4VAC15-20 Definitions and Miscellaneous: In General

REGULATIONS

Vol. 32 Iss. 10 - January 11, 2016

TITLE 4. CONSERVATION AND NATURAL RESOURCES

BOARD OF GAME AND INLAND FISHERIES

Chapter 20

Proposed Regulation

REGISTRAR'S NOTICE: The Board of Game and Inland Fisheries is claiming an exemption from the Administrative Process Act pursuant to § 2.2-4002 A 3 of the Code of Virginia when promulgating regulations regarding the management of wildlife.

Title of Regulation: 4VAC15-20. Definitions and Miscellaneous: In General (amending 4VAC15-20-130).

Statutory Authority: §§ 29.1-103, 29.1-501, and 29.1-502 of the Code of Virginia.

Public Hearing Information:

January 21, 2016 - 9 a.m. - Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, 7870 Villa Park Drive, Suite 400, Henrico, VA 23228.

Public Comment Deadline: January 08, 2016.

Agency Contact: Phil Smith, Regulatory Coordinator, Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, 7870 Villa Park Drive, Suite 400, Henrico, VA 23228, telephone [phone], or email [e-mail].

Summary:

The proposed amendments (i) update the date reference to the federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife species; (ii) update the Virginia List of Endangered and Threatened Species to add the little brown bat and the tri-colored bat as endangered species and remove the state-threatened upland sandpiper and Dismal Swamp southeastern shrew to reflect their status in Virginia more accurately; and (iii) describe certain activities in which incidental take of the little brown bat and the tri-colored bat may occur that may be conducted without a permit from the department, provided that the activities are performed in certain manners.

4VAC15-20-130. Endangered and threatened species; adoption of federal list; additional species enumerated.

A. The board hereby adopts the Federal Endangered and Threatened Species List, Endangered Species Act of December 28, 1973 (16 USC §§ 1531‑1543), as amended as of May 20, 2014 October 2, 2015, and declares all species listed thereon to be endangered or threatened species in the Commonwealth. Pursuant to § 29.1-103.12 of the Code of Virginia, the director of the department is hereby delegated authority to propose adoption of modifications and amendments to the Federal Endangered and Threatened Species List in accordance with the procedures of §§ 29.1-501 and 29.1-502 of the Code of Virginia.

B. In addition to the provisions of subsection A of this section, the following species are declared endangered or threatened in this Commonwealth, and are afforded the protection provided by Article 6 (§ 29.1-563 et seq.) of Chapter 5 of Title 29.1 of the Code of Virginia:

1. Fish:
Endangered:
	Dace, Tennessee		Phoxinus tennesseensis
	Darter, sharphead		Etheostoma acuticeps
	Darter, variegate		Etheostoma variatum
	Sunfish, blackbanded		Enneacanthus chaetodon
Threatened:
	Darter, Carolina		Etheostoma collis
	Darter, golden		Etheostoma denoncourti
	Darter, greenfin		Etheostoma chlorobranchium
	Darter, sickle		Percina willliamsi
	Darter, western sand		Ammocrypta clara
	Madtom, orangefin		Noturus gilberti
	Paddlefish		Polyodon spathula
	Shiner, emerald		Notropis atherinoides
	Shiner, steelcolor		Cyprinella whipplei
	Shiner, whitemouth		Notropis alborus
2. Amphibians:
Endangered:
	Salamander, eastern tiger		Ambystoma tigrinum

