,,ii  #aac? ,,congress  #b;d ,session   
,s4 #bfgh  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!      
,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,july #bi1 #bjad ,mr4  
,inh(e 7= himself & ,mr4 ,coburn7       
introduc$ ! foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 read     
twice & ref]r$ to ! ,committee on       
,environm5t & ,public ,works  ,a ,,bill 
,to remove ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle f !  
li/ ( endang]$ species "u ! ,endang]$   
,species ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et   
seq474  #a4 ,%ort title  ,?is ,act may  
be cit$ z ! ,am]ican ,bury+ ,beetle     
,relief ,act ( #bjad4  #b4 ,f9d+s       
,congress f9ds t-- 7#a7 9 #aihi1 !      
,unit$ ,/ates ,fi% & ,wildlife ,s]vice  
7ref]r$ to 9 ?is section z ! ,s]vice7   
li/$ ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle z an       
endang]$ species "u ! ,endang]$ ,species
 ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq472    
7#b7 9 mak+ ! decision to li/ ! ,am]ican
 bury+ beetle z an endang]$ species1 !  
,s]vice-- 7,a7 /at$ t ! ,am]ican bury+  
beetle 0 once widely di/ribut$ ?r\gh\t  
ea/]n ,nor? ,am]ica2 &  7,b7 consid]$   
possible factors 9 ! population decl9e (

 ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle1 b ultimately  
conclud$ t ! cause ( ! species' decl9e  
is unkn[n2  7#c7 z ( ! date ( !         
decision1 !re 7 only #b kn[n populations
 ( ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle1 #a locat$ 9 
,ea/]n ,oklahoma & #a locat$ on an isl& 
(f ! coa/ ( ,rhode ,isl&2  7#d7 at t "t1
 ! ,rhode ,isl& population 0 e/imat$ to 
be ar\nd #ebj ,am]ican bury+ beetles & !
 ,oklahoma population to be few] ?an #ab
 ,am]ican bury+ beetles2  7#e7 ! ,s]vice
 has n complet$ a range-wide population 
survey ( ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle s9ce   
#aihe2  7#f7 9 #aiia1 ! ,s]vice publi%$ 
a recov]y plan = ! ,am]ican bury+       
beetle1 ) ! objective ( protect+ &      
ma9ta9+ ! extant population 9 ,rhode    
,isl& & ! populations 9 ,oklahoma2  7#g7
 9 ord] to reconsid] ! li/+ /atus ( !   
,am]ican bury+ beetle1 ! ,s]vice is     
requir$ to id5tify #c populations (     
,am]ican bury+ beetle t h be5 ree/abli%$
 7or additional populations discov]$7 )9
 ea* ( #d broad geographical areas ( !  
hi/orical range ( ! ,am]ican bury+      

beetle2  7#h7 ! ,s]vice has id5tifi$ ^! 
#d geographical areas z-- 7,a7 ! ,midwe/
 region1 includ+ ,oklahoma & mo/ ,/ates 
betwe5 ,texas1 ,l\isiana1 & ,montana2   
7,b7 ! ,great ,lakes region2  7,c7 !    
,s\!a/ region2 &  7,d7 ! ,nor!a/ region1
 includ+ ,rhode ,isl&2  7#i7 9 #bjjh1 ! 
,s]vice p]=m$ ! fir/ #e-ye> review ( !  
,am]ican bury+ beetle1 :i*-- 7,a7       
det]m9$ t-- 7i7 ! crit]ia = reconsid]+ !
 li/+ ( ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle _h be5  
met 9 ! ,midwe/ region1 :]e additional  
occurr5ces ( ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle h  
be5 discov]$2 &  7ii7 t1 z a consequ5ce1
 ! total numb] ( ,am]ican bury+ beetle 9
 ?is recov]y area is believ$ to greatly 
exce$ ! num]ical t>get e/abli%$ "u !    
recov]y plan2  7,b7 /at$ t al?\gh "o (  
f\r geographic recov]y areas = !        
,am]ican bury+ beetle has met ! crit]ia 
= reclassification1 ! species presumably
 rema9s extirpat$ 9 mo/ ( its hi/oric   
range2 &  7,c7 conclud$ t ! ,am]ican    
bury+ beetle %\ld rema9 li/$ z an       
endang]$ species2  7#aj7 z ( ! date (   

enactm5t ( ?is ,act-- 7,a7 ! population 
( ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle 9 ,nebraska is
 e/imat$ to conta9 ov] #c1jjj ,am]ican  
bury+ beetles1 mak+ t "o ( ! l>ge/ kn[n 
populations1 al?\gh at ! "t ! ,am]ican  
bury+ beetle 0 li/$ 9 #aihi none 7 kn[n 
to live 9 ,nebraska2  7,b7 ! population 
( ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle 9 ,oklahoma   
has gr[n dramatically f ! population    
numb]s 9 #aihi :5 ! ,am]ican bury+      
beetle 0 li/$ z an endang]$ species & is
 believ$ to be well into ! ?\s&s2  7,c7 
! ,s]vice believes t ! ,am]ican bury+   
beetle exi/s 9 #de ( ! #gg c\nties 9    
,oklahoma1 al?\gh at ! "t ! ,s]vice li/$
 ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle z endang]$ 9   
#aihi1 only #d c\nties 9 ,oklahoma _h a 
kn[n ,am]ican bury+ beetle population2  
7,d7 ,oklahoma ,/ate (ficials are       
conc]n$ ab\t ! lack ( mitigation options
 available to develop]s relat+ to !     
,am]ican bury+ beetle2 &  7,e7 ,oklahoma
 ,dep>tm5t ( ,wildlife ,cons]vation     
,director ,ri*>d ,hat*] has n receiv$ a 
response to ! reque/ submitt$ to !      

