Rare and Endangered in the Coos Estuary

Silvery Phacelia Summary: Photo: OR Wild • Three species in the project

area are federally or state Salt Marsh listed as either Threatened or Bird’s Beak Endangered. • Two additional listed species occur just south of the project area; suitable habitat for these species occurs within project boundaries. • Habitat loss is the primary Western Lily reason behind population Pink sand declines for most species. verbena

Figure 1. Location of rare and endangered plants in and near the project area. All locations are general sites where populations are known to exist. Data: pink sand verbena – Giles-Johnson and Kaye 2012; salt marsh bird’s beak – Giles-Johnson et al. 2013; western lily – USFWS 2009, SSNERR 2013

Vegetation in the Lower Coos Watershed 11-75 What’s happening? Pink sand verbena Five rare or endangered plant species are Pink sand verbena is listed as Endangered by known or thought to occur within the project the State of Oregon due to small populations area: Pink sand verbena (Abronia umbellata facing numerous threats. It is federally listed breviflora), Salt marsh bird’s beak (Chloropy- as a Species of Concern (see sidebars). ron maritimum palustre, formerly Cordylan- Once occurring from British Columbia to thus maritimus palustris), Silvery phacelia central California, the range for pink sand (Phacelia argentea), western lily ( occi- verbena has shrunk to limited populations dentale), and Wolf’s evening primrose (Oeno- in southern Oregon and northern California. thera wolfii)(Figure 1, Table 1). This data sum- Rittenhouse (1996) described fewer than mary describes the current status and trends 10 populations (groups of reproductive-age of those species in the project area. plants) remaining in Oregon by 1996. Ten years following Rittenhouse’s report, 3-5 “wild” populations remained, varying from year to year (wild populations do not include

Table 1. Summary of rare and endangered species with ranges within the project area. Photos: Oregon Department of Agriculture, except western lily (USFWS).

11-76 Vegetation in the Lower Coos Watershed reintroduced/restored plants/populations) (Kaye et al. 2006). Locations within and surrounding the project area that now have populations include the North Spit, and a population at Bastendorff – the population is behind the foredune and Beach State Park (Figure 1). A third site near thus not exposed to winter storm overwash; the mouth of South Slough was surveyed and 2) annual habitat maintenance – the site in 2010 but no individuals were found is in an area occupied by the federally threat- (Giles-Johnson and Kaye 2012). ened western snowy plover and therefore receives annual mechanical treatments to The North Spit population was considered ex- remove European beachgrass (Ammophila tinct until a successful reintroduction from a arenaria). This disturbance regime favors large wild Port Orford population in 1997. The both plovers and pink sand verbena, both of North Spit site now contains the largest popu- which depend upon sparsely vegetated open lation of pink sand verbena in the world (Kaye sand habitats. The North Spit population had et al. 2006). Kaye (2004) described how mul- 1700 plants the first year of reintroduction tiple sites in Oregon were reintroduced with and peaked in 2012 with nearly 350,000 pink sand verbena, but the North Spit was by reproductive individuals (Giles-Johnson and far the most successful because: 1) location Kaye 2012).

