BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has completed the 90-day finding on a petition to list the plains spotted skunk under the Endangered Species Act. The petition presented substantial new information, and the Service will initiate a 12-month review of the species to determine if listing is warranted.
The plains spotted skunk is currently found in Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming.
In 2023, the Service determined the plains spotted skunk did not warrant listing based on the best available scientific and commercial information at that time. Since then, new data suggest the species may have a reduced distribution or occur at very low numbers in the Great Plains, and may warrant reconsideration for federal protection.
During the upcoming status review, the Service will fully evaluate potential threats to the species and review the best scientific and commercial information available. This review will determine whether listing the species under the Endangered Species Act is warranted, not warranted, or warranted but precluded. The Service invites anyone with scientific and commercial data or other information regarding the species and factors that may affect its status to submit that to the Service to inform this review.
This notice will be published in the Federal Register at www.federalregister.gov on July 14, 2026. A detailed description and contact information for this finding will be available at http://www.regulations.gov/ under docket number FWS-R3-ES-2025-0605.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service works with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.