[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 220 (Monday, November 16, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 63661-63662]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30539]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding for
a Petition to List Silene spaldingii (Spalding's catchfly) as
Endangered or Threatened
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of 90-day petition finding and initiation of status
review.
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SUMMARY: We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) are announcing a 90-day
finding on a petition to list Silene spaldingii (Spalding's catchfly)
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We find
that the petition presents substantial information indicating that
listing this plant species may be warranted. With publication of this
finding, we are initiating a status review for this species, which
occurs in southeastern Washington, adjacent portions of Idaho and
Oregon, and northwestern Montana.
DATES: The finding announced in this document was made on November 5,
1998. To be considered in the 12-month finding for this petition,
information and comments concerning this finding should be submitted to
us by January 15, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Data, information, comments, or questions concerning this
finding should be submitted to the Supervisor, Snake River Basin
Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Room 368,
Boise, Idaho 83709. The petition finding and supporting data are
available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business
hours at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edna Rey-Vizgirdas, botanist, at the
above address (telephone: 208/378-5243).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), requires that we make a finding on
whether a petition to list, delist, or reclassify a species presents
substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the
requested action may be warranted. This finding is to be based on all
information available to us at the time the finding is made. To the
maximum extent practicable, this finding is to be made within 90 days
following receipt of the petition, and the finding is to be published
promptly in the Federal Register. If the finding is that substantial
information was presented, we also are required to promptly commence a
review of the status of the species involved, if one has not already
been initiated under our internal candidate assessment process.
The processing of this petition conforms with our listing priority
guidance published in the Federal Register on May 8, 1998 (63 FR
25502). This guidance clarifies the order in which we will process
rulemakings giving highest priority (Tier 1) to processing emergency
listings, second priority (Tier 2) to resolving the listing status of
outstanding proposed listings, resolving the conservation status of
candidate species, processing administrative findings on petitions to
add species to the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and
Plants, or reclassify species from threatened to endangered status, and
delisting or downlisting (reclassifying from endangered to threatened
status) actions. The processing of critical habitat designations are
the lowest priority actions and are placed in Tier 3. The processing of
this petition finding is a Tier 2 action.
We have made a 90-day finding on a petition to list Silene
spaldingii (Spalding's catchfly). The petition, dated February 23,
1995, was submitted by the Biodiversity Legal Foundation (BLF) of
Boulder, Colorado, the Montana and Washington Native Plant Societies,
and Mr. Peter Lesica of Missoula, Montana (BLF et al. 1995). The
petition requested listing of Silene spaldingii within the conterminous
United States as threatened or endangered under the Act, and was
received by us on February 27, 1995. The petition requested that the
species be listed as threatened or endangered across its entire known
historic range, which includes southeastern Washington, adjacent
portions of Oregon and Idaho, and northwestern Montana. The petition
submitted information stating that this species is threatened by
improper livestock grazing practices, competition with non-native and
woody vegetation, improper herbicide application, inbreeding
depression, and fire suppression.
A member of the pink family (Caryophyllaceae), Silene spaldingii is
a long-lived perennial herb that grows 20 to 40 centimeters (cm) (8 to
16 inches (in)) tall (Lesica 1993, Lesica and Heidel 1996). It has four
to seven pairs of lance-shaped leaves, and a spirally arranged
inflorescence (flower cluster) consisting of small greenish-white
flowers which range from 1 to 2 cm (0.4 to 0.8 in) long (Lesica 1993,
Lesica and Heidel 1996). The foliage is lightly to densely covered with
sticky hairs. The species was originally described by Watson (1875).
The distribution and habitat of S. spaldingii are limited. This
species is primarily restricted to slopes, flats, or swales (marshy
lands) in mesic grasslands or steppe vegetation of the Palouse region
in southeastern Washington, northwestern Montana, and adjacent portions
of Idaho and Oregon; one plant was located in British Columbia,
directly adjoining a Montana population. Large-scale ecological changes
in the Palouse region over the past several decades, including
agricultural conversion, changes in fire frequency, and alterations of
hydrology, have resulted in the decline of numerous sensitive plant
species including S. spaldingii (Tisdale 1961). More than 98 percent of
the original Palouse prairie habitat has been lost or modified by
agricultural conversion, grazing, invasion of non-native species,
altered fire regimes, and urbanization (Noss et al. 1995).