Vegetation in the Lower Coos Watershed 11-77 Giles-Johnson and Kaye (2012) also describe peaking at ~670,000 individuals in 2012. Since the history of pink sand verbena at the then, the population has begun to slowly Bastendorff site. Despite annual reintroduc- decline. The absence of disturbance, which tions of both seeds and transplants starting allows pickleweed (Salicornia depressa) and in 1995, by 2000 no plants were found at the western marsh-rosemary (Limonium californi- Bastendorff site. After seeding again in 2002, cum) populations to spread, has been poten- 13 individuals were established that year, tially inhibiting salt marsh bird’s beak’s repro- substantially increasing to 110 individuals the ductive success. It should be noted that other following year with no new seeding effort. salt marsh bird’s beak populations (e.g., in The Bastendorff population peaked in 2005 South Slough) remain robust in undisturbed with 536 total plants (410 of which were locations (C. Cornu, pers. comm., 2014). reproductive), but drastically declined to 2 Across its Oregon range, salt marsh bird’s plants in 2010. beak averages about 2,000 individuals for Salt marsh bird’s beak each of 18 remaining populations (Kaye 1991 as cited in Giles-Johnson et al. 2013). Listed as a Species of Concern federally and as Endangered by the State of Oregon, the Silvery phacelia majority of Oregon occurrences of salt marsh Silvery phacelia is considered a Species of bird’s beak occur in the Coos estuary (Ritten- Concern federally and is listed as Threatened house 1996). by the State of Oregon. Of the multiple populations within the project No known occurrences of this species occur area, the largest populations in 1999 were in the project area; however, suitable sandy found near Empire (~25,000 plants) and the bluff habitat (e.g., in South Slough or the Pony Slough (~10,000 plants)(Rittenhouse North Spit) occurs here (SSNERR 2013). Close- 1999)(Figure 1). The population on United by populations exist, the nearest being north States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) of Bandon at the Oregon Dunes Golf Resort land at the North Spit in 2001 was estimated (Kalt 2008). This is also the largest population at 20,000 plants (BLM 2006). Rittenhouse with ~3,000 individuals in 2007 (Kalt 2008). (1999) additionally documented a large pop- ulation (~3,000 individuals) east of the distant According to Curry (2014), of 36 populations water fleet docks south of the Charleston documented since 1916, only 22 are pre- Bridge (Figure 1). sumed to still exist, all in Oregon. Six new populations have been discovered, also in The North Spit population was damaged by Oregon. The remaining populations are small off-road vehicle use, which led BLM to install (average populations are under 100 plants), traffic barriers. A report by Giles-Johnson et highly fragmented, and most appear to be al. (2013) noted that after protection was declining (Kalt 2008). Small fragmented popu- initiated the species recovered substantially, lations are especially common in areas where

11-78 Vegetation in the Lower Coos Watershed European beachgrass dominates (Rittenhouse (acquired in 2014) which is managed by the 1995 as cited in Curry 2014), suggesting that South Slough Reserve. beachgrass adversely affects this species. Just outside the project boundary, Basten- Western lily dorff (part of Sunset Bay State Park) supported 47 reproductive individual western The western lily is listed as Endangered at lily plants in 2014, and increase from the 10 both the federal and the state level. Except plants found in 1994. The increase can be where otherwise noted, the following infor- partially attributed to habitat maintenance mation comes from USFWS (2014). including the removal and thinning of en- Since its federal listing in 1994, western lily croaching vegetation. In addition to the 47 populations have continued to decline in both reproductive plants counted in the natural numbers and distribution (USFWS 2009). or ‘wild’ population in 2014, over 100 west- Within and near the project area, many ern lilies of all age classes were observed, known populations have been lost (e.g., some the result of augmentation with 173 in populations at Shore Acres and Sunset Bay 2013 (Brown et al. 2013). Other historic popu- State Park); other populations have grown lations at Sunset Bay State Park appear to (Hauser Bog) or have remained relatively have been lost due to competition from Sitka stable (Bastendorff Bog)(Figure 1). spruce and other species (USFWS 2009). Within the project area, the Hauser Bog pop- Adjacent to Sunset Bay State Park, Shore ulation was recently (2014) estimated at 776 Acres State Park contains several small, reproductive individuals. This total includes declining populations. Although a complete individual plants resulting from 498 bulbs survey was not conducted, only 5 reproduc- planted in 2013 by the Oregon Department of tive plants were observed in 2014, down from Agriculture (ODA) to augment the population. 53 in 2002. Ninety percent of the Hauser Bog is located Wolf’s evening primrose on private property, with the remainder on an Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Wolf’s evening primrose is considered a right-of-way designated as a Special Manage- federal Species of Concern and is listed as ment Area. Threatened by the State of Oregon. Although not known to occur in our project area (the A newly discovered western lily population nearest population occurs in Port Orford), (2013) was documented within the project suitable habitat does exist in the project area area at Indian Point in South Slough (Figure for wolf’s evening primrose. The non-native 1). A cursory population estimate of repro- large-flowered evening primrose (Oenothera ductive and nonreproductive plants indicated glazioviana), considered a major threat to the that the Indian Point site may contain one of native species, does occur in the project area the largest populations in Oregon. The popu- (DeWoody et al. 2008). See Why is it hap- lation resides entirely on state of Oregon land

