[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 173 (Thursday, September 7, 1995)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 46568-46569]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-22172]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
50 CFR Part 17
Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 12-Month Petition
Finding to list Silene verecunda ssp. verecunda (Mission Dolores
Campion)
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of 12-month petition finding.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces a 12-
month finding on a petition to list Silene verecunda ssp. verecunda
(Mission Dolores Campion) pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (Act). After review of all available scientific and
commercial data, the Service finds that listing this species is not
warranted at this time. The known populations of S. verecunda ssp.
verecunda are unlikely to be affected by toxic waste site studies and
clean-up related to military base closure actions. The population
status and vulnerability of S. verecunda ssp. verecunda to threats is
unknown for the central part of its range including Montara Mountain in
San Mateo County to Rancho del Oso in Santa Cruz County, California.
The recent discovery of S. verecunda ssp. verecunda in chaparral and
mixed evergreen plant communities indicates that this species may be
more widely distributed and have broader habitat affinities than
previously believed.
DATES: The finding announced in this document was made on July 24,
1995. Comments and materials regarding this petition finding may be
submitted to the Field Supervisor at the address listed below until
further notice.
ADDRESSES: Data, information, comments, or questions concerning this
finding may be sent to the Field Supervisor, Sacramento Field Office,
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, Room E-1803,
Sacramento, California 95825-1846. The petition finding, supporting
data, comments, and materials received will be available for public
inspection, by appointment, during normal business hours at the above
address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kirsten Tarp, staff biologist, at the
above address or telephone 916/979-2120.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Section 4(b)(3)(B) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), requires that after receiving a
petition that is found to present substantial information indicating
that the petitioned action may be warranted, the Service make a finding
within 12 months of the date of the receipt of the petition on whether
the petitioned action is (a) not warranted, (b) warranted, or (c)
warranted but precluded from immediate proposal by other pending
proposals of higher priority. Such 12-month findings are to be
published promptly in the Federal Register.
On May 29, 1991, the Service received a petition dated May 28,
1991, from Mr. Brian O'Neill, General Superintendent of the Golden Gate
National Recreation Area (GGNRA), National Park Service, San Francisco,
California, to emergency list five candidate plants including Silene
verecunda ssp. verecunda (Mission Dolores Campion). The petition cited
threats to this species that would result from military base closure
activities on the Presidio in San Francisco, California. These
activities included hazardous or toxic waste site studies and clean-up,
and increased traffic and recreational activities. A 90-day finding was
made by the Service that the petition presented substantial information
indicating that the
[[Page 46569]]
requested action may be warranted. The 90-day finding was published in
the Federal Register on August 19, 1992 (57 FR 37513). A status review
was continued for this category 2 candidate species (58 FR 51186;
September 30, 1993).
Silene verecunda ssp. verecunda is a perennial herb in the pink
family (Caryophyllaceae) that grows from 10 to 70 centimeters (4 to 28
inches) tall. Each flower has five pink to rose colored notched petals,
and the purplish sepals are united into a tube, making the flower look
bell-shaped.
Silene verecunda ssp. verecunda previously was reported to occupy
open grassy areas in sandy to rocky soils in coastal strand, coastal
prairie, and coastal scrub plant communities ranging from San Francisco
south to Santa Cruz County (Young 1979). Recently, S. verecunda ssp.
verecunda has been reported to occur in chaparral and mixed evergreen
forest plant communities (Skinner and Pavlik 1994; Lion Baumgartner,
Thomas Reid Associates, in litt. 1994). Historical populations from
Lake Merced and Mission Dolores in San Francisco have been extirpated
due to commercial and residential development. Currently there are
about 2,000 known individuals of S. verecunda ssp. verecunda found
primarily on private or non-Federal land, including about 700 plants on
San Bruno Mountain (Lion Baumgartner, in litt. 1994). Three
populations, totaling seven hundred plants according to a 1993 census,
occur on the Presidio in San Francisco. It is not known how much
potential habitat, or numbers of individuals may occur from Montara
Mountain in San Mateo County to Rancho Del Oso in Santa Cruz County.
