APPENDIX 

GREAT FALLS PARK, VIRGINIA y FINAL GMP/EIS A.10

APPENDIX E: RARE, THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES STATUS AND 

DESCRIPTION OF RANKING 

 

Federal Status 

 

As defined in the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), endangered species are “any species which is in 

danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range other than species of the Class 

Insecta as determined by the Secretary to constitute a pest whose protection under the provisions of the 

Act would present an overwhelming and overriding risk to man.” A threatened species is “any species 

which is likely to become an endangered species in the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant 

portion of it range.” The term species, as defined in the ESA includes “subspecies of fish or wildlife or 

plants, and any distinct population of vertebrate fish or wildlife which interbreeds when mature.” 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determines the federal status for all plants and animals listed as 

endangered or threatened by the U.S. government and receiving protection under the federal Endangered 

Species Act. 

LE Listed Endangered. A taxon is threatened with extinction throughout all or a significant portion of 

its range. 

LT Listed Threatened. A taxon is likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future. 

PE Proposed Endangered. A taxon is proposed for listing as endangered. 

PT Proposed Threatened. A taxon is proposed for listing as threatened. 

C There is enough available information to propose the taxon for listing, but listing is precluded by 

other pending proposals of higher priority". The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service is "directed to make 

prompt use of the emergency listing if the well-being of any such species is at significant risk." 

* An * following the status denotes that the species or variety is possibly extinct. 
APPENDIX 

A.11 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE 

State of Virginia Status 

State status specifies the plants and animals listed as endangered or threatened in Virginia. The status of 

plants and insects is determined by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, as 

mandated in the Endangered Plant and Insect Species Act (Code of Virginia, Section 3.1 -1020 through 

1030). The status of all other animals is determined by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland 

Fisheries under Virginia’s Endangered Species Act (Code of Virginia, Section 29.1-564 through 568). 

 

LE Listed Endangered. 

LT Listed Threatened. 

PE Proposed Endangered. 

PT Proposed Threatened. 

C Candidate for listing as threatened or endangered. 

State and Global Rank 

The following information is from Virginia’s Natural Heritage Resource Program. 

Global Rank 

Global ranks are determined based on a consensus of the network of natural heritage programs, scientific 

experts and NatureServe1

. Global ranks signify the rarity of the plant or animal species and are assigned a 

rank based on a combination of the following criteria: the number of occurrences of the species, the 

number of individuals, and the severity of the threats to the particular species. 

G1 Extremely rare and critically imperiled with 5 or fewer occurrences or very few remaining 

individuals; or because of some factor (s) making it especially vulnerable to extinction. 

G2 Very rare and imperiled with 6 to 20 occurrences or few remaining individuals; or because of some 

factor(s) making it vulnerable to extinction. 

G3 Either very rare and local throughout its range or found locally (even abundantly at some of its 

locations) in a restricted range; or vulnerable to extinction because of other factors. Usually fewer 

than 100 occurrences are documented. 

G4 Common and apparently secure globally, though it may be rare in parts of its range, especially at the 

periphery. 

G5 Very common and demonstrably secure globally, though it may be rare in parts of its range, 

especially at the periphery. 

GH Formerly part of the world's biota with expectation that it may be rediscovered. 

 

1

 NatureServe is a non-profit conservation organization that provides scientific information guiding conservation decisions 

throughout the world. They collect and manage detailed local information on plants, animals, and ecosystems and maintain 

biodiversity data. For more information: http://www.natureserve.org 
APPENDIX 

GREAT FALLS PARK, VIRGINIA y FINAL GMP/EIS A.12

GX Believed extinct throughout its range with virtually no likelihood of rediscovery. 

GU Possibly rare, but status uncertain and more data needed. 

G? Unranked, or, if following a ranking, rank uncertain (ex. G3?). 

G_Q_ The taxon has a questionable taxonomic assignment, such as a G3Q. 

G_T_ Signifies the rank of a subspecies or variety. The taxon rank (T1-T5) indicates a rank assigned to the 

subspecies following the above Global Rank definitions. 

For example, a G5T1 would apply to a subspecies of a species that is demonstrably secure globally 

(G5) but the subspecies warrants a rank of T1, critically imperiled. 

State Rank 

 

State ranks are assigned similarly to global ranks, but consider the criteria determining the rarity of the 

species only within the political boundaries of Virginia. 

S1 Extremely rare and critically imperiled with 5 or fewer occurrences or very few remaining 

individuals in Virginia; or because of some factor(s) making it especially vulnerable to extirpation in 

Virginia. 

S2 Very rare and imperiled with 6 to 20 occurrences or few remaining individuals in Virginia; or 

because of some factor(s) making it vulnerable to extirpation in Virginia. 

S3 Rare to uncommon in Virginia with between 20 and 100 occurrences; may have fewer occurrences if 

found to be common or abundant at some of these locations; may be somewhat vulnerable to 

extirpation in Virginia. 

S4 Common and apparently secure with more than 100 occurrences; may have fewer occurrences with 

numerous large populations. 

S5 Very common and demonstrably secure in Virginia. 

SH Formerly part of the Virginia biota with expectation that it may be rediscovered. 

SX Believed extirpated from Virginia with virtually no likelihood of rediscovery. 

SE Exotic; not believed to be a native component of Virginia's flora. 

SR Reported for Virginia, but without persuasive documentation which would provide a basis for either 

accepting or rejecting the report. 

SRF Reported for Virginia, but with convincing evidence that the report was in error. 

SU Possibly rare, but status uncertain and more data needed. 

S_? Rank uncertain, for example a S2? denotes a species or variety which may range from S1 to S3, 

another example is SE?, meaning a taxon may or may not be native to Virginia.