Vegetation in the Lower Coos Watershed 11-79 pening? below for more information on this cially European beachgrass and gorse (Ulex threat. europaeus)(Kalt 2008). Russo et al. 1988 attributed the silvery phacelia’s decline to According to Currin and Meinke (2004), there changes in the orientation of the Oregon were seven known populations of wolf’s eve- coast’s dune field valleys (technically referred ning primrose remaining in Oregon in 2004. to as “slacks”) as a result of the establishment They describe population sizes in Oregon as of European beach grass. Historically, many ranging from 40 to several thousand individ- beaches had no foredune running parallel to uals. the ocean shore. Instead, dunes and associ- ated slacks were oriented perpendicular to Why is it happening? the shore, shifting with seasonal changes in prevailing winds. The introduction of Europe- Pink sand verbena an beachgrass stabilized the dunes, resulting As with many rare and endangered species, in their current orientation (parallel to the pink sand verbena’s decline can be attributed beach) and steep foredunes. The stabilized to habitat loss. The biggest factor is dune sta- foredune greatly reduces sand supply to bilization and competition for space from the interior moving dunes, limiting their dynamic non-native European beachgrass; a secondary nature. Since the introduction of European threat is disturbance from off-road vehicles beachgrass, any species populations adapted (Kaye 2004). to the historically dynamic dune habitat, such Additionally, bee species native to dune hab- as the silvery phacelia, have declined. itats are the primary pollinators of pink sand Other threats to silvery phacelia are habitat verbena (CPC 2010a). However, populations loss from coastal development and destruc- of these solitary bees are negatively correlat- tion from off-road vehicles (Curry 2014). ed with dune communities dominated by European beachgrass (Julian 2012). Western lily Except where otherwise cited, the following Salt marsh bird’s beak information comes from USFWS 2009. The primary threats to salt marsh bird’s beak The decline of western lily populations began are habitat loss due to wetland alterations historically with heavy extraction by the (excavation/filling) and repetitive disturbanc- trade, followed by habitat loss es (e.g., foot traffic, off-road vehicles). This for development and agriculture, particularly species is also particularly sensitive to water the development of . Conver- pollution and petroleum spills (BLM 2006). sion of western lily habitat to cranberry bogs Silvery phacelia is believed to have contributed to the loss of The primary threat to silvery phacelia is hundreds of acres of lily habitat in the area competition from non-native species, espe- between Bandon and Port Orford in the past

