Status Reviews of Candidate Species

As part of the CESA listing process, CDFW must prepare status reviews for plants and animals designated as candidates by the California Fish and Game Commission(opens in new tab) (Commission). These status reviews must be based on the best scientific information available to CDFW, must be scientifically peer-reviewed, and must include a recommendation to the Commission on whether listing is warranted. The table below includes links to status reviews that have recently been completed by CDFW, and the Commission’s final determinations related to those species (if applicable). For more information on the CESA listing process and the Commission’s related proceedings, see the Commission’s page on Petitions to List Species Under the California Endangered Species Act(opens in new tab). For a current list of species that are listed under CESA, please see the Threatened or Endangered Plant Species List (PDF)(opens in new tab) and the Threatened or Endangered Animal Species List (PDF)(opens in new tab).

Table of Recently Completed Status Reviews of Candidate Species
Taxon Common Name (Scientific Name) Date of Review Fish and Game Commission Determination
Morro Manzanita (Arctostaphylos morroensis) (PDF) May 2026 Determination Pending
Mountain Lion (Puma concolor couguar) (PDF) December 2025 Determination Pending
Bear Lake Buckwheat (Eriogonum microtheca var. lacus-ursi) (PDF) August 2025 Endangered
Mojave Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) (PDF) February 2024 Endangered
Southern California Steelhead Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) (PDF) February 2024 Endangered
Inyo Rock Daisy (Perityle inyoensis synonym Laphamia inyoensis) (PDF) August 2023 Threatened
Lime Ridge Eriastrum (Eriastrum ertterae) (PDF) August 2023 Endangered
Western Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) (PDF) March 2022 Determination Pending
Milo Baker's Lupine (Lupinus milo-bakeri) (PDF) February 2022 Endangered
San Bernardino Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys merriami parvus) (PDF) November 2021 Endangered
Shasta Snow-wreath (Neviusia cliftonii) (PDF) November 2021 Threatened
Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) (PDF) July 2021 Endangered
Clara Hunt's Milkvetch (Astragalus claranus) (PDF) March 2021 Endangered
Northern California Summer Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) (PDF) March 2021 Endangered
Upper Klamath-Trinity River Spring Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) (PDF) December 2020 Threatened
Foothill Yellow-legged Frog (Rana boylii) (PDF) September 2019 Endangered (3 clades), Threatened (2 clades), Not Warranted (1 clade)
Humboldt Marten (Martes caurina humboldtensis) (PDF) June 2018 Endangered
Tricolored Blackbird (Agelaius tricolor) (PDF) February 2018 Threatened
Lassics Lupine (Lupinus constancei) (PDF) January 2018 Endangered
Coast Yellow Leptosiphon (Leptosiphon croceus) (PDF) December 2017 Endangered
 Townsend's Big-eared Bat (Corynorhinus townsendii) (PDF) June 2016 Not Warranted
Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) (PDF) January 2016 Threatened
Fisher (Pekania pennanti) (PDF) May 2015 Threatened (southern ESU), Not Warranted (northern ESU)

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Habitat Conservation Planning Branch
P.O. Box 944209, Sacramento, CA 94244-2090
HCPB@wildlife.ca.gov