Silene spaldingii is currently known from approximately 94
occurrences or sites in Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Washington; only 12
percent of these (11 sites) contain more than 100 individuals (Heidel
1995, Lichthardt 1997, Idaho Conservation Data Center 1998, Montana
Natural Heritage Program (MNHP) 1998, Oregon Natural Heritage Program
(ONHP)1998, Washington Natural Heritage Program (WNHP) 1998). This
species is State listed as endangered in Oregon, and threatened in
Washington. In Idaho and Montana, there are no State Endangered Species
Acts, but Silene spaldingii is listed by the Idaho Conservation Data
Center and MNHP as very rare (Lesica and Heidel 1996, Lichthardt 1997,
Idaho Conservation Data Center 1998, MNHP 1998, ONHP 1998, WNHP 1998).
The estimated total number of individuals for S. spaldingii is fewer
than 14,000 (Heidel 1995).
Habitat degradation and competition associated with the invasion of
exotic plant species continues to threaten this species, including
sites on public lands. For example, the population of S. spaldingii in
the Kramer Palouse Biological Study Area in Washington declined from
147 to 10 individuals during the period from 1981 to 1994,
[[Page 63662]]
apparently due to encroachment by the exotic yellow star-thistle
(Centaurea solstitialis) and woody vegetation (Heidel 1995). Exotic
plant species compete for water, nutrients, and light, in addition to
competition for pollinators (Lesica and Heidel 1996). Herbicide
application to reduce or eliminate the exotics has the potential to
kill non-target species such as S. spaldingii (BLF et al.1995).
Fire suppression apparently contributes to a decline in suitable
habitat conditions for S. spaldingii (B. Heidel, MNHP, pers. comm.
1998), facilitating the encroachment of woody vegetation and other
plant species. Fire may be necessary for survival of S. spaldingii
populations; Lesica (1992) found that recruitment of S. spaldingii was
enhanced following fire.
Silene spaldingii reproduces by seed and requires bumblebees to
pollinate the flowers. Competition for pollinators has been noted at a
number of S. spaldingii sites that have large populations of other
flowering plant species. Reduced pollinator activity has the potential
to adversely affect fertility and fitness of the species, resulting in
inbreeding depression and declines in small populations (Lesica 1993,
Lesica and Heidel 1996).
Climatic fluctuations can also adversely affect this species, and
contribute to the extirpation of small populations. For example, a S.
spaldingii population at Wild Horse Island (Montana) declined from
approximately 250 to 10 plants, due primarily to drought conditions in
the late 1980's (BLF et al. 1995, Heidel 1995, Lesica 1988). Such
reductions in population size are often exacerbated by other factors
including pollinator competition and poor reproductive success.
We have reviewed the petition, the literature cited in the
petition, and other information available in our files. On the basis of
the best scientific and commercial information available, we find that
the petition presents substantial information that listing of Silene
spaldingii may be warranted. The available information suggests that
the species' restricted range and small population size increase the
likelihood of extirpation from random or localized events such as
trampling, herbicide application, drought, competition, and reduced
pollinator activity. At least 25 S. spaldingii populations may have
been extirpated; two of these are known to have been extirpated since
1991 (Heidel 1995, Lichthardt 1997, MNHP 1998, WNHP 1998).
We hereby announce the formal review of the species' status
pursuant to this 90-day finding. We request any additional data,
comments, and suggestions from the public, other concerned governmental
agencies, the scientific community, industry, or any other interested
parties concerning the status of S. spaldingii. Of particular interest,
is information regarding the existence and status of additional
populations, environmental factors determining distribution,
pollinators, and genetic variability in known populations.
References Cited
A complete list of all references cited herein, as well as others,
is available upon request from the Snake River Basin Office (see
ADDRESSES section).
Author
The primary author of this document is Edna Rey-Vizgirdas, Snake
River Basin Office (see ADDRESSES section).
Authority
The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).
Dated: November 5, 1998.
Jamie Rappaport Clark,
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 98-30539 Filed 11-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