11-80 Vegetation in the Lower Coos Watershed few decades. This is because and diversity. This limits long-term adaptability western lilies share a proclivity for soils that to stressors, including disease or the local remain saturated and facilitate the seasonal effects of climate change (e.g., changes in air pooling of water. These soils (known as the temperature and hydrology). Furthermore, Blacklock/Bullards/Bandon Complex) are populations with less than 500 individuals common south of Bandon. may suffer from the deleterious effects of in- breeding. Most of the populations in Oregon Western lilies are extremely sensitive to site number less than 500 individuals. hydrology. The bulbs cannot survive year- round inundation but are reliant on sufficient Wolf’s evening primrose soil moisture late into the growing season to According to the Center for Plant Conser- avoid desiccation during the summer months vation (CPC 2010b), a unique threat to this (Imper 1997b). For example, at Hauser Bog, species is genetic dilution due to hybridiza- plants are all within 6” of the same elevation, tion with a non-native ornamental plant of illustrating the close relationship between the same genus, the large-flowered evening viability and soil moisture. primrose. Wolf’s evening primrose cannot Vegetative succession may speed the west- accept pollen directly from the large-flowered ern lily’s decline by shading the plants and evening primrose, but can accept pollen from lowering the site’s water table. This has been hybrid offspring produced by a crossing of cited as a potential reason for the decline of large-flowered evening primrose with pollen the Bastendorff Bog population, where from wolf’s evening primrose (Imper 1997a). are encroaching upon the formerly open This pollen issue could eventually lead to ge- habitat due to lack of disturbance, most likely netic extinction for Wolf’s evening primrose. fire. Historically fires are believed to have Hybrids are more ‘fit’ than parents of either maintained early seral conditions in western species, allowing them to reproduce and ex- lily habitat. pand their range more rapidly (Imper 1997a). Deer grazing seriously reduces reproductive Loss of habitat in a limited range (primarily success by consumption of fruit and flowers. to the invasive European beachgrass) and de- The Hauser and Bastendorff populations have struction from herbicides (many populations exhibited high loss due to deer herbivory. are along Highway 101) are secondary threats Light cattle grazing, however, appears to have to this species (Currin and Meinke 2004). little impact. Lilies tolerate trampling to some Background degree and may actually benefit by having their seeds pressed into the ground. Cattle Pink sand verbena also keep surrounding vegetation controlled, According to Kaye (2004), pink sand verbena and their manure increases soil fertility. lives at or below the driftwood line on coastal Populations under 5,000 individual plants beaches. Wave overwash from winter storms are additionally threatened by loss of genetic obliterates adult plants each year requiring

Vegetation in the Lower Coos Watershed 11-81 the population to re-establish itself each (2010c) notes that bees are the primary pol- spring from seed. Because of this, popula- linators of this species, especially the native tion sizes and locations fluctuate widely year leafcutter bee Anthidium( palliventre). to year. Winter storms are highly beneficial Western lily to this species as they deposit new sand substrate and carry seeds along shorelines. Ranging from Coos Bay, Oregon to Eureka, Storms also remove competitor plants, help- California, all known populations of this ing long-term survival of the population. species occur within 6 km (3.7 miles) of the coast. According to USFWS (2009), the Salt marsh bird’s beak western lily is a perennial species that dies Salt marsh bird’s beak ranges from Mor- back each winter. These plants require either ro Bay, California to Netarts Bay, Oregon impermeable mineral soils or organic marsh (Giles-Johnson et al. 2011). According to soils, both of which keep the bulb moist late Chuang and Heckard (1971) this annual plant in the dry season. Reproductive individuals is a hemi-parasite (i.e., it derives much of require open, unshaded habitats. Bright red its nutrients from other plants), though it flowers are hermaphroditic (male and -fe does not appear to have a preferred host male), and are primarily pollinated by hum- species. Consequently, habitat quality is mingbirds. likely a more important factor to bird’s beak Wolf’s evening primrose populations than specific host species pres- ence (Giles-Johnson et al. 2011). Preferred According to CPC (2010b), wolf’s evening habitat for this species is upper elevation salt primrose is a biennial species (i.e., dies after marshes (~7.5-8.5’ above MLLW) with mod- two years) producing small yellow flowers erate vegetation cover, which allows light to its second year. Imper (1997a) described the penetrate to the soil (Kaye 1991 and USFWS habitat preference for this species. He found 1984, as cited in Rittenhouse 1999). Ritten- they only occur in coastal areas and prefer house (1999) notes that annual fluctuations moist but well-draining sandy soil habitat in population sizes are highly variable, which along coastal bluffs or beaches, sheltered is typical of an annual species. from northwest winds. He added that al- though it prefers moderately disturbed sites, it does not compete well with other plants. Silvery phacelia It can tolerate high salt concentrations in the soil, although hybridized versions are not as Ranging from Coos County, Oregon to Del tolerant of salt. This species thrives with some Norte County, California, silvery phacelia is disturbance. In fact, the Port Orford popula- a perennial evergreen trailing herb in the tion is located on a beach where dumping of forget-me-not family that grows on unstabi- dredge spoils provides periodic disturbances lized or partially stabilized coastal sand dunes and keeps European beachgrass in check at elevations below 65 feet (CPC 2010c). CPC

