available on the Service's website or at http://www.regulations.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Roxanna Hinzman, Field Supervisor,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Ecological Services Field
Office, 1339 20th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960; telephone 772-562-3909.
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call
the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Executive Summary
Why we need to publish a rule. Under the Endangered Species Act,
any species that is determined to be a threatened or endangered species
requires critical habitat to be designated, to the maximum extent
prudent and determinable. Designations and revisions of critical
habitat can only be completed by issuing a rule.
What this document does. We propose the designation of critical
habitat for the Miami tiger beetle, which is listed as endangered.
The basis for our action. Section 3(5)(A) of the Act defines
critical habitat as (i) the specific areas within the geographical area
occupied by the species, at the time it is listed, on which are found
those physical or biological features (I) essential to the conservation
of the species and (II) which may require special management
considerations or protections; and (ii) specific areas outside the
geographical area occupied by the species at the time it is listed,
upon a determination by the Secretary that such areas are essential for
the conservation of the species.
[[Page 49946]]
Section 4(b)(2) of the Act states that the Secretary must make the
designation on the basis of the best scientific data available and
after taking into consideration the economic impact, the impact on
national security, and any other relevant impacts of specifying any
particular area as critical habitat.
Draft economic analysis of the proposed designation of critical
habitat. In order to consider the economic impacts of critical habitat
for the Miami tiger beetle, we compiled information pertaining to the
potential incremental economic impacts for this proposed critical
habitat designation. The information we used in determining the
economic impacts of the proposed critical habitat is summarized in this
proposed rule (see Consideration of Economic Impacts) and is available
at http://www.regulations.gov at Docket No. FWS-R4-ES-2021-0053 and at
the Florida Ecological Services Field Office at http://ww.fws.gov/verobeach/ (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT). We are soliciting
public comments on the economic information provided and any other
potential economic impact of the proposed designation. We will continue
to reevaluate the potential economic impacts between this proposal and
our final designation.
Public comment. We are seeking comments and soliciting information
from the public on our proposed designation to make sure we consider
the best scientific and commercial information available in developing
our final designation. Because we will consider all comments and
information we receive during the comment period, our final
determination may differ from this proposal. We will respond to and
address comments received in our final rule.
We will seek peer review. We are seeking comments from independent
specialists to ensure that our proposal is based on scientifically
sound data and analyses. We have invited these peer reviewers to
comment on our specific assumptions and conclusions in this critical
habitat proposal.
Information Requested
We intend that any final action resulting from this proposed rule
will be based on the best scientific and commercial data available and
be as accurate and as effective as possible. Therefore, we request
comments or information from other governmental agencies, Native
American Tribes, the scientific community, industry, or any other
interested parties concerning this proposed rule. We particularly seek
comments concerning:
(1) The reasons why we should or should not designate habitat as
``critical habitat'' under section 4 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.), including information to inform the following factors that the
regulations identify as reasons why designation of critical habitat may
be not prudent:
(a) The species is threatened by taking or other human activity and
identification of critical habitat can be expected to increase the
degree of such threat to the species;
(b) The present or threatened destruction, modification, or
curtailment of a species' habitat or range is not a threat to the
species, or threats to the species' habitat stem solely from causes
that cannot be addressed through management actions resulting from
consultations under section 7(a)(2) of the Act;
(c) Areas within the jurisdiction of the United States provide no
more than negligible conservation value, if any, for a species
occurring primarily outside the jurisdiction of the United States; or
(d) No areas meet the definition of critical habitat.
(2) Specific information on:
(a) The amount and distribution of Miami tiger beetle habitat;
(b) What areas, that were occupied at the time of listing and that
contain the physical or biological features essential to the
conservation of the species, should be included in the designation and
why;
(c) Any additional areas occurring within the range of the species,
in Miami-Dade County, that should be included in the designation
because they (i) are occupied at the time of listing and contain the
physical or biological features that are essential to the conservation
of the species and that may require special management considerations,
or (ii) are unoccupied at the time of listing and are essential for the
conservation of the species;
(d) Special management considerations or protection that may be
needed in critical habitat areas we are proposing, including managing
for the potential effects of climate change; and
(e) What areas not occupied at the time of listing are essential
for the conservation of the species. We particularly seek comments:
(i) Regarding whether occupied areas are adequate for the
conservation of the species;
(ii) Providing specific information regarding whether or not
unoccupied areas would, with reasonable certainty, contribute to the
conservation of the species and contain at least one physical or
biological feature essential to the conservation of the species; and
(iii) Explaining whether or not unoccupied areas fall within the
definition of ``habitat'' at 50 CFR 424.02 and why.
(iv) We have identified 14 units in this proposal that were
unoccupied at the time of listing that we find are essential to the
conservation of the Miami tiger beetle. Please provide specific
comments and information on:
Whether each of these units are essential to the
conservation of the Miami tiger beetle and should be included in
critical habitat,
whether there are specific units that are not essential
and should not be included in critical habitat and why, and
whether there are any other specific areas not currently
proposed that are essential to the conservation of the Miami tiger
beetle that should be included in critical habitat.
(3) Any additional areas occurring within the range of the species,
i.e., South Florida, that should be included in the designation because
they (a) are occupied at the time of listing and contain the physical
and biological features that are essential to the conservation of the
species and that may require special management considerations, or (b)
are unoccupied at the time of listing and are essential for the
conservation of the species.
(4) Land use designations and current or planned activities in the
subject areas and their possible impacts on proposed critical habitat.
(5) Information on the projected and reasonably likely impacts of
climate change on Miami tiger beetle and proposed critical habitat.
(6) Information on the extent to which the description of probable
economic impacts in the draft economic analysis is a reasonable
estimate of the likely economic impacts; any probable economic,
national security, or other relevant impacts of designating any area
that may be included in the final designation, in particular, any
impacts on small entities or families; and the benefits of including or
excluding areas that exhibit these impacts.
(7) Whether any specific areas we are proposing for critical
habitat designation should be considered for exclusion under section
4(b)(2) of the Act, and whether the benefits of potentially excluding
any specific area outweigh the benefits of including that area under
section 4(b)(2) of the Act. In particular for those for which you think
we should exclude any additional areas, please provide credible
information regarding the existence of a meaningful economic or other
relevant impact supporting a benefit of exclusion.
[[Page 49947]]
(8) Whether we could improve or modify our approach to designating
critical habitat in any way to provide for greater public participation
and understanding, or to better accommodate public concerns and
comments.
Please include sufficient information with your submission (such as
scientific journal articles or other publications) to allow us to
verify any scientific or commercial information you include. Please
note that submissions merely stating support for, or opposition to, the
action under consideration without providing supporting information,
although noted, will not be considered in making a final critical
habitat determination
You may submit your comments and materials concerning this proposed
rule by one of the methods listed in ADDRESSES. We request that you
send comments only by the methods described in ADDRESSES.
If you submit information via http://www.regulations.gov, your
entire submission--including any personal identifying information--will
be posted on the website. If your submission is made via a hardcopy
that includes personal identifying information, you may request at the
top of your document that we withhold this information from public
review. However, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. We
will post all hardcopy submissions on http://www.regulations.gov.
Comments and materials we receive, as well as supporting
documentation we used in preparing this proposed rule, will be
available for public inspection on http://www.regulations.gov.
Because we will consider all comments and information we receive
during the comment period, our final designation may differ from this
proposal. Based on the new information we receive (and any comments on
that new information), our final designation may not include all areas
proposed, may include some additional areas that meet the definition of
critical habitat, and may exclude some areas if we find the benefits of
exclusion outweigh the benefits of inclusion.
