FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller
(985) 748-3211
AMITE—The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold a virtual public hearing next week to hear input on a proposal to remove the ivory-billed woodpecker from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife due to extinction.
Tangipahoa Parish President Robby Miller says there will be a virtual public hearing held via Zoom’s online platform and teleconference on Wednesday, Jan. 26, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Registration is required using the link https://empsi.zoom.us/
The ivory-billed woodpecker is native to the bottomland hardwood forests in the Southern United States. It is thought that habitat destruction and hunting reduced the population so thoroughly that the bird has been considered possibly extinct for several decades.
According to reports filed by the Louisiana Ecological Services Field Office in Lafayette, scientists have been actively searching for the ivory-billed woodpecker. There have been no documented new occurrences nor any supporting evidence for the bird’s existence since the 2010 recovery plan was published. In 2019, a review of the species’ status recommended delisting due to extinction.
Participants who plan on providing a comment during the public comment portion of the meeting are asked to indicate that when registering. After registration, participants will receive a confirmation email detailing how to join the meeting.
The commission will also accept any comments received or postmarked on or before Feb. 10, 2022. Please note that comments submitted electronically using the Federal eRulemaking Portal must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date, and comments submitted by U.S. mail must be postmarked by that date to ensure consideration. By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS‒R4‒ES‒2020‒0109, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MS: PRB/3W, 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041‒3803.
