[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 220 (Monday, November 16, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 63661-63662]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30539]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Fish and Wildlife Service

50 CFR Part 17


Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; 90-Day Finding for 
a Petition to List Silene spaldingii (Spalding's catchfly) as 
Endangered or Threatened

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of 90-day petition finding and initiation of status 
review.

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SUMMARY: We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) are announcing a 90-day 
finding on a petition to list Silene spaldingii (Spalding's catchfly) 
under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). We find 
that the petition presents substantial information indicating that 
listing this plant species may be warranted. With publication of this 
finding, we are initiating a status review for this species, which 
occurs in southeastern Washington, adjacent portions of Idaho and 
Oregon, and northwestern Montana.

DATES: The finding announced in this document was made on November 5, 
1998. To be considered in the 12-month finding for this petition, 
information and comments concerning this finding should be submitted to 
us by January 15, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Data, information, comments, or questions concerning this 
finding should be submitted to the Supervisor, Snake River Basin 
Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1387 S. Vinnell Way, Room 368, 
Boise, Idaho 83709. The petition finding and supporting data are 
available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal business 
hours at the above address.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Edna Rey-Vizgirdas, botanist, at the 
above address (telephone: 208/378-5243).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as 
amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), requires that we make a finding on 
whether a petition to list, delist, or reclassify a species presents 
substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the 
requested action may be warranted. This finding is to be based on all 
information available to us at the time the finding is made. To the 
maximum extent practicable, this finding is to be made within 90 days 
following receipt of the petition, and the finding is to be published 
promptly in the Federal Register. If the finding is that substantial 
information was presented, we also are required to promptly commence a 
review of the status of the species involved, if one has not already 
been initiated under our internal candidate assessment process.
    The processing of this petition conforms with our listing priority 
guidance published in the Federal Register on May 8, 1998 (63 FR 
25502). This guidance clarifies the order in which we will process 
rulemakings giving highest priority (Tier 1) to processing emergency 
listings, second priority (Tier 2) to resolving the listing status of 
outstanding proposed listings, resolving the conservation status of 
candidate species, processing administrative findings on petitions to 
add species to the Lists of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and 
Plants, or reclassify species from threatened to endangered status, and 
delisting or downlisting (reclassifying from endangered to threatened 
status) actions. The processing of critical habitat designations are 
the lowest priority actions and are placed in Tier 3. The processing of 
this petition finding is a Tier 2 action.
    We have made a 90-day finding on a petition to list Silene 
spaldingii (Spalding's catchfly). The petition, dated February 23, 
1995, was submitted by the Biodiversity Legal Foundation (BLF) of 
Boulder, Colorado, the Montana and Washington Native Plant Societies, 
and Mr. Peter Lesica of Missoula, Montana (BLF et al. 1995). The 
petition requested listing of Silene spaldingii within the conterminous 
United States as threatened or endangered under the Act, and was 
received by us on February 27, 1995. The petition requested that the 
species be listed as threatened or endangered across its entire known 
historic range, which includes southeastern Washington, adjacent 
portions of Oregon and Idaho, and northwestern Montana. The petition 
submitted information stating that this species is threatened by 
improper livestock grazing practices, competition with non-native and 
woody vegetation, improper herbicide application, inbreeding 
depression, and fire suppression.
    A member of the pink family (Caryophyllaceae), Silene spaldingii is 
a long-lived perennial herb that grows 20 to 40 centimeters (cm) (8 to 
16 inches (in)) tall (Lesica 1993, Lesica and Heidel 1996). It has four 
to seven pairs of lance-shaped leaves, and a spirally arranged 
inflorescence (flower cluster) consisting of small greenish-white 
flowers which range from 1 to 2 cm (0.4 to 0.8 in) long (Lesica 1993, 
Lesica and Heidel 1996). The foliage is lightly to densely covered with 
sticky hairs. The species was originally described by Watson (1875).
    The distribution and habitat of S. spaldingii are limited. This 
species is primarily restricted to slopes, flats, or swales (marshy 
lands) in mesic grasslands or steppe vegetation of the Palouse region 
in southeastern Washington, northwestern Montana, and adjacent portions 
of Idaho and Oregon; one plant was located in British Columbia, 
directly adjoining a Montana population. Large-scale ecological changes 
in the Palouse region over the past several decades, including 
agricultural conversion, changes in fire frequency, and alterations of 
hydrology, have resulted in the decline of numerous sensitive plant 
species including S. spaldingii (Tisdale 1961). More than 98 percent of 
the original Palouse prairie habitat has been lost or modified by 
agricultural conversion, grazing, invasion of non-native species, 
altered fire regimes, and urbanization (Noss et al. 1995).
    Silene spaldingii is currently known from approximately 94 
occurrences or sites in Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Washington; only 12 
percent of these (11 sites) contain more than 100 individuals (Heidel 
1995, Lichthardt 1997, Idaho Conservation Data Center 1998, Montana 
Natural Heritage Program (MNHP) 1998, Oregon Natural Heritage Program 
(ONHP)1998, Washington Natural Heritage Program (WNHP) 1998). This 
species is State listed as endangered in Oregon, and threatened in 
Washington. In Idaho and Montana, there are no State Endangered Species 
Acts, but Silene spaldingii is listed by the Idaho Conservation Data 
Center and MNHP as very rare (Lesica and Heidel 1996, Lichthardt 1997, 
Idaho Conservation Data Center 1998, MNHP 1998, ONHP 1998, WNHP 1998). 
The estimated total number of individuals for S. spaldingii is fewer 
than 14,000 (Heidel 1995).
    Habitat degradation and competition associated with the invasion of 
exotic plant species continues to threaten this species, including 
sites on public lands. For example, the population of S. spaldingii in 
the Kramer Palouse Biological Study Area in Washington declined from 
147 to 10 individuals during the period from 1981 to 1994,

