94-6790. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Endangered Status for the Plant Ipomopsis Sancti-Spiritus (Holy Ghost Ipomopsis)  

  • [Federal Register Volume 59, Number 56 (Wednesday, March 23, 1994)]
    [Unknown Section]
    [Page 0]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 94-6790]
    
    
    [[Page Unknown]]
    
    [Federal Register: March 23, 1994]
    
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    
    DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
    50 CFR Part 17
    
    RIN 1018-AB66
    
     
    
    Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of 
    Endangered Status for the Plant Ipomopsis Sancti-Spiritus (Holy Ghost 
    Ipomopsis)
    
    AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
    
    ACTION: Final rule.
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) determines the 
    plant Ipomopsis sancti-spiritus (Holy Ghost ipomopsis) is an endangered 
    species, under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 
    (Act), as amended. This species occurs at a single location in the 
    Sangre de Cristo Mountains, San Miguel County, New Mexico. Its survival 
    is threatened by limited distribution, low plant numbers, the proximity 
    of development, and intensity of human activity in the area. Potential 
    threats include road maintenance, chemical herbicide and pesticide use, 
    biological pest controls, and any natural or manmade factors that would 
    reduce the already low numbers or significantly alter the habitat. This 
    action will implement Federal protection provided by the Act for Holy 
    Ghost ipomopsis. Critical habitat is not being designated.
    
    EFFECTIVE DATE: April 22, 1994.
    
    ADDRESSES: The complete file for this rule is available for public 
    inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the New 
    Mexico Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
    Service, 3530 Pan American Highway NE., suite D, Albuquerque, New 
    Mexico 87107.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Philip Clayton, at the above address 
    (505/883-7877).
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    
    Background
    
        Ipomopsis sancti-spiritus (Holy Ghost ipomopsis) is an erect, 
    biennial to short-lived perennial plant, known only from the Sangre de 
    Cristo Mountains of San Miguel County, in north central New Mexico. It 
    was first collected by Dr. Edward F. Castetter in 1929. Mr. Reggie 
    Fletcher, U.S.D.A. Forest Service, collected the species in 1977. 
    Wilken and Fletcher (1988) later described the plant as a species 
    distinct from the closely related Ipomopsis aggregata.
        The Holy Ghost ipomopsis is a member of the phlox family 
    (Polemoniaceae). It is 30-80 centimeters (cm) (12-31 inches (in)) tall, 
    with mostly solitary stems, occasionally branched from the base. The 
    leaves are oval in outline, 3-6 cm (1-2.4 in) long, with 9-15 linear 
    divisions. The basal leaves form a loose to compact rosette that dies 
    back at flowering. The leaves are gradually reduced in size up the 
    length of the stem. The flowers are tubular, pink, and about 2-2.5 cm 
    (0.8-1 in) long. The stamens do not extend beyond the corolla tube.
        The Holy Ghost ipomopsis occurs at an elevation of approximately 
    2,440 meters (m) (8,000 feet (ft)). The species is found only in a 3.2-
    kilometer (km) (2-mile (mi)) segment of a canyon in the Sangre de 
    Cristo Mountains. The plants are restricted to steep, south- or 
    southwest-facing slopes, primarily in openings under ponderosa pine 
    (Pinus ponderosa), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Gambel oak 
    (Quercus gambellii), and quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides). The 
    substrate is a sandy to pebbly limestone conglomerate derived from the 
    Terrero and Espritu Santo formations (Wilken and Fletcher 1988).
        The plant grows in small openings or clearings on the forested 
    slopes, and it is likely that fire may have played a role in the past 
    in maintaining open habitat for this species. Plants have colonized the 
    cut-and-fill slopes of a Forest Service road, indicating some 
    preference for open, disturbed areas. The entire population of the Holy 
    Ghost ipomopsis consists of approximately 1,200-2,500 plants, located 
    on Forest Service and private lands within the boundaries of the Santa 
    Fe National Forest. Approximately 80 percent of the population occupies 
    the cut-and-fill slopes along a Forest Service road; the remaining 20 
    percent of the population occurs on the natural dry and open habitat 
    higher up on the canyon slopes.
        Most of the occupied habitat is along a Forest Service road that 
    provides access to summer homes and Forest Service campgrounds. In this 
    location, the plants and their habitat are vulnerable to harm from road 
    maintenance, wildfire, fire management, and possible pesticide 
    spraying. Surveys conducted by Forest Service personnel and New Mexico 
    Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department botanists within a 
    24-km (15-mi) radius of the known population have failed to locate any 
    additional populations of the species (Sivinski and Lightfoot 1991).
        The Holy Ghost ipomopsis was included as a Category 2 candidate 
    species in a February 21, 1990, notice of plants under review for 
    classification as threatened or endangered species (55 FR 6184). 
    Category 2 includes those taxa for which available information 
    indicates that proposing to list them as endangered or threatened may 
    be appropriate, but for which there are insufficient data to support 
    listing proposals at this time. A status report was completed on the 
    Holy Ghost ipomopsis in 1991 (Sivinski and Lightfoot 1991). This 
    report, along with other available data, provided sufficient biological 
    information to justify proposing to list the Holy Ghost ipomopsis as 
    endangered. On September 22, 1992, the Service published in the Federal 
    Register a proposed rule to list this species as endangered (57 FR 
    43682). A notice of public hearing and reopening of the comment period 
    was published in the Federal Register (58 FR 4144) on January 13, 1993, 
    and a public hearing was held on January 27, 1993.
    
