Comment on FR Doc # 2012-21244

My profession leads to me spend innumerable hours conducting botanical surveys throughout the Intermountain West generally, and the historical range of M. gemmiparus, specifically. In two years of full-time surveying I have not observed an occurrence of this Mimulus species outside of a known population. Though this is a correlational observation, I believe it contributes to the argument that populations are isolated and in turn, vulnerable to extirpation. A few fires, blowouts, or other typical natural occurrence could take this species to the brink of extinction. For this reason I support the federal listing of Mimulus gemmiparus.