Public Hearing
Section 4(b)(5) of the Act provides for a public hearing on this
proposal, if requested. Requests must be received by the date specified
in DATES. Such requests must be sent to the address shown in FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. We will schedule a public hearing on this
proposal, if requested, and announce the date, time, and place of the
hearing, as well as how to obtain reasonable accommodations, in the
Federal Register and local newspapers at least 15 days before the
hearing. For the immediate future, we will provide these public
hearings virtually using webinars that will be announced on the
Service's website, in addition to the Federal Register. The use of
these virtual public hearings is consistent with our regulation at 50
CFR 424.16(c)(3).
Previous Federal Actions
On December 22, 2015, we proposed to list the Miami tiger beetle as
an endangered species under the Act (80 FR 79533) in the Federal
Register. On October 5, 2016, we published our final determination in
the Federal Register (81 FR 68985) and added the Miami tiger beetle as
an endangered species to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife
at 50 CFR 17.11(h). At the time of our proposal we determined that
critical habitat was prudent, but not determinable because we lacked
specific information on the impacts of our designation. In our final
listing rule, we stated we were in the process of obtaining information
on the impacts of the designation. All previous Federal actions are
described in detail in the proposal to list the Miami tiger beetle as
an endangered species under the Act (80 FR 79533, December 22, 2015).
Additional information may be found in the final rule to list the Miami
tiger beetle as an endangered species (81 FR 68985, October 5, 2016).
Critical Habitat
Background
Critical habitat is defined in section 3 of the Act as:
(1) The specific areas within the geographical area occupied by the
species, at the time it is listed in accordance with the Act, on which
are found those physical or biological features
(a) Essential to the conservation of the species, and
(b) Which may require special management considerations or
protection; and
(2) Specific areas outside the geographical area occupied by the
species at the time it is listed, upon a determination that such areas
are essential for the conservation of the species.
Our regulations at 50 CFR 424.02 define the geographical area
occupied by the species as an area that may generally be delineated
around species' occurrences, as determined by the Secretary (i.e.,
range). Such areas may include those areas used throughout all or part
of the species' life cycle, even if not used on a regular basis (e.g.,
migratory corridors, seasonal habitats, and habitats used periodically,
but not solely, by vagrant individuals). Additionally, our regulations
at 50 CFR 424.02 define the word ``habitat'' as follows: ``for the
purposes of designating critical habitat only, habitat is the abiotic
and biotic setting that currently or periodically contains the
resources and conditions necessary to support one or more life
processes of a species.''
Conservation, as defined under section 3 of the Act, means to use
and the use of all methods and procedures that are necessary to bring
an endangered or threatened species to the point at which the measures
provided pursuant to the Act are no longer necessary. Such methods and
procedures include, but are not limited to, all activities associated
with scientific resources management such as research, census, law
enforcement, habitat acquisition and maintenance, propagation, live
trapping, and transplantation, and, in the extraordinary case where
population pressures within a given ecosystem cannot be otherwise
relieved, may include regulated taking.
Critical habitat receives protection under section 7 of the Act
through the requirement that Federal agencies ensure, in consultation
with the Service, that any action they authorize, fund, or carry out is
not likely to result in the destruction or adverse modification of
critical habitat. The designation of critical habitat does not affect
land ownership or establish a refuge, wilderness, reserve, preserve, or
other conservation area. Such designation also does not allow the
government or public to access private lands. Such designation does not
require implementation of restoration, recovery, or enhancement
measures by non-Federal landowners. Where a landowner requests Federal
agency funding or authorization for an action that may affect a listed
species or critical habitat, the Federal agency would be required to
consult with the Service under section 7(a)(2) of the Act. However,
even if the Service were to conclude that the proposed activity would
result in destruction or adverse modification of the critical habitat,
the Federal action agency and the landowner are not required to abandon
the proposed activity, or to restore or recover the species; instead,
they must implement ``reasonable and prudent alternatives'' to avoid
destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat.
Under the first prong of the Act's definition of critical habitat,
areas within the geographical area occupied
[[Page 49948]]
by the species at the time it was listed are included in a critical
habitat designation if they contain physical or biological features (1)
which are essential to the conservation of the species and (2) which
may require special management considerations or protection. For these
areas, critical habitat designations identify, to the extent known
using the best scientific and commercial data available, those physical
or biological features that are essential to the conservation of the
species (such as space, food, cover, and protected habitat). In
identifying those physical or biological features that occur in
specific occupied areas, we focus on the specific features that are
essential to support the life-history needs of the species, including,
but not limited to, water characteristics, soil type, geological
features, prey, vegetation, symbiotic species, or other features. A
feature may be a single habitat characteristic or a more complex
combination of habitat characteristics. Features may include habitat
characteristics that support ephemeral or dynamic habitat conditions.
Features may also be expressed in terms relating to principles of
conservation biology, such as patch size, distribution distances, and
connectivity.
Under the second prong of the Act's definition of critical habitat,
we can designate critical habitat in areas outside the geographical
area occupied by the species at the time it is listed, upon a
determination that such areas are essential for the conservation of the
species. The implementing regulations at 50 CFR 424.12(b)(2) further
delineate unoccupied critical habitat by setting out three specific
parameters: (1) When designating critical habitat, the Secretary will
first evaluate areas occupied by the species; (2) the Secretary will
consider unoccupied areas to be essential only where a critical habitat
designation limited to geographical areas occupied by the species would
be inadequate to ensure the conservation of the species; and (3) for an
unoccupied area to be considered essential, the Secretary must
determine that there is a reasonable certainty both that the area will
contribute to the conservation of the species and that the area
contains one or more of those physical or biological features essential
to the conservation of the species.
Section 4 of the Act requires that we designate critical habitat
based on the best scientific data available. Further, our Policy on
Information Standards Under the Endangered Species Act (published in
the Federal Register on July 1, 1994 (59 FR 34271)), the Information
Quality Act (section 515 of the Treasury and General Government
Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (Pub. L. 106-554; H.R. 5658)),
and our associated Information Quality Guidelines provide criteria,
establish procedures, and provide guidance to ensure that our decisions
are based on the best scientific data available. They require our
biologists, to the extent consistent with the Act and with the use of
the best scientific data available, to use primary and original sources
of information as the basis for recommendations to designate critical
habitat.
When we are determining which areas should be designated as
critical habitat, our primary source of information is generally the
information from the listing process for the species. Additional
information sources may include any generalized conservation strategy,
criteria, or outline that may have been developed for the species; the
recovery plan for the species; articles in peer-reviewed journals;
conservation plans developed by States and counties; scientific status
surveys and studies; biological assessments; other unpublished
materials; or experts' opinions or personal knowledge.
As the regulatory definition of ``habitat'' reflects (50 CFR
424.02), habitat is dynamic, and species may move from one area to
another over time. We recognize that critical habitat designated at a
particular point in time may not include all of the habitat areas that
we may later determine are necessary for the recovery of the species.
For these reasons, a critical habitat designation does not signal that
habitat outside the designated area is unimportant or may not be needed
for recovery of the species. Areas that are important to the
conservation of the species, both inside and outside the critical
habitat designation, will continue to be subject to: (1) Conservation
actions implemented under section 7(a)(1) of the Act; (2) regulatory
protections afforded by the requirement in section 7(a)(2) of the Act
for Federal agencies to ensure their actions are not likely to
jeopardize the continued existence of any endangered or threatened
species; and (3) section 9 of the Act's prohibitions on taking any
individual of the species, including taking caused by actions that
affect habitat. Federally funded or permitted projects affecting listed
species outside their designated critical habitat areas may still
result in jeopardy findings in some cases. These protections and
conservation tools will continue to contribute to recovery of the
species. Similarly, critical habitat designations made on the basis of
the best available information at the time of designation will not
control the direction and substance of future recovery plans, habitat
conservation plans (HCPs), or other species conservation planning
efforts if new information available at the time of those planning
efforts calls for a different outcome.