    Summary of Comments and Recommendations
    
        In the September 22, 1992, proposed rule and associated 
    notifications, all interested parties were requested to submit factual 
    reports or information that might contribute to the development of a 
    final action on this species. Appropriate State agencies, county 
    governments, Federal agencies, scientific organizations, and other 
    interested parties were contacted and requested to comment. A newspaper 
    notice inviting public comment was published in the Santa Fe New 
    Mexican on September 30, 1992. The public comment period was reopened 
    and extended until February 23, 1993, in order to accommodate a request 
    for a public hearing. Newspaper notices announcing the public hearing 
    and extending the comment period were published in the Las Vegas Daily 
    Optic on December 23, 1992, and in the Santa Fe New Mexican on January 
    1, 1993.
        A total of 11 written comments were received within the proposed 
    rule comment period. One Federal agency and one State agency supported 
    the proposal. Of the four individuals who commented on the proposal, 
    three supported it and one opposed it. Five private organizations 
    commented on the proposal; three supported it, one opposed it, and one 
    was neutral.
        A public hearing was requested by Mr. Bert Turner, President of the 
    Mora/San Juan County Farm and Livestock Bureau, Wagon Mound, New 
    Mexico. The hearing was held at the Public Employees Retirement 
    Association Building, Santa Fe, New Mexico, on January 27, 1993, with 
    21 people attending. Nine oral comments were presented at the hearing. 
    One comment was supportive, three were in opposition, and five were 
    neutral.
        Written comments received during the comment period and oral 
    statements presented at the public hearing are covered in the following 
    summary. Comments of a similar nature or point are grouped into a 
    number of general issues. These issues, and the Service's response to 
    each, are discussed below.
        Issue 1: Why was the public hearing held in the middle of winter 
    rather than in the summer, when more of the nonresident owners of the 
    summer homes could attend and people could see the plant?
        Response: The Act requires that a public hearing be held promptly 
    if requested within 45 days after the date of publication of the 
    proposed rule. The Service received a public hearing request on October 
    21, 1992, and scheduled the hearing for January 27, 1993. A delay would 
    have violated the requirement to hold the hearing promptly and would 
    have made it difficult to prepare a final action on the proposed rule 
    within the 1-year deadline mandated by the Act.
        Issue 2: Why wasn't the public hearing held in Pecos, New Mexico, 
    instead of Santa Fe, New Mexico?
        Response: Service policy dictates that, if requested, a public 
    hearing will be held within the general area in which the species 
    occurs. Santa Fe was thought to be the most convenient location for the 
    public hearing.
        Issue 3: Why were the homeowners' association and adjacent 
    landowners not notified about the upcoming public hearing?
        Response: The Act requires notification of various parties at 
    certain stages in the rulemaking process. The Service attempts to 
    notify all interested parties of all notices and rules and to solicit 
    data and comments when appropriate. Notification is provided and 
    comments solicited by correspondence, public hearings (if requested), 
    newspaper notices, press releases, and Federal Register notices. 
    Newspaper notices were published in the Las Vegas Daily Optic on 
    December 23, 1992, and in the Santa Fe New Mexican on January 1, 1993. 
    Both are newspapers of general circulation within the vicinity of 
    Pecos, New Mexico. A notice of the upcoming hearing was also published 
    in the Federal Register on January 13, 1993 (58 FR 4144).
        In cases where numerous landowners are involved, the Service 
    attempts to contact the major owners. The Santa Fe National Forest, 
    which contains most of the known Holy Ghost ipomopsis plants, was 
    notified of the public hearing. Several individuals in the local area 
    were notified in writing of the public hearing. The former president of 