,s]vice on ,april #ae1 #bjac1 :i* ask$--
 7i7 = an update to ! recov]y plan = !  
,am]ican bury+ beetle2 &  7ii7 t !      
process ( deli/+ ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle
 beg92  7#aa7 ,s]vice docum5ts publi%$  
close to ! date ( enactm5t ( ?is ,act   
li/ ! ,/ates ( ,arkansas1 ,kansas1      
,massa*usetts1 ,miss\ri1 ,nebraska1     
,ohio1 ,oklahoma1 ,rhode ,isl&1 ,s\?    
,dakota1 & ,texas z hav+ an ,am]ican    
bury+ beetle population2  7#ab7 ! hi/ory
 ( ! process ( ! gray wolf be+ deli/$ z 
an endang]$ species1 fir/ 9 "s areas ( !
 ,unit$ ,/ates & !n entirely1 provides  
an example t c\ld be us$ to deli/ !     
,am]ican bury+ beetle 9 ! ,midwe/       
region2  7#ac7 important po9ts 9 !      
hi/ory ( ! gray wolf be+ deli/$ include 
t-- 7,a7 9 #bjaa1 ! ,s]vice decid$ to   
remove ! gray wolf f ! endang]$ species 
li/ 9 ! ,/ates ( ,idaho1 ,montana1      
,utah1 ,wa%+ton1 & p>ts ( ,oregon :ile  
leav+ ! species li/$ 9 ,wyom+2  7,b7 ?is
 p>tial deli/+ 0 due to ! heal?y        
population levels pres5t 9 ^? ,/ates at 

t "t2 &  7,c7 less ?an #b ye>s lat]1 9  
#bjac1 ! deli/+ 0 ext5d$ to ,wyom+1 & ! 
gray wolf 0 no long] li/$ z endang]$ "u 
! ,endang]$ ,species ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4
 #aeca et seq472  7#ad7 !re is support =
 ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle be+ completely 
deli/$1 because-- 7,a7 beg9n+ 9 #bjjg1 !
 ,s]vice promulgat$ an (ficial policy   
/at+ t :5 ! ,s]vice evaluates !         
probability ( a species be+ lo/ to      
ext9ction across ! range ( t species1 ! 
,s]vice does s )9 ! kn[n exi/+ range ( t
 species1 n a hypo!tical hi/oric range (
 t species2  7,b7 us+ ! policy describ$ 
9 subp>agraph 7,a71 if ! ,am]ican bury+ 
beetle 7 reconsid]$ z a c&idate = be+   
li/$ z an endang]$ species "u !         
,endang]$ ,species ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4  
#aeca et seq471 ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle 
likely w\ld n be eligible because ! kn[n
 populations are n 9 dang] ( be+ lo/ &  
in/ead are exp&+ z ( ! date ( enactm5t (
 ?is ,act2 &  7,c7 ! hi/oric range ( !  
,am]ican bury+ beetle1 describ$ by !    
,s]vice z be+ ubiquit\s at "s po9t1 is  

reliant on data1 obs]vations1 & /udies t
 are m ?an #gj ye>s old & are n easy to 
locate2  7#ae7 !re is a lack ( in=mation
 ab\t ! ext5t ( ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle 
population z ( ! date ( enactm5t ( ?is  
,act1 al?\gh ! population appe>s to h   
exp&$ s9ce ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle 0    
orig9ally li/$ z an endang]$ species2   
7#af7 x is n cle> :e!r ! increas$       
population c\nt ( ! ,am]ican bury+      
beetle is due to ! sci5tific community  
be+ m apt at locat+ ^! insects or :e!r !
 population has actually increas$2 &    
7#ag7 x is cle> ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle 
has prov5 mu* m resili5t ?an ! ,s]vice  
orig9ally believ$1 r5d]+ ! decision ( ! 
,s]vice to li/ ! ,am]ican bury+ beetle z
 an endang]$ species "u ! ,endang]$     
,species ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et   
seq47 indef5sible4  #c4 ,removal (      
,endang]$ ,species ,/atus ,not)/&+ !    
f9al rule ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates ,fi% &      
,wildlife ,s]vice entitl$ ,endang]$ &   
,?reat5$ ,wildlife & ,plants2           
,det]m9ation ( ,endang]$ ,/atus = !     

,am]ican ,bury+ ,beetle 7#ed ,f$4 ,reg4 
#bifeb 7,july #ac1 #aihi771 ! ,am]ican  
bury+ beetle %all n be li/$ z a ?reat5$ 
or endang]$ species "u ! ,endang]$      
,species ,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et   
seq474