The northern range of Silene verecunda ssp. verecunda overlaps a
rapidly urbanizing portion of the San Francisco Bay area. Most of the
habitat within the northern part of the range of S. verecunda ssp.
verecunda has been disturbed or eliminated except for areas on San
Bruno Mountain that are protected for the conservation of the
endangered mission blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides missionensis).
Implementation of the San Bruno Mountain Habitat Conservation Plan
(HCP) developed under sections 10(a)(1)(B) and 10(a)(2)(A) of the Act
has conserved habitat for the butterfly, and indirectly benefits S.
verecunda ssp. verecunda by maintaining the habitat in which both
species occur. On federally owned land on the Presidio in San
Francisco, increased human access and activities potentially threatened
three populations of S. verecunda ssp. verecunda. One of these
populations has been fenced to restrict access, and the other two
populations are expected to be protected by fencing when ownership of
the Presidio is transferred from the Department of Army to the National
Park Service. Invasive non-native vegetation is encroaching on some
populations of S. verecunda ssp. verecunda. On the Presidio, however,
there are ongoing efforts to remove the invasive species. There is no
quantitative trend data to assess the extent to which S. verecunda ssp.
verecunda has or will be impacted by non-native plants. Therefore, such
threat to this species is not known to be immediate or imminent. The
known populations of S. verecunda ssp. verecunda that occur on the
Presidio are unlikely to be affected by toxic waste site studies and
clean-up. This species does not occur near the area where these
activities most likely would occur (Peter Lacivita, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, pers. comm. 1993). Neither disease, predation, or
overutilization are known to be a threat to S. verecunda ssp.
verecunda.
Stochastic (random) and natural events can cause population
fluctuations or even population extirpations but are not usually a
concern until the number of individuals or geographic distribution
become vulnerably small. A combination of remnant small populations, a
narrow range, and restricted habitat, could make all or a significant
part of any population susceptible to destruction from stochastic
natural events, such as flood, drought, disease, or other natural
occurrences (Shaffer 1981, Primack 1993) such as genetics and
reproductive success.
No demographic studies exist to indicate that the reproductive
success of Silene verecunda ssp. verecunda is threatened, or is
vulnerable to adverse impacts from random events. There is no evidence
at this time to suggest that reproductive capacity is a factor posing a
threat to the survival of the species. Low seed production in perennial
plants is not necessarily a trait that makes a species vulnerable to
extinction. Huenneke (1986) indicates that low genetic diversity in
plants is rarely seen as a threat to their survival. Intrinsically,
most rare plants are likely to have genetic systems enabling them to
cope with the genetic consequences of rarity.
The population status of S. verecunda ssp. verecunda and its
vulnerability to threats in the central part of its range (i.e.,
Montara Mountain in San Mateo County to Rancho del Oso in Santa Cruz
County) are not known at this time. Moreover, the discovery of S.
verecunda ssp. verecunda in chaparral and mixed evergreen plant
communities is an indication that this taxon may be more widely
distributed and have broader habitat affinities than previously
believed. Chaparral covers an extensive portion of the Coast Ranges in
the San Francisco Bay area. Consequently, the unknown overall status of
the taxon makes any assumptions about vulnerability of S. verecunda
ssp. verecunda to current threats unsupportable at this time.
The Service has reviewed the petition, other available literature
and information, and consulted with biologists and researchers familiar
with Silene verecunda ssp. verecunda. On the basis of the best
scientific and commercial information available regarding S. verecunda
ssp. verecunda, the Service finds that the petitioned action is not
warranted at this time because there is insufficient information about
the taxon's status and its vulnerability to threats. The Service will
continue to maintain S. verecunda ssp. verecunda as a species of
concern. The Service encourages all interested parties to investigate
the population status of S. verecunda ssp. verecunda and its
vulnerability to threats, with particular reference to the southern and
central portions of its range and populations occurring in chaparral
and mixed evergreen plant communities. If additional data becomes
available in the future, the Service may reassess the listing priority
for this species or the need for listing.
Author
The primary author of this document is Kirsten Tarp (see ADDRESSES
section).
Authority
The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act of
1973, as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)
Dated: July 24, 1995.
John G. Rogers,
Acting Director, Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 95-22172 Filed 9-6-95; 8:45 am]
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