Prudency Determination
Section 4(a)(3) of the Act, as amended, and implementing
regulations (50 CFR 424.12) require that, to the maximum extent prudent
and determinable, the Secretary shall designate critical habitat at the
time the species is determined to be an endangered or threatened
species. Our regulations (50 CFR 424.12(a)(1)) state that the Secretary
may, but is not required to, determine that a designation would not be
prudent in the following circumstances:
(i) The species is threatened by taking or other human activity and
identification of critical habitat can be expected to increase the
degree of such threat to the species;
(ii) The present or threatened destruction, modification, or
curtailment of a species' habitat or range is not a threat to the
species, or threats to the species' habitat stem solely from causes
that cannot be addressed through management actions resulting from
consultations under section 7(a)(2) of the Act;
(iii) Areas within the jurisdiction of the United States provide no
more than negligible conservation value, if any, for a species
occurring primarily outside the jurisdiction of the United States;
(iv) No areas meet the definition of critical habitat; or
(v) The Secretary otherwise determines that designation of critical
habitat would not be prudent based on the best scientific data
available.
As discussed in the final listing rule published on October 5, 2016
(81 FR 68985), there is currently imminent threat of take attributed to
collection or vandalism identified under Factor B for this species.
However, we have determined that the identification and mapping of
critical habitat is not expected to increase any such threat because
the location of the two extant populations of the Miami tiger beetle
are currently known to the scientific community and public. Further, in
our proposed listing determination for this species, we determined that
the present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of
habitat or range is a threat, and that those threats in some way can be
addressed by section 7(a)(2) consultation measures. Also, the species
occurs wholly in the jurisdiction of the
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United States, and we are able to identify areas that meet the
definition of critical habitat. Therefore, because none of the
circumstances enumerated in our regulations at 50 CFR 424.12(a)(1) have
been met and because the Secretary has not identified other
circumstances for which this designation of critical habitat would be
not prudent, we have determined that the designation of critical
habitat is prudent for the Miami tiger beetle.
Physical or Biological Features Essential to the Conservation of the
Species
In accordance with section 3(5)(A)(i) of the Act and regulations at
50 CFR 424.12(b), in determining which areas we will designate as
critical habitat from within the geographical area occupied by the
species at the time of listing, we consider the physical or biological
features that are essential to the conservation of the species and that
may require special management considerations or protection. The
regulations at 50 CFR 424.02 define ``physical or biological features
essential to the conservation of the species'' as the features that
occur in specific areas and that are essential to support the life-
history needs of the species, including, but not limited to, water
characteristics, soil type, geological features, sites, prey,
vegetation, symbiotic species, or other features. A feature may be a
single habitat characteristic or a more complex combination of habitat
characteristics. Features may include habitat characteristics that
support ephemeral or dynamic habitat conditions. Features may also be
expressed in terms relating to principles of conservation biology, such
as patch size, distribution distances, and connectivity. For example,
physical features essential to the conservation of the species might
include gravel of a particular size required for spawning, alkaline
soil for seed germination, protective cover for migration, or
susceptibility to flooding or fire that maintains necessary early-
successional habitat characteristics. Biological features might include
prey species, forage grasses, specific kinds or ages of trees for
roosting or nesting, symbiotic fungi, or a particular level of
nonnative species consistent with conservation needs of the listed
species. The features may also be combinations of habitat
characteristics and may encompass the relationship between
characteristics or the necessary amount of a characteristic essential
to support the life history of the species.
In considering whether features are essential to the conservation
of the species, we may consider an appropriate quality, quantity, and
spatial and temporal arrangement of habitat characteristics in the
context of the life-history needs, condition, and status of the
species. These characteristics include, but are not limited to, space
for individual and population growth and for normal behavior; food,
water, air, light, minerals, or other nutritional or physiological
requirements; cover or shelter; sites for breeding, reproduction, or
rearing (or development) of offspring; and habitats that are protected
from disturbance.
We derive the specific physical or biological features essential
for the Miami tiger beetle from studies of this species' habitat,
ecology, and life history as described below. Additional information
can be found in the final listing rule published in the Federal
Register on October 5, 2016 (81 FR 68985).
Space for Individual and Population Growth and for Normal Behavior
The Miami tiger beetle is endemic to pine rockland habitat within
the Northern Biscayne Pinelands of the Miami Rock Ridge in Miami-Dade
County in South Florida. Descriptions of this habitat and its
associated native plant species are provided in the proposed listing
rule published on December 22, 2015 (80 FR 79533) (see Habitat
section). Additional discussion may be found in the final listing rule
published on October 5, 2016 (81 FR 68985). The Miami tiger beetle
requires open or sparsely vegetated sandy areas within pine rockland
habitat for thermoregulation (regulation of body temperature),
foraging, reproduction, and larval development.
As a group, tiger beetles (Coleoptera: Cicindelidae) occupy
ephemeral habitats where local extinction from habitat loss or
degradation is common, so dispersal to establish new populations in
distant habitat patches is a likely life history strategy for most
species (Knisley 2015a, p. 10). Therefore, individuals of the species
must be sufficiently abundant and occur within an appropriate dispersal
distance to adjacent suitable habitat so they can repopulate areas
following local extirpations. Barriers to dispersal can disrupt
otherwise normal metapopulation dynamics and contribute to imperilment.
Development and agriculture have reduced pine rockland habitat by
90 percent in mainland south Florida. Pine rockland habitat decreased
from approximately 183,000 ac (74,000 ha) in the early 1900s to only
3,707 ac (1,500 ha) in 2014 (Possley et al. 2014, p. 154). The largest
remaining intact pine rockland (approximately 5,716 ac (2,313 ha)) is
Long Pine Key in Everglades National Park (Everglades). Outside of the
Everglades, less than 2 percent of pine rocklands on the Miami Rock
Ridge remain, and much of what is left are small remnants scattered
throughout the Miami metropolitan area, isolated from other natural
areas (Herndon 1998, p. 1; URS Corporation Southern 2007, p. 1).
The extreme rarity of high-quality pine rockland habitats
supporting the Miami tiger beetle elevates the importance of remnant
sites that still retain some pine rockland species. We consider pine
rockland habitat to be the primary habitat for the Miami tiger beetle.
We do not have specific information regarding a minimum viable
population size for the Miami tiger beetle or the amount of habitat
needed to sustain a viable population. Recovery plans for Cicindela
puritana (Puritan tiger beetle) and C. dorsalis dorsalis (Northeastern
beach tiger beetle) consider a minimum viable population size to be at
least 500-1,000 adults (Hill and Knisley 1993, p. 23; Hill and Knisley
1994, p. 31). A minimum viable population size of 500 adults was
estimated for the Salt Creek tiger beetle (Cicindela nevadica
lincolniana) (79 FR 26014, May 6, 2014). The best available data
regarding the minimum area and number of individuals necessary for a
viable population for the Miami tiger beetle come from information
regarding the closely related Highlands tiger beetle (Cicindelidia
highlandensis); the information describes estimates of a minimum of 100
adult Highlands tiger beetles in an area of at least 2.5-5.0 ac (1.0-
2.0 ha) (Knisley and Hill 2013, p. 42). This estimate is based on
observations of population stability for the Highlands tiger beetle, as
well as survey data and literature from other tiger beetle species
(Knisley and Hill 2013, p. 42).
