Public comment sought for proposal to designate critical habitat
From our weekly issue dated January 27, 2010
A public hearing is set regarding critical habitat for two rare plants found in Illinois Valley and Jackson County.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has released a draft analysis of the potential economic effects of a proposal to designate critical habitat for two rare plants found only in S.W. Oregon, the large-flowered woolly meadowfoam, and Cook“s lomatium, also called Cook“s desert parsley.
Comments on the draft economic analysis and the proposed critical habitat will be accepted until Feb. 11. A public information session and public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 2 at the Medford Library Branch Conference Room, 205 S. Central Ave.
The information session will run from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and will include a short presentation with a question-and-answer session. The public hearing will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and will provide an opportunity for the public to provide oral and/or written comments for the record.
Both plants were listed as endangered in 2002. FWS is proposing to designate 4,521 acres in Josephine County and 6,517 acres in Jackson County as critical habitat for the plants, which occur primarily in seasonal pools and wet meadows. The proposed critical habitat is located in 25 separate units in various locations in the two counties.
The draft economic analysis estimates that during the next 20 years potential economic effects in areas proposed as critical habitat could range from $95,200 to $403,000. Most of these potential effects would be administrative costs associated with additional consultation requirements intended to reduce or mitigate effects from development, road work and conservation efforts in the plants“ habitat, also protected under the U.S. Clean Water Act and state law.
The analysis finds that the proposed critical habitat for the plants is not anticipated to change the amount, design or regulation of forecast economic activities in the area.
The critical habitat proposal and the draft economic analysis are available at http://www.regulations.gov. Refer to Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2009-0046. The draft economic analysis also is available at http://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/Species.
Comments may be submitted by one of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments to Docket No. FWS-R1-ES-2009-0046. U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R1-ES-2009-0046; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington VA 22203.
Oral and written comments will be taken during the public hearing. All comments and the public hearing transcript will be posted on http://www.regulations.gov. This generally means that any personal information provided will be posted.
Large-flowered woolly meadowfoam (Limnanthes floccosa ssp. grandiflora) is a small annual plant with creamy white flowers in the false mermaid family (Limnanthaceae). Cook“s lomatium (Lomatium cookii) is a perennial tap-rooted plant with pale yellow flowers in the parsley family (Apiaceae). Both species are associated with relatively undisturbed vernal pool-mounded prairie habitats in the Middle Rogue River basin, in an area known as the Agate Desert in Jackson County.
Cook“s lomatium also is found in seasonally wet meadow habitat in forest openings of the Illinois River Valley in Josephine County.
The most serious threats to the continued existence of large-flowered woolly meadowfoam and Cook“s lomatium are posed by residential and agricultural development and encroachment by invasive non-native plants. Other threats include ground disturbance by off-road vehicles, habitat fragmentation, garbage dumping, mining, incompatible grazing practices, and forage by gophers and voles. Species profiles can be viewed at http://www.fws.gov/oregonfwo/Species/Data/Default.asp#Plants.
To meet the requirements of critical habitat protection, each of the areas proposed must be determined to include essential habitat elements. In the case of both large-flowered woolly meadowfoam and Cook“s lomatium, the essential elements are vernal (seasonal) pools and seasonally wet meadows; soil moisture for growth, reproduction and seed dispersal, and soils that provide nutritional and physiological requirements.
Critical habitat, a term in the Endangered Species Act, identifies geographic areas that contain features essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and may require special management or protection. Federal agencies are required to consult with FWS on actions that might affect critical habitat.
The designation of critical habitat does not affect land ownership or establish a refuge, wilderness, reserve, preserve, or other conservation area; it does not allow government or public access to private lands. Designating critical habitat on federal or non-federal land identifies areas that are important to a species“ recovery.
We want to hear from you!
Add your thoughts with the link below.
Comments returning soon!
Advertisement:
