[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]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P