Thursday, November 15, 2001 Part IV Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service 50 CFR Part 17 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Designation of Critical Habitat for Cirsium loncholepis (La Graciosa thistle), Eriodictyon capitatum (Lompoc yerba santa), and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa (Gaviota tarplant); Proposed Rule VerDate 11<MAY>2000 19:58 Nov 14, 2001 Jkt 197001 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4717 Sfmt 4717 E:\FR\FM\15NOP3.SGM pfrm02 PsN: 15NOP3 57560 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 221 / Thursday, November 15, 2001 / Proposed Rules DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR below for file format and other leaves of C. brevistylum are shallowly information about electronic filing. lobed, whereas the leaves of C. Fish and Wildlife Service 3. You may hand-deliver comments to loncholepis are deeply lobed with our Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office at secondary lobes (Keil and Turner 1993). 50 CFR Part 17 the address given above. Another species of thistle that is Comments and materials received will widespread in montane wetland areas in RIN 1018–AG88 be available for public inspection, by California, C. scariosum, occurs in the Endangered and Threatened Wildlife appointment, during normal business Mount Pinos region—one of the and Plants; Proposed Designation of hours at the above address. headwaters of the Santa Maria River. Critical Habitat for Cirsium loncholepis FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Keil is currently studying the taxonomic (La Graciosa thistle), Eriodictyon Connie Rutherford or Tim Thomas, relationship between this species and C. capitatum (Lompoc yerba santa), and Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. loncholepis (Keil, California Polytechnic Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa Fish and Wildlife Service, 2493 Portola University, San Luis Obispo, California, (Gaviota tarplant) Road, Suite B, Ventura, CA 93003 pers. comm. 2001). (telephone 805/644–1766; facsimile Cirsium loncholepis was originally AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 805/644–3958). thought to have a life span of only 1 to Interior. 2 years (Morey 1989). However, more SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: ACTION: Proposed rule. recent observations indicate that this Background species is monocarpic (flowers and SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and fruits once, then dies). While some Cirsium loncholepis (La Graciosa Wildlife Service (Service), propose to individuals may flower and die within thistle), Eriodictyon capitatum (Lompoc designate critical habitat pursuant to the 1 year, other individuals may exist as a yerba santa), and Deinandra increscens Endangered Species Act of 1973, as rosette for 2, 3, or more years before ssp. villosa [=Hemizonia increscens ssp. amended (Act), for Cirsium loncholepis sending up flowering stalks villosa] (Gaviota tarplant) occur along (La Graciosa thistle), Eriodictyon (Hendrickson 1990; Mary Lea, California the south central California coast. They capitatum (Lompoc yerba santa), and Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo are restricted to a narrow area in Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa [= (CPU), pers. comm. 2001). A census of northern and western Santa Barbara Hemizonia increscens ssp. villosa] several populations at Guadalupe Dunes County and southern San Luis Obispo (Gaviota tarplant). Approximately indicates that the species exhibits a County, in declining or altered habitats 27,046 hectares (ha) (66,830 acres (ac)) typical ‘‘inverse J’’ distribution of age including central dune scrub, central in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara and size classes, with populations maritime chaparral, valley needlegrass Counties, California, are proposed for comprised of many young, small grassland, coastal freshwater wetlands, designation of critical habitat. Critical individuals and very few old, large and southern bishop pine forest habitat receives protection from individuals. The causes of seedling (Holland 1986, Schoenherr 1992). destruction or adverse modification mortality include foraging by rabbits through required consultation under Cirsium loncholepis and gophers (Hendrickson 1990; J. section 7 of the Act with regard to Langford, consultant, in litt. 2001). Cirsium loncholepis (La Graciosa Large individuals produce more actions carried out, funded, or thistle) was collected by Eastwood in authorized by a Federal agency. Section flowering heads and more seeds per 1906 near the village site of La Graciosa head (average = 473 seeds per plant) 4 of the Act requires us to consider (razed in 1877) in Santa Barbara County economic and other relevant impacts than smaller individuals (average =168 (Smith 1976), near present-day Orcutt. seeds per plant), and therefore when specifying any particular area as Cirsium loncholepis