The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced it will review the status of Eagle Lake trout to determine whether listing under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) may be warranted.

The announcement follows a finding that a petition seeking to protect the fish under the ESA and other information available indicates that listing may be warranted.

In making the finding, the service relied on information presented by the petitioner and information on file at the time it received the petition in 2003.

In the review of the status of the Eagle Lake trout, the service will be looking at the best scientific and commercial available today and is asking the public for any scientific and commercial information regarding this species.

Eagle Lake trout is a subspecies of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and native only to Eagle Lake in Lassen County. Eagle Lake trout are known for their ability to withstand high alkalinity and the large size of mature fish.

The service will accept information from the public until Nov. 5. Comments can be submitted online at the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov, (Docket Number FWS-R8-ES-2012-0072) or by mail or hand-delivery to Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R8-ES-2012-0072, Division of Policy and Directives Management,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042-PDM, Arlington, VA 22203