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Resources, Endangered and Threatened Species "). The current process of revising Minnesota's List
<br />of Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species began in 1999.
<br />Revision of Minnesota's List of Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species
<br />The DNR began the current process of revising Minnesota's List of Endangered, Threatened, and
<br />Special Concern Species in 1999 by reviewing available information on the distribution and
<br />abundance of the state's fish, wildlife, and plants. Considerable progress had been made by the DNR
<br />in completing surveys of rare species in large portions of the state since the List was amended in 1996,
<br />and a preliminary request for suggested changes to the List was emailed to DNR staff in December
<br />1999. Also in December 1999, the DNR Commissioner requested permission from the Governor's
<br />Office to publish a Request for Comments in the State Register. Permission was received, and a
<br />Request for Comments was published in the State Register on January 18, 2000. This Notice was also
<br />mailed to all persons and organizations that are registered with the DNR for the purpose of receiving
<br />notices of rulemaking proceedings. Subsequent staffing and workload changes within the DNR
<br />diverted staff attention from this effort, and little additional progress was made until 2004.
<br />Between July 2004 and December 2006, DNR staff developed draft amendments to the List. For
<br />species groups about which DNR staff expertise existed (mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians,
<br />fish, mollusks, butterflies and moths, and vascular plants), staff were relied upon to identify those
<br />species for which new information warranted a change in listed status. For those species groups for
<br />which new information was available but DNR expertise was insufficient (jumping spiders,
<br />caddisflies, tiger beetles, leafhoppers, dragonflies, lichens, mosses and liverworts, and fungi), external
<br />experts were identified and consulted. A list of all internal and external experts who participated in
<br />developing the draft amendments is included in Appendix A.
<br />Because of the hiatus following the 2000 Request for Comments, on December 1, 2006 the DNR
<br />Commissioner informed the Governor's Office that the rule making initiated in 2000 was being
<br />renewed, and requested permission to republish a Request for Comments in the State Register.
<br />Permission was received, and a new Request for Comments was published in the State Register on
<br />January 2, 2007. On that same date, the DNR published Draft Amendments to Minnesota's List of
<br />Endangered, Threatened, and Special Concern Species (Draft) by posting the Draft on the DNR
<br />website at http: / /www.dnr. state .mn.us /ets /rulesrevision.html. The availability of the draft was
<br />simultaneously publicized through press releases, emails, and notices sent through the U.S. mail to a
<br />list of stakeholders compiled from various in -house mailing lists, persons and organizations who had
<br />previously expressed interest in this rulemaking, and all persons and organizations that are registered
<br />with the DNR for the purpose of receiving notices of rulemaking proceedings. The Draft included
<br />recommended changes to the status of 273 species of plants and animals, and provided brief
<br />explanations for each recommended change. The DNR website also provided an online comment
<br />form for submitting comments to the DNR. Between January 2007 and November 2009, the DNR has
<br />received 423 comments on the status of 199 species from 151 commenters. DNR staff have carefully
<br />evaluated each comment received by the DNR and have made many adjustments to the 2007 draft
<br />amendments in response to new information received through this process.
<br />Development of the Proposed Amendments presented in this Statement of Need and Reasonableness
<br />relied upon the DNR staffs professional judgment to evaluate whether or not a species meets the
<br />statutory definitions of "endangered," "threatened," or "of special concern" as provided by Minn.
<br />Stat., sec. 84.0895, subds. 3(a) and 3(b):
<br />"Subd. 3. Designation. (a) The commissioner shall adopt rules under chapter 14, to
<br />designate species of wild animal or plant as:
<br />(1) endangered, if the species is threatened with extinction throughout all or a significant
<br />portion of its range;
<br />(2) threatened, if the species is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future
<br />throughout all or a significant portion of its range; or
<br />(3) species of special concern, if although the species is not endangered or threatened, it
<br />is extremely uncommon in this state, or has unique or highly specific habitat requirements
<br />and deserves careful monitoring of its status. Species on the periphery of their range that are
<br />Proposed Amendment of Minnesota Rules, Chapter 6134: Endangered and Threatened Species
<br />Statement of Need and Reasonableness: August 10, 2012
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