The Miami tiger beetle requires open or sparsely vegetated sandy
areas within pine rockland habitat to meet their life-history
requirements, as well as adjacent undeveloped habitat to facilitate
dispersal and protect core habitat. Therefore, based on the information
in the previous paragraph, we identify pine rockland habitats of at
least 2.5-5.0 ac (1.0-2.0 ha) in size as a necessary physical feature
for this species.
Food, Water, Air, Light, Minerals, or Other Nutritional or
Physiological Requirements
Food--Miami tiger beetles are active diurnal predators that use
their keen vision to detect movement of small
[[Page 49950]]
arthropods and run quickly to capture prey with their well-developed
jaws (mandibles). Although we do not have specific information on Miami
tiger beetle diets, observations by various entomologists indicate
small arthropods, especially ants, are the most common prey for tiger
beetles. Over 30 kinds of insects from many families have been
identified as prey for tiger beetles, and scavenging is also common in
some species (Knisley and Schultz 1997, pp. 39, 103; Willis 1967, pp.
196-197). Ants were the most common prey of tiger beetles in Florida
(Choate 1996, p. 2). Miami tiger beetle larvae are sedentary sit-and-
wait predators that capture small prey passing over or near (within a
few inches (in) (centimeters (cm)) their burrows on the soil surface.
Larvae prey on small arthropods, similar to adults. Alterations or
reductions in the prey base through pesticide exposure could affect
foraging in of Miami tiger beetles.
Water--The Miami tiger beetle requires inland sandy pine rockland
habitat that has moderately drained to well-drained terrain. Rainfall
varies from an annual average over 64 in (163 cm) in the northwest
portion of Miami-Dade County to between 48 and 56 in (122 and 143 cm),
respectively, in the rest of the county (Service 1999, p. 3-167). The
water table in the Miami Rock Ridge outside of the Everglades seldom
reaches the surface (Service 1999, p. 3-167). The existence of larvae
in shallow permanent burrows throughout their development makes them
susceptible to changes in groundwater levels. The effects of climate
change and sea level rise, which predict higher intensity storms, more
erratic rainfall (i.e., alterations to the amount and seasonality and
rainfall) and especially changes in water levels due to storm surge and
salinization of the water table, could result in vegetation shifts that
may impact the species. Based on this, we identify water (particularly
appropriate hydrological regimes) as a necessary feature for the Miami
tiger beetle to carry out its life processes.
Light--The Miami tiger beetle requires open areas of pine rockland
habitat with ample sunlight for behavioral thermoregulation, so they
can successfully perform their normal activities, such as foraging,
mating, and oviposition. Vegetation encroachment and lack of adequate
pine rockland management threatens the amount of light necessary for
the Miami tiger beetle. We identify light as a necessary feature for
the Miami tiger beetle to carry out its life processes.
Soil--The Miami tiger beetle is endemic to pine rockland habitat
within the Miami Rock Ridge. The Miami Rock Ridge has oolitic limestone
(composed of spherical grains packed tightly) at or very near the
surface and solution holes occasionally from where the surface
limestone is dissolved by organic acids. There is typically very little
soil development, consisting primarily of accumulations of low-nutrient
sand, marl, clayey loam, and organic debris found in solution holes,
depressions, and crevices on the limestone surface (Florida Natural
Areas Inventory (FNAI) 2010, p. 62). However, sandy pockets can be
found at the northern end of the Miami Rock Ridge (Northern Biscayne
Pinelands), beginning from approximately North Miami Beach and
extending south to approximately SW 216th Street (Service 1999, p. 3-
162).
These sandy substrates provide the appropriate nutrients, moisture
regime, and soil chemistry necessary for Miami tiger beetle
reproduction. Burrows in the sand are used for eggs and developing
larvae. In addition these sandy areas support a community of insect
prey that allows the species to persist. Soil compaction could impact
the species and its habitat. Therefore, we identify substrates derived
from calcareous limestone that provide habitat for the Miami tiger
beetle to carry out its life processes to be a necessary feature for
the Miami tiger beetle.
Summary--Based on the best available information, we conclude that
the Miami tiger beetle requires open sandy areas in pine rockland
habitat with little to no vegetation for thermoregulation, foraging,
egg-laying, and larval development. We identify these characteristics
as necessary physical and biological features for the species.
Cover or Shelter
The life cycle of the Miami tiger beetle occurs entirely within
pine rocklands. Females place a single egg into a shallow burrow dug
into the soil. The egg hatches, apparently after sufficient soil
moisture, and the first instar larva digs a burrow at the site of
oviposition (egg-laying). Larvae are closely associated with their
burrows, which provide cover and shelter for anywhere from 2 months to
1 year or more, depending on climate, food availability, and the number
of cohorts per year (Knisley 2015b, p. 28). Larvae remain in their
burrows until they are adults, only extending beyond the burrow
entrance to subdue arthropod prey. The adult flight period for the
Miami tiger beetle lasts approximately 5 months (mid-May to mid-
October) (Knisley 2015b, p. 27). Both larvae and adults are visual
predators and require open habitat to locate prey. Open areas with
dense vegetation no longer provide suitable habitat. However,
vegetation adjacent to open sandy areas may also be important, as it
may provide thermal refugia for the beetles to escape from high ground
temperatures (Knisley 2014, p. 1). Miami tiger beetle habitat can also
be impacted from trampling, which causes soil compaction and can lead
to lethal impacts to adults or larvae or impacts to their habitat.
Based on the best available information, we conclude that the Miami
tiger beetle requires pine rocklands, specifically those containing
open or sparsely vegetated sandy patches.
Sites for Breeding, Reproduction, or Rearing (or Development) of
Offspring
Miami tiger beetle reproduction and larval development occurs
entirely within pine rocklands. Both larvae and adults occupy the same
habitats--open sandy patches interspersed with vegetation. Vegetation
encroachment into the open sandy habitat patches, barriers to
dispersal, trampling of the surface soil, reductions in prey base, and
collection of beetles are factors that may reduce the reproductive
potential of the species. Therefore, based on the information above, we
identify pine rockland habitats that can support the species growth,
distribution, and population expansion as required for this species.
Habitats Representative of the Historical, Geographical, and Ecological
Distributions of the Species
The Miami tiger beetle continues to occur in pine rockland habitats
that are protected from incompatible human-use, but these areas are
only partially representative of the species' historical, geographical,
and ecological distribution because its range within these habitats has
been reduced. The species is still found in pine rockland habitats,
with open sandy areas of at least 2.5-5.0 ac (1.0-2.0 ha) in size.
Representative pine rocklands are located on Federal, local, and
private conservation lands that implement conservation measures
benefitting the beetle.
Pine rockland is dependent on some degree of disturbance, most
importantly from natural or prescribed fires (Loope and Dunevitz 1981,
p. 5; Snyder et al. 2005, p. 1; Bradley and Saha 2009, p. 4; Saha et
al. 2011, pp. 169-184; FNAI 2010, p. 62). These fires are a vital
component in maintaining native vegetation and creating or maintaining
open or sparsely vegetated sandy areas,
[[Page 49951]]
within this ecosystem. Fires have historically burned in intervals of
approximately 3 to 7 years (FNAI 2010, p. 3) typically started by
lightning strikes during the frequent summer thunderstorms (FNAI 2010,
p. 3). Without fire, successional climax from tropical pineland to
rockland hammock is rapid, and the open areas required by the species
are encroached with vegetation and leaf litter. In addition,
displacement of native species by invasive, nonnative plants often
occurs.