Threatened:
	Salamander, Mabee's			Ambystoma mabeei
	Treefrog, barking			Hyla gratiosa
3. Reptiles:
Endangered:
	Rattlesnake, canebrake (Coastal Plain population of timber rattlesnake)			Crotalus horridus
	Turtle, bog			Glyptemys muhlenbergii
	Turtle, eastern chicken			Deirochelys reticularia reticularia
Threatened:
	Lizard, eastern glass			Ophisaurus ventralis
	Turtle, wood			Glyptemys insculpta
4. Birds:
Endangered:
	Plover, Wilson's			Charadrius wilsonia
	Rail, black			Laterallus jamaicensis
	Wren, Bewick's			Thryomanes bewickii bewickii
Threatened:
	Falcon, peregrine			Falco peregrinus
	Sandpiper, upland			Bartramia longicauda
	Shrike, loggerhead			Lanius ludovicianus
	Sparrow, Bachman's			Aimophila aestivalis
	Sparrow, Henslow's			Ammodramus henslowii
	Tern, gull-billed			Sterna nilotica
5. Mammals:
Endangered:
	Bat, Rafinesque's eastern big-eared			Corynorhinus rafinesquii macrotis
	Bat, little brown			Myotis lucifugus
	Bat, tri-colored			Perimyotis subflavus
	Hare, snowshoe			Lepus americanus
	Shrew, American water			Sorex palustris
	Vole, rock			Microtus chrotorrhinus
Threatened:
	Shrew, Dismal Swamp southeastern			Sorex longirostris fisheri
6. Molluscs:
Endangered:
	Ghostsnail, thankless			Holsingeria unthanksensis
	Coil, rubble			Helicodiscus lirellus
	Coil, shaggy			Helicodiscus diadema
	Deertoe			Truncilla truncata
	Elephantear			Elliptio crassidens
	Elimia, spider			Elimia arachnoidea
	Floater, brook			Alasmidonta varicosa
	Heelsplitter, Tennessee			Lasmigona holstonia
	Lilliput, purple			Toxolasma lividus
	Mussel, slippershell			Alasmidonta viridis
	Pigtoe, Ohio			Pleurobema cordatum
	Pigtoe, pyramid			Pleurobema rubrum
	Springsnail, Appalachian			Fontigens bottimeri
	Springsnail (no common name)			Fontigens morrisoni
	Supercoil, spirit			Paravitrea hera
Threatened:
	Floater, green			Lasmigona subviridis
	Papershell, fragile			Leptodea fragilis
	Pigtoe, Atlantic			Fusconaiamasoni
	Pimpleback			Quadrula pustulosa pustulosa
	Pistolgrip			Tritogonia verrucosa
	Riversnail, spiny			Iofluvialis
	Sandshell, black			Ligumia recta
	Supercoil, brown			Paravitrea septadens
7. Arthropods:
Threatened:
		Amphipod, Madison Cave		Stygobromus stegerorum
		Pseudotremia, Ellett Valley		Pseudotremia cavernarum
		Xystodesmid, Laurel Creek		Sigmoria whiteheadi
8. Crustaceans:
Endangered:
		Crayfish, Big Sandy	Cambarus veteranus

C. It shall be unlawful to take, transport, process, sell, or offer for sale within the Commonwealth any threatened or endangered species of fish or wildlife except as authorized by law.

D. The incidental take of certain species may occur in certain circumstances and with the implementation of certain conservation practices as described in this subsection:

Species	Location	Allowable Circumstances	Required Conservation Measures	Expected Incidental Take
Little brown bat Tri-colored bat	Statewide	Human health risk – need for removal of individual animals from human-habited structures.	Between May 15 and August 31, no exclusion of bats from maternity colonies, except for human health concerns. DGIF-permitted nuisance wildlife control operator with DGIF-recognized certification in techniques associated with removal of bats. Use of exclusion devices that allow individual animals to escape. Manual collection of individual animals incapable of sustaining themselves; transport to a willing and appropriately permitted wildlife rehabilitator.	Little to no direct lethal taking expected.
		Public safety or property damage risk – need for tree removal, application of prescribed fire, or other land management actions affecting known roosts; removal of animals from known roosts.	Hibernacula: no tree removal, use of prescribed fire, or other land management action within buffer area from September 1 through April 30, if possible. Otherwise, document the need (public safety, property damage risk) for tree removal during this period and verify that no known roost trees exist in the buffer area. Known roost trees: no tree removal, use of prescribed fire, or other land management action within buffer area from May 1 through August 31, if possible. Otherwise, document public safety or property damage risk. DGIF-permitted nuisance wildlife control operator with DGIF-recognized certification in techniques associated with removal of bats. Use of exclusion devices that allow individual animals to escape. Manual collection of individual animals incapable of sustaining themselves; transport to a willing and appropriately permitted wildlife rehabilitator.	Little to no direct lethal taking expected.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE (4VAC15-20)

List of Native and Naturalized Fauna of Virginia, March 2012, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries

Federal Endangered and Threatened Species List, amended as of October 2, 2015, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

VA.R. Doc. No. R16-4615; Filed December 21, 2015, 10:29 a.m.