All information we have gathered since 1993 supports a conclusion that the Alabama sturgeon is threatened with extinction in the foreseeable future. The Service is required to make its decisions on the status of species in a timely fashion but we are doing so by working closely with all interested parties and being responsive to community concerns. Federal agencies are required to consider the effects of their activities on endangered and threatened species in consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Activities identified that might harm listed species are usually modified to reduce impacts. These species share similar habitats with the Alabama sturgeon, and their presence has not resulted in any use restrictions of the Alabama or Tombigbee Rivers.
All documents used to produce the proposed rule are a part of the administrative record.
These include the 1994 White Paper, which is cited twice in the listing proposal. All of this information is a part of the administrative record of this listing action . During the 1993 comment period on the proposal to list the Alabama sturgeon, economists from Troy State University submitted an economic analysis of the economic effects of the action. Although the Service accepted the report as a part of our administrative record, we did not concur with the reports findings, nor do we now. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for maintaining navigation on these rivers.