Mechanical control or thinning of pine rockland vegetation may be
another means of maintaining pine rockland habitat, but it cannot
entirely replace fire because it does not have the same benefits
related to removal of leaf litter and nutrient cycling. In addition, it
may lead to trampling of adult or larval tiger beetles. Natural and
prescribed fire remains the primary and ecologically preferred method
for maintaining pine rockland habitat.
Hurricanes and other significant weather events can contribute to
openings in the pine rockland habitat (FNAI 2010, p. 62) needed by the
Miami tiger beetle; however, they can also be a source of significant
and direct risk to the species. Given the few, isolated populations of
the Miami tiger beetle within a location prone to storm influences
(located approximately 5 miles (8 kilometers) from the coast), the
species is at substantial risk from stochastic environmental events
such as hurricanes, storm surges, and other extreme weather that can
affect recruitment, population growth, and other population parameters.
The substantial reduction in the historical range of the beetle in the
past 80 years, and the few remaining populations, make the species less
resilient to impacts than when its distribution was more widespread.
Therefore, based on the information above, we identify pine
rockland management through natural or prescribed fire, or other
disturbance regimes that maintain pine rockland habitat, such as
weather events, to be necessary for this species.
Summary of Essential Physical or Biological Features
We derive the specific physical or biological features essential to
the conservation of Miami tiger beetle from studies of the species'
habitat, ecology, and life history. We have determined that the
following physical or biological features are essential to the
conservation of Miami tiger beetle:
1. South Florida pine rockland habitat of at least 2.5 ac (1 ha) in
size that is maintained by natural or prescribed fire or other
disturbance regimes; and
2. Open sandy areas within or directly adjacent to the south
Florida pine rockland habitat with little to no vegetation that allows
for or facilitates normal behavior and growth such as thermoregulation,
foraging, egg-laying, larval development, and habitat connectivity,
which promotes the overall distribution and expansion of the species.
Special Management Considerations or Protection
When designating critical habitat, we assess whether the specific
areas within the geographical area occupied by the species at the time
of listing contain features which are essential to the conservation of
the species and which may require special management considerations or
protection. The features essential to the conservation of this species
may require special management considerations or protection to reduce
the following threats: Vegetation encroachment of pine rockland
habitat; loss of pine rockland habitat due to development that further
fragments or degrades the few remaining pine rockland parcels in Miami-
Dade County; collection of the species; climate change and sea level
rise; pesticide exposure; and demographic and environmental
stochasticity. These threats are exacerbated by having only two small
populations in a restricted geographic range, making this species
particularly susceptible to extinction in the foreseeable future. For a
detailed discussion of threats, see Summary of Factors Affecting the
Species in our proposed listing rule published in the Federal Register
on December 22, 2015 (80 FR 79533). Additional information may be found
in the final listing rule published on October 5, 2016 (81 FR 68985).
Some of these threats can be addressed by special management
considerations or protection while others (e.g., sea level rise,
hurricanes, storm surge) are beyond the control of landowners and
managers. However, even when landowners or land managers may not be
able to control all the threats directly, they may be able to address
the impacts of those threats.
Destruction of rock pinelands for economic development has reduced
pine rockland habitat on the Miami Rock Ridge outside of the Everglades
by over 98 percent, and remaining habitat in this area is highly
fragmented. The Miami tiger beetle occurs on a mix of privately and
publicly owned lands, only some of which are managed for conservation.
Any occurrences of the beetle on private land or non-conservation
public land are vulnerable to the effects of habitat degradation if
natural disturbance regimes are disrupted, because the species requires
active management to keep the habitat functional in the absence of such
disturbances. Prolonged lack of fire in pine rockland habitat leads to
vegetation encroachment into the open or sparsely vegetated sandy areas
that are required by the beetle. Further development and degradation of
pine rocklands increases fragmentation and decreases the conservation
value of the remaining functioning pine rockland habitat. In addition,
pine rocklands are expected to be further degraded and fragmented due
to anticipated sea level rise, which would fully or partially inundate
some pine rocklands within the Miami Rock Ridge and cause increases in
the salinity of the water table and soils resulting in vegetation
shifts. Also, portions of the Richmond Pine Rocklands are proposed for
commercial development and some existing pine rockland areas are
projected to be developed for housing as the human population grows and
adjusts to changing sea levels.
Pesticides used in and around pine rockland habitat are a potential
threat to the Miami tiger beetle through direct exposure to adults and
larvae, secondary exposure from insect prey, overall reduction in
availability of adult and larval prey, thus limiting foraging
opportunities, or any combination of these factors. Based on Miami-Dade
Mosquito Control's implementation of spray buffers around pine
rocklands occupied by the Miami tiger beetle, mosquito control
pesticides are not considered a current threat for the species.
However, if these buffers were to change or Miami tiger beetles were
found in habitat without restrictions of pesticide applications, then
the threat of exposure would need to be reevaluated.
The features essential to the conservation of the Miami tiger
beetle (i.e., open or sparsely vegetated areas of pine rockland habitat
that are at least 2.5-5.0 ac (1.0-2.0 ha) in size) may require special
management considerations or protection to reduce threats. Actions that
could ameliorate threats include, but are not limited to:
(1) Restoration and management of existing and potential Miami
tiger beetle habitats throughout the Miami Rock Ridge using prescribed
fire and control of invasive, nonnative plants;
(2) Protection of habitat adjacent to existing and new occurrences
of the species to provide dispersal corridors, support the prey base,
protect core
[[Page 49952]]
habitat, and allow for appropriate habitat management;
(3) Use of pesticide spray buffers to prevent potential exposure to
the species and probable limitation of foraging opportunities; and
(4) Establishment of additional populations within the Miami Rock
Ridge through captive rearing and translocation of laboratory-reared
individuals from wild populations.
Criteria Used To Identify Critical Habitat
As required by section 4(b)(2) of the Act, we use the best
scientific data available to designate critical habitat. In accordance
with the Act and our implementing regulations at 50 CFR 424.12(b), we
review available information pertaining to the habitat requirements of
the species and identify specific areas within the geographical area
occupied by the species at the time of listing and any specific areas
outside the geographical area occupied by the species to be considered
for designation as critical habitat. We are proposing to designate
critical habitat in areas within the geographical area occupied by the
species at the time of listing in 2016. We also are proposing to
designate specific areas outside the geographical area occupied by the
species at the time of listing because we have determined that a
designation limited to occupied areas would be inadequate to ensure the
conservation of the species. Although we do not have definitive
information that these areas were historically or are currently
occupied by the Miami tiger beetle, they are within the historical
range of the species, contain remnant south Florida pine rockland
habitat and the essential physical or biological features, and have
been determined to be essential for the conservation of the species, as
further discussed below. We have determined that it is reasonably
certain that the unoccupied areas will contribute to the conservation
of the species and contain one or more of the physical or biological
features that are essential to the conservation of the species. We have
also determined that the unoccupied areas fall within the regulatory
definition of ``habitat'' at 50 CFR 424.02 since they have the abiotic
and biotic features that currently or periodically contain the
resources and conditions necessary to support one or more life
processes of the Miami tiger beetle.
The historical range of the Miami tiger beetle is limited to Miami-
Dade County, Florida, specifically within the Northern Biscayne
Pinelands of the Miami Rock Ridge. Over 98 percent of the Miami Rock
Ridge pine rocklands outside of the Everglades has been lost to
development, reducing the current range of the Miami tiger beetle to
the southern portion of the Northern Biscayne Pinelands, in the
Richmond Pine Rocklands and Nixon Smiley Pineland Preserve.