11-82 Vegetation in the Lower Coos Watershed (Currin and Meinke 2004). Surprisingly, this Currin, R. and R. Meinke. 2004. Establishment population is doing well enough that it is the of Two Experimental Populations of Wolf’s Evening Primrose (Oenothera wolfii). Final Re- seed source for experimental reintroductions port for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 32 pp. at other locations (Currin and Meinke 2004). Curry, T. R. 2014. Petition to List Silvery Phacelia (Phacelia argentea) as Threatened References or Endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Center for Biological Diversity, Oregon Brown, J., K. Amsberry and R. J. Meinke. 2013. Wild, Friends of Del norte, Oregon Coast Recovery-Based Propagation and Outplanting Alliance, Native Plant Society of Oregon, Lilium occidentale of : Preparation for Out- California Native Plant Society, Environmental planting Year 3 (2011). Oregon Department of Protection Information Center, Klamath-Siski- Agriculture, Corvallis. 21 pp. you Wildlands Center. 20 pp.

Bureau of Land Management (BLM). 2006. DeWoody, J., L. Arguello, D. Imper, R. D. West- Final North Spit Plan: An Update to the Coos fall, and V. D. Hipkins. 2008. Genetic evidence Bay Shorelands Plan of 1995. Coos Bay Dis- of hybridization between Oenothera wolfii trict Office, North Bend, Oregon . 104 pp. (Wolf’s evening primrose) and O. glazioviana, a garden escape. Madroño. 55(2): 132-142. Center for Plant Conservation (CPC). 2010a. Abronia CPC National Collection Plant Profile: Giles-Johnson, D. E. L., A. S. Thorpe, and E. C. umbellate ssp. breviflora . Missouri Botan- Gray. 2011. Habitat Monitoring and Improve- ical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri, viewed 18 ment for Cordylanthus maritimus ssp. palus- November 2014. Retrieved from: http://www. trs: 2011 Progress Report. Progress Report. centerforplantconservation.org/collection/ Prepared by Institute for Applied Ecology CPC_ViewProfile.asp?CPCNum=9 for Bureau of Land Management; Corvallis, Oregon. 29 pp. Center for Plant Conservation (CPC). 2010b. Oeno- CPC National Collection Plant Profile: Giles-Johnson, D. E. L. and T. N. Kaye. 2012. thera wolfii . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Abronia umbellata var. breviflora on the Louis, Missouri, viewed 18 November 2014. Oregon Coast: Reintroduction and Population Retrieved from: http://www.centerforplant- Monitoring. Prepared by the Institute for conservation.org/collection/cpc_viewprofile. Applied Ecology for Bureau of Land Manage- asp?CPCNum=3004 ment, US Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA For- est Service and Oregon Department of Parks Center for Plant Conservation (CPC). 2010c. and Recreation. 74 pp. CPC National Collection Plant Profile: Pace- lia argentea . Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Giles-Johnson, D. E. L., E. C. Gray, and T. N. Louis, Missouri, viewed 18 November 2014. Kaye. 2013. Habitat Monitoring and Im- Retrieved from: http://www.centerforplant- provement for Cordylanthus maritimus ssp. conservation.org/collection/cpc_viewprofile. palustris: 2012 Progress Report. Prepared by asp?CPCNum=3339 Institute for Applied Ecology for Bureau of Land Management; Corvallis, Oregon. 48 pp. Chuang, T. I. and L. R. Heckard. 1971. Obser- Cordylanthus vations on Root-Parasitism in Imper, D. K. 1997a. ‘Ecology and Conservation (Scrophulariaceae). American Journal of Bota- of Wolf’s Evening Primrose in Northwestern ny. 58: 218-228. California’, in Kaye, T.N., A. Liston, R.M. Love, D.L. Luoma, R.J. Meinke, and M.V. Wilson (eds.), Conservation and Management of Native Plants and Fungi. Native Plant Society of Oregon, Corvallis. 296 pp.