is a short-lived, critical habitat. contribute disproportionately to the spreading, mound-like or erect and future seedbank of the population. The We solicit data and comments from often fleshy, spiny member of the the public on all aspects of this number of years an individual persists sunflower family (Asteraceae). Plants before flowering may be related to proposal, including data on economic are from 10 to 100 centimeters (cm) (4 and other impacts of the designation. stress, with more stressed individuals to 39 inches (in)) tall, with one or more flowering sooner. In one population We may revise this proposal prior to stems. The leaves are wavy-margined. final designation to incorporate or currently under study at the Guadalupe The lower leaves are 10 to 30 cm (4 to Dunes, the source of new seedlings was address new information received 12 in) long, with spiny petioles (leaf during the comment period. almost entirely from the previous year’s stalks), and are usually deeply lobed seeds, and only a small portion was DATES: We will accept comments until with secondary lobes or teeth. The leaf derived from the resident seed bank January 14, 2002. Public hearing base of the middle and upper leaves (Lea 2001). Because most recruitment is requests must be received by December forms short, spiny wings along the from the previous year’s seeds rather 31, 2001. petiole. Flowering heads are 2 to 4 cm than the seedbank, long-term viability of ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment, (0.8 to 1.6 in) wide in tight clusters at populations may be more difficult to you may submit your comments and the tips of the stems. The corollas are 25 maintain in smaller populations, which materials concerning this proposal by to 30 millimeters (mm) (1 to 1.2 in) long produce fewer seeds, than in larger any one of several methods: and nearly white with a purplish tube ones. In addition, low seed viability 1. You may submit written comments containing purple anthers. The achenes rates have been reported by several and information to the Field Supervisor, (seeds) are 3 to 4 mm (0.01 to 0.02 in) workers (Lea 2001, Fross in Levine- Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. long and topped by an umbrella of long Fricke-Recon 1998). Fish and Wildlife Service, 2493 Portola (15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1.0 in)) awns that In general, thistle taxa with heads Road, Suite B, Ventura, CA 93003. are ideal for wind dispersal. This similar to Cirsium loncholepis are 2. You may also send comments by species distribution overlaps C. pollinated by bees (both native and the electronic mail (e-mail) to brevistylum (Indian thistle), a taller introduced honeybee), butterflies, flies, [email protected]. See the plant species with the upper portion and beetles (D. Keil, CPU, in litt. 2001). Public Comments Solicited section covered with cobwebby hairs. The Carrion beetles and black ants have also VerDate 11<MAY>2000 19:58 Nov 14, 2001 Jkt 197001 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4701 Sfmt 4702 E:\FR\FM\15NOP3.SGM pfrm02 PsN: 15NOP3 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 221 / Thursday, November 15, 2001 / Proposed Rules 57561 been observed visiting heads of occur along the Santa Ynez River, wet soils surrounding the dune lakes C. loncholepis (M. Lea, pers. comm. somewhere between the towns of Surf and in the moist dune swales, where it 2001). The variety and abundance of and Lompoc, on Vandenberg Air Force is often growing in a mat of low-growing pollinators indicate that this species is Base. Collections of the plant had been herbaceous plants including Juncus a generalist (utilizes a wide variety of made in 1949 and 1958; however, by species (spp.) (rush), Carex praegracilis pollinators). The distribution of 1988 when extensive surveys were (sedge), Distichlis spicata (salt grass), individual plants within populations is launched to relocate this location, none Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass), often an elongated pattern that is could be found (Hendrickson 1990). Trifolium wormskioldii (clover), consistent with seed dispersal caused by Over the years, habitat for the thistle in Anemopsis californica (yerba mansa), the prevailing coastal winds. the floodplain for the river has been Potentilla anserina (silverweed), and Alice Eastwood first collected this altered. According to Smith’s notes, Lotus corniculatus (birdfoot trefoil) (J. species in 1906 and gave the location as agricultural fields have been plowed to Langford, in litt. 2001). At other dune ‘‘La Graciosa.’’ The town of Orcutt is the banks of the drainage, willows have swales where Salix spp. (willow) likely built near the site of an old been bulldozed, and herbicides were thickets have become established, community named La Graciosa, and sprayed to eradicate bull thistle Cirsium loncholepis is found scattered historic maps show the area dotted with (Hendrickson 1990). Because this area in openings among the willow,