We anticipate that recovery will require not only continued
protection of the remaining extant populations and remnant pine
rockland habitat but also establishment of populations in additional
areas of Miami-Dade County to ensure there are adequate numbers of
beetles and stable populations occurring over the entire geographic
range of the Miami tiger beetle. This will help to reduce the chance
that catastrophic events, such as storms, will simultaneously affect
all known populations.
The two extant Miami tiger beetle populations are small and at risk
of adverse effects from reduced genetic variation, an increased risk of
inbreeding depression, and reduced reproductive output. In addition,
the two populations are isolated from each other, decreasing the
likelihood that they could be naturally reestablished if extirpation
from one location would occur.
In selecting areas to propose for critical habitat designation, we
used the conservation principles of the ``three R's'': Resiliency,
redundancy, and representation (Shaffer and Stein 2000, entire) for
conserving imperiled species. Resiliency is the ability to sustain
populations through the natural range of favorable and unfavorable
conditions. Redundancy ensures an adequate number of sites with
resilient populations such that the species has the ability to
withstand catastrophic events. Representation ensures adaptive capacity
within a species and allows it to respond to environmental changes.
This can be facilitated by conserving not just genetic diversity, but
also the species' associated habitat type variation. Implementation of
this methodology has been widely accepted as a reasonable conservation
strategy (Tear et al. 2005, p. 841).
In order to ensure sufficient representation for the Miami tiger
beetle, we described the physical and biological features (as discussed
above) and identified areas of habitat that contain at least one or
more of the features to provide for reintroduction and expansion of the
Miami tiger beetle. Redundancy is currently low as only two populations
remain, both on remnant pine rockland sites. Redundancy can be improved
through the introduction of additional populations of the Miami tiger
beetle at other pine rockland sites. However, throughout the species'
range, the amount of suitable remaining pine rockland is limited (low
resiliency), and much of the remaining habitat may be significantly
altered due to the effects of climate change over the next century.
Therefore, we reviewed available sites containing pine rockland habitat
within the historical range of the species and evaluated each site for
its potential conservation contribution based on quality of habitat,
spatial arrangement relative to the two extant populations and each
other, and existing protections and management of the habitat and sites
to determine additional areas that are essential for the Miami tiger
beetle's conservation.
Sources of Data To Identify Critical Habitat Boundaries
We have determined that the areas known to be occupied at the time
of listing should be proposed for critical habitat designation.
However, recognizing that occupied habitat alone is not adequate for
the conservation of the Miami tiger beetle, we also used habitat and
historical occurrence data to identify the historical range of the
species and necessary habitat features to help us determine which
unoccupied habitat areas are essential for the conservation of the
species. To determine the general extent, location, and boundaries of
critical habitat, the Service used Esri ArcGIS mapping software for
mapping and calculating areas (Albers Conical Equal Area (Florida
Geographic Data Library), North American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) High
Accuracy Reference Network (HARN)) along with the following spatial
data layers:
(1) Historical and current records of Miami tiger beetle
occurrences and distributions found in publications, reports, personal
communications, and associated voucher specimens housed at museums and
private collections (Knisley 2015b, entire);
(2) Geographic information system (GIS) data showing the location
and extent of documented occurrences of pine rockland habitat
(Cooperative Land Cover Version 3.3. FWC and FNAI, 2018);
(3) Aerial imagery (Esri ArcGIS online basemap World Imagery. South
Florida Water Management District GIS Services, Earthstar Geographics,
Miami-Dade County, Florida Department of Environmental Protection,
Esri, HERE, Garmin, SafeGraph, Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry
of Japan and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
U.S. Geological Survey, Environmental Protection
[[Page 49953]]
Agency, National Park Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
2019.; and
(4) GIS data depicting soils and to determine the presence of
physical or biological features (U.S. Department of Agriculture 2020).
When designating critical habitat, we consider future recovery
efforts and conservation of the species. We have determined that all
currently known occupied habitat should be proposed for critical
habitat designation because any further degradation or loss of the
extant populations or occupied habitat would increase the Miami tiger
beetle's susceptibility to local extirpation and ultimately extinction.
The species occurs in two populations, Richmond and Nixon Smiley,
separated from each other by approximately 3.1 mi (5 km) of urban
development.
We are also including pine rockland habitat within the Richmond
Pine Rocklands directly adjacent to sites with documented occurrences
in the Richmond population. Due to their proximity to documented
occurrences, the continuity of habitat, and presence of all of the
physical or biological features, we have included these acres as part
of the occupied habitat complex for this unit in accordance with 50 CFR
424.12(d). Additionally, we have determined these areas are essential
for the conservation of the species because they protect the occupied
sites within the Richmond population, provide dispersal corridors for
the Richmond population, provide potential habitat for population
expansion, and support prey-base populations. These areas are important
to ensure redundancy for the species, and they improve the species'
viability.
Lastly, we are including other suitable or potentially suitable
pine rockland fragments outside of the Richmond Pine Rocklands and
Nixon Smiley Pineland Preserve that are located within the beetle's
historical range along the Northern Biscayne Pinelands of the Miami
Rock Ridge but are not known to be currently occupied by the species.
With only two known occupied areas, we have determined that these areas
are essential for the conservation of the species because they will
enable the establishment of new populations in additional areas that
more closely approximate its historical distribution. Establishment of
new populations will help ensure that there are adequate numbers of
beetles in multiple populations over a wide geographic area, so that
catastrophic events, such as storms, would be less likely to
simultaneously affect all known populations.
The best available data regarding the minimum area and number of
individuals necessary for a viable population come from information
regarding the Highlands tiger beetle; the information describes
estimates of a minimum of 100 adult Highlands tiger beetles in an area
of at least 2.5-5.0 ac (1.0-2.0 ha) (Knisley and Hill 2013, p. 42).
This estimate is based on observations of population stability for the
Highlands tiger beetle, as well as survey data and literature from
other tiger beetle species. From the remaining suitable or potentially
suitable pine rockland fragments that were delineated for the Miami
Rock Ridge, we excluded fragments below the 2.5-ac (1.0-ha) minimum
area for a viable population. As such we evaluated the remaining
unoccupied pine rockland habitat within and directly adjacent to the
Northern Biscayne Pinelands of the Miami Rock Ridge to identify remnant
pine rocklands with the highest quality habitat potential (i.e.,
actively managed to support pine rocklands) and of sufficient size
(patches at least 2.5 ac (1.0 ha)) to provide for the conservation of
the Miami tiger beetle.
Areas Occupied at the Time of Listing
The two occupied critical habitat units were delineated around the
only remaining extant Miami tiger beetle populations. They include the
mapped extent of the populations that contain the physical or
biological features essential to the conservation of the Miami tiger
beetle. The two occupied units account for approximately 1,572 ac (636
ha) or 80 percent of the proposed designation of critical habitat for
the Miami tiger beetle.
The delineation of proposed critical habitat included the area
containing the extant populations based on occurrence records as well
as all suitable habitat directly adjacent to those areas to allow for
the continued protection and management of pine rockland habitat and to
meet the needs of the species. Given the Miami tiger beetle's
dependence on disturbance (i.e., fires, storms, or mechanical
treatments) to maintain optimal habitat, the amount and location of
optimal habitat is temporally and spatially dynamic.
Areas Outside of the Geographical Range at the Time of Listing
The Miami tiger beetle has been extirpated from its type-locality
(the place where the species was first discovered) in North Miami and
is historically unknown from any other locations. In addition to
including areas of the two extant populations (Richmond Pine Rocklands
and Nixon Smiley Pineland Preserve) in proposed critical habitat, we
are proposing 14 unoccupied critical habitat units that we have
determined are essential to the conservation of the Miami tiger beetle.