    the homeowners' association was advised by telephone on November 30, 
    1992, and was later sent a letter (January 13, 1993), notifying him of 
    the proposed listing and upcoming hearing.
        Issue 4: Is Holy Ghost ipomopsis a distinct species?
        Response: The senior author of the paper describing Holy Ghost 
    ipomopsis as a species is a leading authority on the phlox family 
    (Polemoniaceae), of which Holy Ghost ipomopsis is a member. The paper 
    (Wilken and Fletcher 1988) was published in a peer-reviewed journal and 
    met the general professional requirements for naming new species. The 
    paper has been reviewed by Service botanists and others who find no 
    reason to doubt Wilken and Fletcher's findings. Also, Wolf et al. 
    (1991), using electrophoretic enzyme analysis, confirmed that Holy 
    Ghost ipomopsis is a distinct species.
        Issue 5: Does unique flower coloration make Holy Ghost ipomopsis a 
    distinct species?
        Response: This species is unique among plants of the genus 
    Ipomopsis in having pink-purple flowers, but even more significant are 
    the anatomical differences. The flower's ovary and stigma are shorter 
    in Holy Ghost ipomopsis than in any other species in the genus.
        Issue 6: Were enough field surveys conducted to determine that Holy 
    Ghost ipomopsis has a very restricted distribution?
        Response: Wilken and Fletcher (1988) surveyed within a 24-km (15-
    mi) radius of the known locality for this species in July 1986, but 
    failed to locate additional plants. Dr. Wilken visited the area and 
    adjacent areas at least three times in 1987, 1989, and 1990, but failed 
    to locate additional plants in similar habitats in either the Pecos 
    River drainage or adjoining drainages in eastern Santa Fe County, 
    southeastern Taos County, or western San Miguel County (Dieter Wilken, 
    Colorado State University, in litt., 1992). He also conducted an 
    exhaustive search of U.S. herbaria and failed to locate any additional 
    collections of this species. The State of New Mexico (Sivinski 1991) 
    also surveyed for Holy Ghost ipomopsis but failed to find additional 
    plants. The Service believes sufficient searches have been made to 
    confirm that Holy Ghost ipomopsis is a very rare species. However, the 
    Service also believes that other natural populations may be found and 
    will likely recommend additional searches as part of the recovery 
    program for the species.
        Issue 7: Two other possible populations of Holy Ghost ipomopsis 
    were mentioned at the public hearing, one between Glorieta and Pecos, 
    New Mexico, and one near the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
        Response: The Service relies on the best available biological 
    information when determining to propose or list a species as endangered 
    or threatened. No reference to either of these populations was 
    available in the literature or through contacts with botanists who are 
    familiar with the species. The State of New Mexico surveyed between 
    Glorieta and Pecos during the summer of 1993, but no Holy Ghost 
    ipomopsis was found (Robert Sivinski, New Mexico Energy, Minerals and 
    Natural Resources Department, pers. comm., 1993). There is no way to 
    verify the location or the identity of the plant from the Grand Canyon. 
    However, Arizona has been botanically explored for at least 100 years, 
    and if Holy Ghost ipomopsis did occur there, it is likely that a 
    specimen would have been collected, deposited in a herbarium, and then 
    noted during Dr. Wilken's examination of herbarium specimens.
        Issue 8: Is Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) a threat to Holy Ghost 
    ipomopsis?
        Response: The biological pest control BT is commonly used for 
    outbreaks of spruce budworm. Both the U.S. Forest Service and the State 
    of New Mexico (Forestry and Resources Conservation Division of the 
    Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department) have used BT to 
    control spruce budworm in New Mexico. Because of the anatomical 
    characteristics of its flowers, Holy Ghost ipomopsis is thought to be 
    pollinated by various moths and butterflies, which are highly 