[[Page 63662]]

apparently due to encroachment by the exotic yellow star-thistle 
(Centaurea solstitialis) and woody vegetation (Heidel 1995). Exotic 
plant species compete for water, nutrients, and light, in addition to 
competition for pollinators (Lesica and Heidel 1996). Herbicide 
application to reduce or eliminate the exotics has the potential to 
kill non-target species such as S. spaldingii (BLF et al.1995).
    Fire suppression apparently contributes to a decline in suitable 
habitat conditions for S. spaldingii (B. Heidel, MNHP, pers. comm. 
1998), facilitating the encroachment of woody vegetation and other 
plant species. Fire may be necessary for survival of S. spaldingii 
populations; Lesica (1992) found that recruitment of S. spaldingii was 
enhanced following fire.
    Silene spaldingii reproduces by seed and requires bumblebees to 
pollinate the flowers. Competition for pollinators has been noted at a 
number of S. spaldingii sites that have large populations of other 
flowering plant species. Reduced pollinator activity has the potential 
to adversely affect fertility and fitness of the species, resulting in 
inbreeding depression and declines in small populations (Lesica 1993, 
Lesica and Heidel 1996).
    Climatic fluctuations can also adversely affect this species, and 
contribute to the extirpation of small populations. For example, a S. 
spaldingii population at Wild Horse Island (Montana) declined from 
approximately 250 to 10 plants, due primarily to drought conditions in 
the late 1980's (BLF et al. 1995, Heidel 1995, Lesica 1988). Such 
reductions in population size are often exacerbated by other factors 
including pollinator competition and poor reproductive success.
    We have reviewed the petition, the literature cited in the 
petition, and other information available in our files. On the basis of 
the best scientific and commercial information available, we find that 
the petition presents substantial information that listing of Silene 
spaldingii may be warranted. The available information suggests that 
the species' restricted range and small population size increase the 
likelihood of extirpation from random or localized events such as 
trampling, herbicide application, drought, competition, and reduced 
pollinator activity. At least 25 S. spaldingii populations may have 
been extirpated; two of these are known to have been extirpated since 
1991 (Heidel 1995, Lichthardt 1997, MNHP 1998, WNHP 1998).
    We hereby announce the formal review of the species' status 
pursuant to this 90-day finding. We request any additional data, 
comments, and suggestions from the public, other concerned governmental 
agencies, the scientific community, industry, or any other interested 
parties concerning the status of S. spaldingii. Of particular interest, 
is information regarding the existence and status of additional 
populations, environmental factors determining distribution, 
pollinators, and genetic variability in known populations.

References Cited

    A complete list of all references cited herein, as well as others, 
is available upon request from the Snake River Basin Office (see 
ADDRESSES section).

Author

    The primary author of this document is Edna Rey-Vizgirdas, Snake 
River Basin Office (see ADDRESSES section).

Authority

    The authority for this action is the Endangered Species Act (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.).

    Dated: November 5, 1998.
Jamie Rappaport Clark,
Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
[FR Doc. 98-30539 Filed 11-13-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-55-P