These areas contain pine rockland habitat within the historical range
in the Northern Biscayne Pinelands on the Miami Rock Ridge and
encompass approximately 405 ac (164 ha) or 20 percent of proposed
critical habitat. As discussed above, we have determined that recovery
requires additional populations be established in high quality pine
rockland habitat that is protected and actively managed. Following a
review of available sites containing pine rockland habitat within the
historical range of the species, we evaluated each site for its
potential conservation contribution based on quality of habitat,
spatial arrangement relative to the two extant populations and each
other, and existing protections and management. This review led to our
determination that the most viable sites for introduction and
conservation of the Miami tiger beetle are the 14 unoccupied sites
identified in this proposal. As a result, we concluded that these 14
sites, which each contain all of the physical or biological features,
have the highest probability for the conservation of the species and
are essential to the conservation of the species. Thus, we are
proposing them as critical habitat for the Miami tiger beetle.
We used the best available data to delineate existing pine rockland
habitat units that are of sufficient size to support introduced
populations of Miami tiger beetles and that are spatially configured to
support metapopulation dynamics and to minimize adverse impacts from
stochastic events. In identifying these areas, we considered the
following refining criteria:
(1) Areas of sufficient size to support ecosystem processes for
populations of the Miami tiger beetle. The best available information
indicates that appropriately sized units should be at a minimum 2.5-5.0
ac (1.0-2.0 ha). Large contiguous parcels of habitat are more likely to
be resilient to ecological processes of disturbance and are more likely
to support a viable population of the Miami tiger beetle. The
unoccupied areas selected ranged from 7 ac (3 ha) in size to 89 ac (36
ha).
(2) Areas to maintain connectivity of habitat to allow for
population expansion. Isolation of habitat can prevent recolonization
of the Miami tiger beetle and result in local extirpation and
ultimately extinction. To ameliorate the dangers associated
[[Page 49954]]
with small populations or limited distributions, we have identified
areas of critical habitat that will allow for the natural expansion of
populations or support reintroductions.
(3) Restored pine rockland habitats may allow the Miami tiger
beetle to disperse, recolonize, or expand from areas already occupied
by the beetle. These restored areas generally are habitats within or
adjacent to pine rocklands that have been affected by natural or
anthropogenic factors but retain the essential physical or biological
features that make them suitable for the beetle. These areas would help
offset the anticipated loss and degradation of habitat occurring or
expected from natural succession in the absence of disturbance, effects
of climate change (such as sea level rise), or development.
Summary
In summary, for areas within the geographical area occupied by the
species at the time of listing, we delineated critical habitat unit
boundaries using the following criteria:
(1) Evaluated habitat suitability of pine rockland habitat within
the geographical area occupied at the time of listing (current), and
selected those areas that contain all of the physical or biological
features to support life-history functions essential for conservation
of the species;
(2) Identified open sandy areas directly adjacent to occupied areas
and with little to no vegetation that allow for or facilitate normal
behavior and growth of the Miami tiger beetle, such as
thermoregulation, foraging, egg-laying, larval development, and habitat
connectivity, and which promote the overall distribution and expansion
of the species.
The result was the inclusion of two units of critical habitat
occupied by the Miami tiger beetle. Approximately 1,052 ac (426 ha) or
73 percent of the occupied units are existing critical habitat for
other species.
For areas outside the geographical area occupied by the species at
the time of listing, we delineated critical habitat unit boundaries
using the following criteria:
(1) Areas with pine rockland habitat that contained the essential
physical or biological features and were of sufficient size to support
introduced populations of Miami tiger beetles;
(2) Areas that are spatially configured to support metapopulation
dynamics, minimize adverse impacts from stochastic events, and maintain
representation of the historical range of the species.
The result was the inclusion of 14 units of critical habitat not
occupied by the Miami tiger beetle at the time of listing. These 14
units encompass approximately 405 ac (164 ha) or 20 percent of proposed
critical habitat. All 14 units are either publicly owned or privately
owned conservation lands (i.e., Porter Pineland Preserve, which is
owned and managed by the Audubon Society).
When determining proposed critical habitat boundaries, we made
every effort to avoid including developed areas such as lands covered
by buildings, pavement, and other structures because such lands lack
physical or biological features necessary for the Miami tiger beetle.
The scale of the maps we prepared under the parameters for publication
within the Code of Federal Regulations may not reflect the exclusion of
such developed lands. Any such lands inadvertently left inside critical
habitat boundaries shown on the maps of this proposed rule have been
excluded by text in the proposed rule and are not proposed for
designation as critical habitat. Therefore, if the critical habitat is
finalized as proposed, a Federal action involving these lands would not
trigger section 7 consultation with respect to critical habitat and the
requirement of no adverse modification unless the specific action would
affect the essential physical or biological features in the adjacent
critical habitat.
We are proposing for designation as critical habitat those lands
that we have determined are occupied at the time of listing and which
contain the physical or biological features to support life-history
processes essential to the conservation of the species, and lands
outside of the geographical area occupied at the time of listing that
we have determined are essential for the conservation of the Miami
tiger beetle.
The critical habitat designation is defined by the maps, as
modified by any accompanying regulatory text, presented at the end of
this document in the rule portion. We include more detailed information
on the boundaries of the critical habitat designation in the preamble
of this document. We will make shapefiles of the critical habitat units
available to the public on http://www.regulations.gov at Docket No.
FWS-R4-ES-2021-0053, and on our internet site www.fws.gov/verobeach/.
Proposed Critical Habitat Designation
We are proposing 16 units as critical habitat for the Miami tiger
beetle. The critical habitat areas we describe below constitute our
current best assessment of areas that meet the definition of critical
habitat for the Miami tiger beetle. Table 1 shows each critical habitat
unit, its occupancy by the Miami tiger beetle at the time it was listed
under the Act, and the extent of overlap with critical habitat
previously designated for other federally listed species.
Table 1--Proposed Critical Habitat Units for the Miami Tiger Beetle, Including Occupancy and Extent of Overlapping Critical Habitat for Other Federally
Listed Species
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Area of overlap
Total area (ac with existing Area exclusive
Unit No. Unit name Occupancy at time of listing (ha)) critical habitat to Miami tiger
(ac (ha)) beetle (ac (ha))
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1...................................... Trinity Pineland.......... No........................... 10 (4) 10 (4) 0 (0)
2...................................... Rockdale Pineland......... No........................... 39 (16) 38 (15) 1 (http://www.regulations.gov.
Authors
The primary authors of this proposed rule are the staff members of
the Fish and Wildlife Service's Florida Ecological Services Field
Office.
List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17
Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Transportation.
Proposed Regulation Promulgation
Accordingly, we propose to amend part 17, subchapter B of chapter
I, title 50 of the Code of Federal Regulations, as set forth below:
PART 17--ENDANGERED AND THREATENED WILDLIFE AND PLANTS
0
1. The authority citation for part 17 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361-1407; 1531-1544; and 4201-4245,
unless otherwise noted.
0
2. In Sec. 17.11(h), revise the entry for ``Beetle, Miami tiger''
under ``Insects'' in the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife to
read as follows:
Sec. 17.11 Endangered and threatened wildlife.
* * * * *
(h) * * *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Listing citations
Common name Scientific name Where listed Status and applicable
rules
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* * * * * * *
Insects
* * * * * * *
Beetle, Miami tiger............ Cicindelidia U.S.A. (FL)............ E 81 FR 68985; 10/5/
floridana. 2016; 50 CFR
17.95(i).\CH\
* * * * * * *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0
3. In Sec. 17.95, amend paragraph (i) by adding an entry for ``Miami
Tiger Beetle Cicindelidia floridana'' after the entry for ``Helotes
Mold Beetle Batrisodes venyivi)'', to read as follows:
Sec. 17.95 Critical habitat--fish and wildlife.