    susceptible to BT. Elimination of these pollinators could reduce seed 
    production and seedling recruitment, and contribute to a decline in the 
    population and range of Holy Ghost ipomopsis.
        Issue 9: The Forest Service's use of BT, a biological pest control, 
    was listed as a primary threat to Holy Ghost ipomopsis in the proposed 
    rule, yet no such activities have taken place on the Santa Fe National 
    Forest for over 25 years.
        Response: One commenter stated that the area was sprayed with BT in 
    the 1980's. Although the Forest Service has no current plans to use BT, 
    the potential to destroy the lepidopteran pollinators for Holy Ghost 
    ipomopsis still exists. The State of New Mexico has also been involved 
    in spraying BT for control of spruce budworm infestation on private 
    property in New Mexico.
        Issue 10: How will the listing of Holy Ghost ipomopsis restrict 
    recreation, wilderness and campground access, or existing cabin leases 
    in the area?
        Response: The Service believes that listing will have little, if 
    any, impact on recreation, wilderness and campground access, and cabin 
    leases. The Service will work with the Forest Service to minimize 
    possible adverse impacts to the species from human activities in Holy 
    Ghost ipomopsis habitat.
        Issue 11: Listing the Holy Ghost ipomopsis will not provide any 
    more protection for this species than it already receives under Forest 
    Service management.
        Response: Holy Ghost ipomopsis is currently protected under the 
    State of New Mexico Endangered Plant Species Act (75-6-1 NMSA) and is 
    on the U.S. Forest Service's Sensitive Species List. Even so, it does 
    not have the same degree of protection and management as a federally 
    listed species. Listing under the Endangered Species Act promotes 
    recovery through the development and implementation of a recovery plan, 
    provides additional management opportunities by drawing attention to 
    the species and its habitat requirements, creates the requirement for 
    interagency consultation through the section 7 process, and makes it 
    illegal, with possibly severe penalties, to maliciously damage, 
    destroy, or remove and possess plants from lands under Federal 
    jurisdiction.
        Issue 12: A commercial nursery has Holy Ghost ipomopsis under 
    cultivation.
        Response: Apparently, propagation material was obtained several 
    years ago by a commercial grower of native plants. Nursery propagation 
    of this material could provide a commercial source for Holy Ghost 
    ipomopsis plants, and thus help conserve this species by discouraging 
    the collection or digging of plants from wild populations. Propagation 
    knowledge gained by the commercial grower may be of considerable value 
    in establishing a refugial population or in reestablishing populations 
    in natural habitat within the species' historic range.
        Issue 13: Critical habitat should be designated and an economic 
    analysis should be done. Although critical habitat was not proposed for 
    Holy Ghost ipomopsis because of a perceived threat from overcollection 
    that could be worsened by publication of critical habitat locality 
    maps, this species can be located from available information.
        Response: Overcollection of plants with unusual coloration or showy 
    flowers is a real threat. Horticulturists and rare plant enthusiasts 
    are constantly looking for new plants for commercial use. Locality 
    information for this species is available in the scientific literature; 
    however, the Service does not wish to attract additional or undue 
    attention to the exact location of Holy Ghost ipomopsis populations by 
    publication of maps in the Federal Register. An analysis of economic 
    impacts is required for critical habitat designation, but cannot be 
    considered for the species' listing itself. Nor can a decision not to 
    list a species be based on economic considerations. A decision not to 
    list a species or to delist a species can only be made if the Service 
    determines, based on the best scientific and commercial information 
    available, that listing is not warranted. Because the Service has 
    determined that critical habitat designation is not prudent, no 
    economic analysis is required.
    
