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Hymenoxys Texana Mitigation for West Greens Road Harris County, Texas

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Hymenoxys Texana Mitigation for West Greens Road Harris County, Texas Hymenoxys texana Mitigation for West Greens Road Harris County, Texas Endangered Plant Protected by the Endangered Species Act CEER July 30, 2014 2 Discussion • Background • Implementation • Habitat Review • Long-term Protection • Mitigation Plan 3 The Plant 100 A 90 B C 80 D 70 E 60 F 50 G Axis Label Axis - H Y 40 30 20 10 0 A B C D E F G H X-Axis Label 4 How Plants are Protected • Endangered and threatened plant species on public lands are fully protected under ESA • On private lands they are not fully protected • To take, possess, transport, or sell protected plants for commercial purposes, a permit is required • On private lands, the plant, habitat, etc. can be removed and/or destroyed without punishment 5 Background on West Greens Road Segment A • Houston has one of the fastest growing populations in the United States • Additional infrastructure, including roads, is needed • Harris County Public Infrastructure Department (HCPID) wanted to use federal funds for construction of West Greens Road extension • Use of federal funds required following the National Environmental Policy Act, etc. • Environmental Assessment was started in 2001 6 Environment Assessment • Requires review of threatened and endangered species • Harris County, Texas has only one Federally protected plant species Hymenoxys texana (Coulter & Rose) Cockrell • In 1998, a review of the proposed right-of-way (ROW) indicated potential H. texana habitat • H. texana was confirmed to be present in 2003 7 Need for a Biological Assessment • When the land is acquired by HCPID, the plant and habitat is protected • Taking of any T&E species requires consultation with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) • Biological assessment prepared in 2004 • Biological opinion from USFWS finalized in 2005 • Included a Mitigation Plan 8 Hymenoxys texana Habitat • Poorly drained depression areas • Base of tiny mounds “mima mounds” in open grassland, which are almost barren areas on slightly saline soils • Associated plants: prairie dogshade, Limnosciadium pumilum; peppergrass, Lepidum ruderale; little barley, Hordeum pusillum; blue-green alga, Nostoc sp.; and others • So what is a “mima mound” • Susan Starowitz Master’s Thesis - A Study of Aquic Conditions in a Mircotoposequence of Seasonally Wet Soils on the Texas Coast Prairie, 1994 9 Wet Periods 10 Dry Periods 11 Preservation Site - Pre-Construction January 2004 12 Implementation 121.0 121.5 120.5 120.0 119.5 13 Implementation Fence Drainage Ditch Parking Lot 14 Implementation - Protection Notes 15 Preservation Site - Post-Construction March 2014 16 Preservation Site - Post-Construction March 2014 Preservation Site - Post-Construction March 2014 17 Preservation Site - Post-Construction March 2014 18 Preservation Site - Post-Construction March 2014 19 March 2014 20 21 Long-Term Protection • Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens is owned by Harris County • Mercer is one of 38 leading botanical gardens and arboretums that maintains the National Collection of Endangered Plants for the Center of Plant Conservation • Mercer will maintain the preservation site as prairie habitat by removing trees and understory vegetation 22 Questions? 23 Northwest of Houston 1944 24 Northwest of Houston 2012 25 East Houston 1944 26 East Houston 2012 .
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