Submitted Electronically via eRulemaking Portal

I support the proposed listing of the Taylor's checkerspot, streaked horned lark, and four subspecies of Mazama pocket gopher. These taxa are threatened by several factors, including urban development / encroachment onto the few remaining prairie remnants. Current protection is demonstrably inadequate. Based on my experiences in the prairies of western Washington, I suspect that recovery of these taxa will require collaborative and creative research to discover ways of enhancing their habitat and that of the many species they interact with. This work will require engagement with the owners and managers of both public and private lands. Issues such as connectivity are particularly important for the Taylor’s checkerspot and Mazama pocket gopher, and therefore may require restoration of prairie habitat in select areas.