* * * * *
(i) Insects.
* * * * *
Miami Tiger Beetle (Cicindelidia floridana)
(1) Critical habitat units are depicted for Miami-Dade County,
Florida, on the maps in this entry.
(2) Within these areas, the physical or biological features
essential to the conservation of the Miami tiger beetle consist of one
or more of the following components:
(i) South Florida pine rockland habitat of at least 2.5 ac (1 ha)
in size that is maintained by natural or prescribed fire or other
disturbance regimes; and
(ii) Open sandy areas within or directly adjacent to the south
Florida pine rockland habitat with little to no vegetation that allows
for or facilitates normal behavior and growth such as thermoregulation,
foraging, egg-laying, larval development, and habitat connectivity,
which promotes the
[[Page 49969]]
overall distribution and expansion of the species.
(3) Critical habitat does not include manmade structures (such as
buildings, aqueducts, runways, roads, and other paved areas) and the
land on which they are located existing within the legal boundaries on
the effective date of this rule.
(4) Critical habitat map units. Data layers defining map units were
created using Esri ArcGIS mapping software. The projection used was
Albers Conical Equal Area (Florida Geographic Data Library), NAD 1983
HARN. The maps in this entry, as modified by any accompanying
regulatory text, establish the boundaries of the critical habitat
designation. The spatial data used to create the critical habitat unit
maps are available to the public at the Service's internet site, http://www.fws.gov/verobeach/, or http://www.regulations.gov at Docket No.
FWS-R4-ES-2021-0053.
(5) Note: Index map of all critical habitat units for Miami tiger
beetle follows:
BILLING CODE 4333-15-P
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.004
(6) Unit 1: Trinity Pineland, Miami-Dade County, Florida.
(i) Unit 1 consists of approximately 10 ac (4 ha). The unit is
located between SW 72nd Street to the north, SW 80th Street to the
south, South Dixie Highway to the east, and Palmetto Expressway to the
west.
[[Page 49970]]
(ii) Map of Unit 1 follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.005
(7) Unit 2: Rockdale Pineland, Miami-Dade County, Florida.
(i) Unit 2 consists of approximately 39 ac (16 ha). The unit is
located directly west of South Dixie Highway, between SW 144th Street
to the north and SW 152nd Street to the south.
[[Page 49971]]
(ii) Map of Unit 2 follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.006
(8) Unit 3: Deering Estate South Edition, Miami-Dade County,
Florida.
(i) Unit 3 consists of approximately 16 ac (6 ha). This unit is
located just east of Old Cutler Road and south of 168th Street.
[[Page 49972]]
(ii) Map of Unit 3 follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.007
(9) Unit 4: Ned Glenn Nature Preserve, Miami-Dade County, Florida.
(i) Unit 4 consists of approximately 11 ac (4 ha). The unit is
located directly west of SW 87th Avenue, between 184th Street to the
north, Old Cutler Road to the south, and Franjo Road to the west.
[[Page 49973]]
(ii) Map of Unit 4 follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.008
(10) Unit 5: Deering Estate at Cutler, Miami-Dade County, Florida.
(i) Unit 5 consists of approximately 89 ac (36 ha). The unit is
located southeast of SW 152nd Street and Old Cutler Road.
[[Page 49974]]
(ii) Map of Unit 5 follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.009
(11) Unit 6: Silver Palm Groves Pineland, Miami-Dade County,
Florida.
(i) Unit 6 consists of approximately 25 ac (10 ha). This unit is
located just north of SW 232nd Street, between SW 216th Street to the
north, South Dixie Highway to the east, and SW 147th Avenue to the
west.
[[Page 49975]]
(ii) Map of Unit 6 follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.010
(12) Unit 7: Quail Roost Pineland, Miami-Dade County, Florida.
(i) Unit 7 consists of approximately 48 ac (19 ha). This unit is
located between SW 200th Street to the north, SW 127th Avenue to the
east, SW 216th Street to the south, and SW 147th Avenue to the west.
[[Page 49976]]
(ii) Map of Unit 7 follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.011
(13) Unit 8: Eachus Pineland, Miami-Dade County, Florida.
(i) Unit 8 consists of approximately 17 ac (7 ha). This unit is
located between SW 180th Street to the north, SW 137th Avenue to the
east, SW 184th Street to the south and SW 142th Avenue to the east.
[[Page 49977]]
(ii) Map of Unit 8 follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.012
(14) Unit 9: Bill Sadowski Park, Miami-Dade County, Florida.
(i) Unit 9 consists of approximately 20 ac (8 ha). This unit is
located south of 168th Street, west of Old Cutler Road, north of SW
184th Street, and east of SW 87th Avenue.
[[Page 49978]]
(ii) Map of Unit 9 follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.013
(15) Unit 10: Tamiami Pineland Complex Addition, Miami-Dade County,
Florida.
(i) Unit 10 consists of approximately 21 ac (8 ha). This unit is
located south of 128th Street, west of Florida's Turnpike, north of SW
136th Street, and east of SW 127th Avenue.
[[Page 49979]]
(ii) Map of Unit 10 follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.014
(16) Unit 11: Pine Shore Pineland Preserve, Miami-Dade County,
Florida.
(i) Unit 11 consists of approximately 8 ac (3 ha). This unit is
located southwest of the Don Shula Expressway, west of SW 107th Avenue,
and north of SW 128th Street.
[[Page 49980]]
(ii) Map of Unit 11 follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.015
(17) Unit 12: Nixon Smiley Pineland Preserve, Miami-Dade County,
Florida.
(i) Unit 12 consists of approximately 117 ac (47 ha). This unit is
located between SW 120 Street to the north, SW 127th Avenue to the
east, SW 128th Street to the south, and SW 137th Avenue to the west.
[[Page 49981]]
(ii) Map of Unit 12 follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.016
(18) Unit 13: Camp Matecumbe, Miami-Dade County, Florida.
(i) Unit 13 consists of approximately 81 ac (33 ha). This unit is
between SW 104th Street to the north, SW 137th Avenue to the east, SW
12th Street to the south, and SW 147th Avenue to the west.
[[Page 49982]]
(ii) Map of Unit 13 follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.017
(19) Unit 14: Richmond Pine Rocklands, Miami-Dade County, Florida.
(i) Unit 14 consists of approximately 1,455 ac (589 ha). This unit
is located between SW 152nd Street to the north, SW 117th Avenue to the
east, SW 185th Street to the south, and SW 137th Avenue to the west.
[[Page 49983]]
(ii) Map of Unit 14 follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.018
(20) Unit 15: Calderon Pineland, Miami-Dade County, Florida.
(i) Unit 15 consists of approximately 14 ac (6 ha). This unit is
located between SW 184th Street to the south, SW 137th Avenue to the
east, SW 200th Street to the south, and SW 147th Avenue to the west.
[[Page 49984]]
(ii) Map of Unit 15 follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.019
(21) Unit 16: Porter Pineland Preserve, Miami-Dade County, Florida.
(i) Unit 16 consists of approximately 7 ac (3 ha). This unit is
located to the south of SW 216th Street, to the west of South Dixie
Highway, to the north of SW 232nd Street, and to the east of SW 147th
Avenue.
[[Page 49985]]
(ii) Map of Unit 16 follows:
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TP07SE21.020
* * * * *
Martha Williams
Principal Deputy Director Exercising the Delegated Authority of the
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
[FR Doc. 2021-19088 Filed 9-3-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4333-15-C