    Summary of Factors Affecting the Species
    
        After a thorough review and consideration of all information 
    available, the Service has determined that Holy Ghost ipomopsis should 
    be classified as an endangered species. Procedures found at section 
    4(a)(1) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) and regulations (50 CFR 
    part 424) promulgated to implement the listing provisions of the Act 
    were followed. A species may be determined to be an endangered or 
    threatened species due to one or more of the five factors described in 
    section 4(a)(1). These factors and their application to Ipomopsis 
    sancti-spiritus Wilken and Fletcher (Holy Ghost ipomopsis) are as 
    follows:
        A. The present or threatened destruction, modification, or 
    curtailment of its habitat or range. The Holy Ghost ipomopsis occurs in 
    an area that has been heavily used for recreation for at least the last 
    50 years. This use includes approximately 36 recreation cabins and a 
    Forest Service campground. A nearby trout stream receives significant 
    use by anglers. These high-use recreational values have been protected 
    by the almost complete exclusion of timber harvests and forest fires. 
    As the forest has become more mature and natural openings less 
    numerous, the majority of the known population of the Holy Ghost 
    ipomopsis has become associated with the manmade disturbance associated 
    with the Forest Service road.
        Road maintenance poses a potential threat to the species. An 
    example is a nearby Forest Service road that was graveled using crushed 
    waste rock from an abandoned mine. The sulfides in this mine waste 
    created highly acid road runoff that killed the surrounding vegetation. 
    If this or other toxic materials were used for the Forest Service road 
    occupied by Holy Ghost ipomopsis, those portions of occupied habitat 
    would no longer be suitable for the species. Although Forest Service 
    roads in the area are not presently sprayed with herbicides, this type 
    of weed control could be a future maintenance threat. The Forest 
    Service road occupied by Holy Ghost ipomopsis was straightened and 
    paved in 1989. The 111 plants that would have been destroyed by the 
    activity were moved in mid-June of that year to similar habitat at Elk 
    Mountain. None of the transplants survived.
        The control of spruce budworm is a potential threat to pollinators 
    of Holy Ghost ipomopsis. The spruce budworm is a moth larva that can 
    defoliate large areas of spruce and Douglas fir. When infestations 
    occur in residential areas, the State of New Mexico receives numerous 
    requests for large area aerial broadcast of Bacillus thuringiensis as a 
    pesticide. This pesticide kills not only the spruce budworm moth, but 
    all other lepidopterans including those that serve as pollinators for 
    the Holy Ghost ipomopsis. If this treatment were repeated for more than 
    one year, it might have a serious impact on seed production and 
    population recruitment for this short-lived species.
        B. Overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or 
    educational purposes. No economic uses for the Holy Ghost ipomopsis are 
    known. However, the low population numbers make the species vulnerable 
    to harm from both scientific and non-scientific collecting. The species 
    produces a very attractive flower, which may make the plants more 
    likely to be picked by visitors to the canyon. If the plants become 
    well known, there may be interest in propagating the species for 
    commercial purposes.
        C. Disease or predation. No significant disease or predation has 
    been observed for this species.
        D. The inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms. There is no 
    Federal law that protects the Holy Ghost ipomopsis. The plant is 
    protected by the New Mexico Endangered Plant Species Act. Any person 
    wishing to collect a species listed under this Act for the purposes of 
    scientific investigation, documenting a new population, or 
    transplanting must first obtain a permit from the New Mexico Energy, 
    Minerals and Natural Resources Department. The Forest Service has 
    included the Holy Ghost ipomopsis on its Sensitive Plant Species List. 
    The species is considered in Forest Service environmental assessments 
    and planning. The Endangered Species Act would provide additional 
    protection for this species through section 7 (interagency cooperation) 
    requirements and through section 9, which prohibits malicious damage, 
    destruction, or removal and reduction to possession of plants occurring 
    on lands under Federal jurisdiction.
        E. Other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued 
    existence. Low numbers and limited distribution make this species 
    vulnerable to extinction from natural and manmade threats. Reduction in 
    plant numbers could reduce the reproductive capabilities and genetic 
    potential of the species.
        The Service has carefully assessed the best scientific and 
    commercial information available regarding the past, present, and 
    future threats faced by this species in determining to make this rule 
    final. Based on this evaluation, the preferred action is to list Holy 
    Ghost ipomopsis as endangered without critical habitat. This status is 
    appropriate because of the species' limited distribution, low 
    population numbers, proximity of human development, and intensity of 
    human use of the area. Potential threats include road maintenance, 
    habitat alteration, pesticide application, and fire suppression. 
    Critical habitat is not being designated for the reasons discussed 
    below.
    
