FWS announced a 12-month finding on a petition to list the lake sturgeon as an endangered or threatened species under the ESA, finding that listing is not warranted at this time. 

NMFS announced a 90-day finding that a petition to list the whitespotted eagle ray as a threatened or endangered species and to designate critical habitat concurrent with the listing does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. 

FWS announced the updated planning policies for the National Wildlife Refuge System to incorporate landscape conservation plans and consideration of climate change and other anthropogenic forces in refuge management. 

NMFS announced its intent to conduct a five-year review of the endangered western distinct population segment of the Steller sea lion. 

FWS revised regulations concerning the issuance of enhancement of survival and incidental take permits under the ESA. 

FWS revised its regulations concerning protections of endangered and threatened species under the ESA by reinstating the general application of the "blanket rule'' option for protecting newly listed threatened species pursuant to §4(d) of the Act, with the continued option to promulgate species-specific §4(d) rules, and extending to federally recognized tribes the exceptions to prohibitions for threatened species that the regulations currently provide to the employees or agents of FWS and other federal and state agencies to aid, salvage, or dispose of threatened species.

FWS and NMFS finalized revisions to portions of their regulations that implement §4 of the ESA, concerning procedures and criteria used for listing, reclassifying, and delisting species on the lists of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants and designating critical habitat.

FWS and NMFS finalized revisions to portions of their regulations that implement §7 of the ESA concerning interagency cooperation procedures.