RENO -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced it has completed its evaluation of the petition to add the Mt. Charleston blue butterfly to the federal list of threatened and endangered species and determined substantial scientific information exists to warrant a more in-depth examination.

The service will conduct a full-status review of the species and determine whether to propose listing the species as either threatened or endangered.

"Our finding is based on scientific information contained in the petition indicating listing the butterfly may be warranted," said Bob Williams, field supervisor for the Nevada Fish and Wildlife Office.

"The finding does not mean we have decided it is appropriate to list the Mt. Charleston blue butterfly. We will be conducting a more thorough review of all scientific information available and I encourage anyone with relevant information concerning the status of the butterfly and its habitat to provide it to us so it can be considered in the review," he said.

The service published this determination in the May 30 Federal Register. This finding is the first step in a process that triggers a more thorough review of all the scientific and commercial information available about the status of the butterfly.

The in-depth review, known as a 12-month finding, includes a request for input from the public and should be complete within one year from the date of this publication.

This status review will determine whether the Mt. Charleston blue butterfly warrants listing as a threatened or endangered species. If listed, the species would be afforded the full range of protections available under the Endangered Species Act, including prohibitions on killing, harming or otherwise "taking" a species.

To ensure a comprehensive status review, the service is soliciting information from the public, other concerned governmental agencies, tribes, the scientific community, industry and all interested parties regarding the Mt. Charleston blue butterfly's historical and current status and distribution, its ecology, ongoing conservation measures for the species and its habitat, and threats to the species and its habitat.