    Critical Habitat
    
        Section 4(a)(3) of the Act, as amended, requires that, to the 
    maximum extent prudent and determinable, the Secretary designate 
    critical habitat at the time a species is determined to be endangered 
    or threatened. The Service finds that designation of critical habitat 
    is not presently prudent for this species. Pursuant to 50 CFR 
    424.12(a)(1), a designation of critical habitat is not prudent when one 
    or both of the following situations exist--(1) the species is 
    threatened by taking or other human activity, and identification of 
    critical habitat can be expected to increase the degree of such threat 
    to the species, or (2) such designation of critical habitat would not 
    be beneficial to the species. As discussed under Factor B in the 
    ``Summary of Factors Affecting the Species,'' Holy Ghost ipomopsis is 
    threatened by taking, an activity that is difficult to prevent and only 
    regulated by the Act with respect to plants in cases of (1) removal and 
    reduction to possession of listed plants from lands under Federal 
    jurisdiction, or their malicious damage or destruction on such lands; 
    and (2) removal, cutting, digging up, or damaging or destroying in 
    knowing violation of any state law or regulation, including state 
    criminal trespass law. Such provisions are difficult to enforce, and 
    publication of critical habitat descriptions and maps would make Holy 
    Ghost ipomopsis more vulnerable and increase enforcement problems. All 
    involved parties and principal landowners have been notified of the 
    location and importance of protecting this species' habitat. Protection 
    of this species' habitat will be addressed through the recovery process 
    and through section 7 consultation. Therefore, it would not now be 
    prudent to determine critical habitat for Holy Ghost ipomopsis.
    
    Available Conservation Measures
    
        Conservation measures provided to species listed as endangered or 
    threatened under the Act include recognition, recovery actions, 
    requirements for Federal protection, and prohibitions against certain 
    practices. Recognition through listing encourages and results in 
    conservation actions by Federal, State, and private agencies, groups, 
    and individuals. The Act provides for possible land acquisition and 
    cooperation with the States and requires that recovery actions be 
    carried out for all listed species. The protection required of Federal 
    agencies and the prohibitions against certain activities involving 
    listed plants are discussed, in part, below.
        Section 7(a) of the Act, as amended, requires Federal agencies to 
    evaluate their actions with respect to any species that is proposed or 
    listed as endangered or threatened and with respect to its critical 
    habitat if any is being designated. Regulations implementing this 
    interagency cooperation provision of the Act are codified at 50 CFR 
    part 402. Section 7(a)(2) requires Federal agencies to ensure that 
    activities they authorize, fund, or carry out are not likely to 
    jeopardize the continued existence of a listed species or to destroy or 
    adversely modify its critical habitat. If a Federal action may affect a 
    listed species or its critical habitat, the responsible Federal agency 
    must enter into formal consultation with the Service.
        Possible future Federal actions that could affect Holy Ghost 
    ipomopsis on the Santa Fe National Forest include road construction and 
    maintenance, aerial spraying of Bacillus thuringiensis to control 
    spruce budworm infestations, and fire suppression within the habitat 
    area.
        The Act and its implementing regulations found at 50 CFR 17.61, 
    17.62, and 17.63 set forth a series of general prohibitions and 
    exceptions that apply to all endangered plants. All trade prohibitions 
    of section 9(a)(2) of the Act, implemented by 50 CFR 17.61, apply. 
    These prohibitions, in part, make it illegal for any person subject to 
    the jurisdiction of the United States to import or export, transport in 
    interstate or foreign commerce in the course of a commercial activity, 
    sell or offer for sale in interstate or foreign commerce, or remove and 
    reduce to possession the species from areas under Federal jurisdiction. 
    In addition, for endangered plants, the Act prohibits the malicious 
    damage or destruction on Federal lands and the removal, cutting, 
    digging up, or damaging or destroying of such plants in knowing 
    violation of any State law or regulation, including State criminal 
    trespass law. Certain exceptions apply to agents of the Service and 
    State conservation agencies.
        The Act and 50 CFR 17.62 and 17.63 also provide for the issuance of 
    permits to carry out otherwise prohibited activities involving 
    endangered species under certain circumstances. Such permits are 
    available for scientific purposes and to enhance the propagation or 
    survival of the species. It is anticipated that few trade permits would 
    ever be sought or issued because Holy Ghost ipomopsis is not common in 
    cultivation or in the wild. However, because of its beautiful and 
    uniquely colored flowers, local demands for garden cultivation may 
    increase as the species becomes better known. Requests for copies of 
    the regulations on listed species and inquiries regarding prohibitions 
    and permits may be addressed to the Office of Management Authority, 
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, room 420C, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, 
    Arlington, Virginia 22203 (703/541-2104; FAX 703/358-2281).
    
