<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#555555">We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are removing the San Clemente (SC) Bell's sparrow ( Artemisiospiza belli clementeae) (formerly known as the SC
sage sparrow, Amphispiza belli clementeae), San Clemente Island (SCI) bush-mallow ( Malacothamnus clementinus), SCI paintbrush ( Castilleja grisea), SCI lotus ( Acmispon dendroideus var. traskiae), and SCI larkspur ( Delphinium variegatum ssp. kinkiense) from
the Federal Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants (Lists). The bird species and four plant species occur only on SCI, one of the California Channel Islands off the southern coast of California. The delistings are based on our evaluation of
the best available scientific and commercial information, which indicates that the status of each species has improved and threats to the species have been eliminated or reduced to the point that the species have recovered and no longer meet the definitions
of either endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Accordingly, the protections provided by the Act will no longer apply to these species.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#555555"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#555555"><a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/01/25/2023-01400/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-removing-five-species-that-occur-on-san-clemente">https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/01/25/2023-01400/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-removing-five-species-that-occur-on-san-clemente</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>