Vegetation in the Lower Coos Watershed 11-83 Imper, D. K. 1997b. ‘Ecology and Management Oregon Biodiversity Information Center (OR- of the Endangered Western Lily (Lilium occi- BIC). 2013. Rare, Threatened and Endangered dentale) in Northwestern California’, in Kaye, Species of Oregon. Institute for Natural Re- T.N., A. Liston, R.M. Love, D.L. Luoma, R.J. sources, Portland State University, Portland, Meinke, and M.V. Wilson (eds.), Conservation OR. 111 pp. and Management of Native Plants and Fungi. Native Plant Society of Oregon, Corvallis. 296 Rittenhouse, B. 1995. Conservation Strategy pp. for Silvery Phacelia (Phacelia argentea A. Nels. & J.F. Macbr.). Bureau of Land Manage- Julian, L. S. 2012. A Comparison of Bee Fauna ment, Coos Bay District. 13 pp. in Two Northern California Coastal Dune Sys- tems. Thesis (M.S.)--Humboldt State Univer- Rittenhouse, B. 1996. Botanizing the South- sity. ern Oregon Coast (Coos Bay to Port Orford). Kalmiopsis. 6:1-8. Kalt, Jennifer. 2008. Appendix C: Status Re- view and Field Inventory for Silver Phacelia: Rittenhouse, B. 1999. Status of Salt Marsh Phacelia argentea (Hydrophyllacease). In: Bird’s Beak (Cordylanthus maritimus ssp. pal- Applicant’s Statement, Proposed Findings, ustris) in the Coos Bay Estuary. Status Report and Supplemental Exception Statement for by Bureau of Land Management, Coos Bay 2010 Text Amendments to Bandon Dunes office. 10 pp. Resort Master Plan and Bandon Dunes Resort Zoning Ordinance. 2009. Department of Land Russo, M., A. Pickart, L. Morse, and R. Young. Conservation and Development. 226 pp. 1988. Element Stewardship Abstract for Am- mophila arenaria. The Nature Conservancy, Kaye, T. 1991. Population monitoring and Arlington, Virginia. 12 pp. habitat analysis for salt marsh bird’s-beak (Cordylanthus maritimus ssp. palustris). South Slough National Estuarine Research Oregon Department of Agriculture. Report Reserve (SSNERR). 2013. The South Slough submitted to Coos Bay BLM. 40 pp. Shorelands Project. Proposal submitted to US Fish and Wildlife Service. 121 pp. Kaye, T. N. 2004. ‘Reintroducing the Endan- gered Pink Sand-Verbena to Pacific Coast United States Fish and Wildlife Service. 1984. Beaches: Direct Seeding and Out-Planting’, in Recovery Plan for Salt Marsh Bird’s-Beak Brooks, M.B., S.K. Carothers, and T. LaBanca (Cordylanthus maritimus ssp. maritimus), US (eds.), The Ecology and Management of Rare Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, Oregon. Plants of Northwestern California: Proceed- 92 pp. ings from a 2002 Symposium of the North Coast Chapter of the California Native Plant United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USF- Society, California Native Plant Society, Sacra- WS). 2009. Lilium occidentale (Western lily) mento, CA, p131-139. 5-Year Review: Summary and Evaluation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Arcata, CA. 48 pp. Kaye, T., N. Brian, D. Segotta, and N. Bach- eller. 2006. Conservation Strategy for Pink United States Fish and Wildlife Service (US- Sand-Verbana (Abronia umbellata ssp. brevi- FWS). 2014. [Update to the 5-year Review]. flora). Prepared by the Institute for Applied Unpublished data. Ecology for Bureau of Land Management, USFS Siuslaw National Forest, and Oregon Department of Parks and Recreation. 44 pp.

11-84 Vegetation in the Lower Coos Watershed