    National Environmental Policy Act
    
        The Fish and Wildlife Service has determined that Environmental 
    Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements, as defined under the 
    authority of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, need not be 
    prepared in connection with regulations adopted pursuant to section 
    4(a) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. A notice 
    outlining the Service's reasons for this determination was published in 
    the Federal Register on October 25, 1983 (48 FR 49244).
    
    References Cited
    
    Sivinski, R., and K. Lightfoot. 1991. Status report on Ipomopsis 
    sancti-spiritus. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Albuquerque, New 
    Mexico. 17 pp.
    Wilken, D.H., and R. Fletcher. 1988. Ipomopsis sancti-spiritus 
    (Polemoniaceae), a new species from northern New Mexico. Brittonia 
    40(1):48-51.
    Wolf, P.G., P.S. Soltis, and D.E. Soltis. 1991. Genetic 
    relationships and patterns of allozymic divergence in the Ipomopsis 
    aggregata complex and related species (Polemoniaceae). American 
    Journal of Botany 78(4):515-526.
    
    Author
    
        The primary author of this final rule is Philip Clayton (see 
    ADDRESSES section).
    
    List of Subjects in 50 CFR Part 17
    
        Endangered and threatened species, Exports, Imports, Reporting and 
    recordkeeping requirements, and Transportation.
    
    Regulation Promulgation
    
        Accordingly, part 17, subchapter B of chapter I, title 50 of the 
    Code of Federal Regulations, is amended as set forth below:
    
    PART 17--[AMENDED]
    
        1. The authority citation for part 17 continues to read as follows:
    
        Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1361-1407; 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544; 16 U.S.C. 
    4201-4245; Pub. L. 99-625, 100 Stat. 3500; unless otherwise noted.
    
        2. Amend Sec. 17.12(h) by adding the following, in alphabetical 
    order under the family Polemoniaceae, to the List of Endangered and 
    Threatened Plants to read as follows:
    
    
    Sec. 17.12  Endangered and threatened plants.
    
    * * * * *
        (h) * * * 
    
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    Species                                                                                         
    ----------------------------------------   Historic range       Status     When listed    Critical     Special  
      Scientific name        Common name                                                      habitat       rules   
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Polemoniaceae--Phlo                                                                                             
     x family:                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                    
                                                      * * * * * * *                                                 
        Ipomopsis        Holy Ghost          U.S.A. (NM).......  E                     535           NA           NA
         sancti-          ipomopsis.                                                                                
         spiritus.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                    
                                                      * * * * * * *                                                 
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
        Dated: March 7, 1994.
    Mollie H. Beattie,
    Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
    [FR Doc. 94-6790 Filed 3-22-94; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 4310-55-P
    
    
    

Document Information

Published:
03/23/1994
Department:
Interior Department
Entry Type:
Uncategorized Document
Action:
Final rule.
Document Number:
94-6790
Dates:
April 22, 1994.
Pages:
0-0 (1 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Federal Register: March 23, 1994
RINs:
1018-AB66: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants
RIN Links:
https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/1018-AB66/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants
CFR: (1)
50 CFR 17.12