Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 220 / Monday, November 16, 1998 / Proposed Rules 63661

Dated: October 16, 1998. commercial information indicating that long-lived perennial herb that grows 20 Jamie Rappaport Clark, the requested action may be warranted. to 40 centimeters (cm) (8 to 16 inches Director, Fish and Wildlife Service. This finding is to be based on all (in)) tall (Lesica 1993, Lesica and Heidel [FR Doc. 98–30540 Filed 11–13–98; 8:45 am] information available to us at the time 1996). It has four to seven pairs of lance- BILLING CODE 4310±55±P the finding is made. To the maximum shaped leaves, and a spirally arranged extent practicable, this finding is to be (flower cluster) consisting made within 90 days following receipt of small greenish-white flowers which DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR of the petition, and the finding is to be range from 1 to 2 cm (0.4 to 0.8 in) long published promptly in the Federal (Lesica 1993, Lesica and Heidel 1996). Fish and Wildlife Service Register. If the finding is that The foliage is lightly to densely covered substantial information was presented, with sticky hairs. The species was 50 CFR Part 17 we also are required to promptly originally described by Watson (1875). commence a review of the status of the The distribution and habitat of S. Endangered and Threatened Wildlife species involved, if one has not already spaldingii are limited. This species is and ; 90-Day Finding for a been initiated under our internal primarily restricted to slopes, flats, or Petition to List Silene spaldingii candidate assessment process. swales (marshy lands) in mesic (Spalding's catchfly) as Endangered or The processing of this petition or steppe vegetation of the Threatened conforms with our listing priority Palouse region in southeastern AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, guidance published in the Federal , northwestern , Interior. Register on May 8, 1998 (63 FR 25502). and adjacent portions of and This guidance clarifies the order in ; one was located in British ACTION: Notice of 90-day petition which we will process rulemakings Columbia, directly adjoining a Montana finding and initiation of status review. giving highest priority (Tier 1) to population. Large-scale ecological SUMMARY: We (U.S. Fish and Wildlife processing emergency listings, second changes in the Palouse region over the Service) are announcing a 90-day priority (Tier 2) to resolving the listing past several decades, including finding on a petition to list Silene status of outstanding proposed listings, agricultural conversion, changes in fire spaldingii (Spalding’s catchfly) under resolving the conservation status of frequency, and alterations of hydrology, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as candidate species, processing have resulted in the decline of amended (Act). We find that the petition administrative findings on petitions to numerous sensitive plant species presents substantial information add species to the Lists of Endangered including S. spaldingii (Tisdale 1961). indicating that listing this plant species and Threatened Wildlife and Plants, or More than 98 percent of the original may be warranted. With publication of reclassify species from threatened to Palouse habitat has been lost or this finding, we are initiating a status endangered status, and delisting or modified by agricultural conversion, review for this species, which occurs in downlisting (reclassifying from grazing, invasion of non-native species, southeastern Washington, adjacent endangered to threatened status) altered fire regimes, and urbanization portions of Idaho and Oregon, and actions. The processing of critical (Noss et al. 1995). northwestern Montana. habitat designations are the lowest Silene spaldingii is currently known priority actions and are placed in Tier from approximately 94 occurrences or DATES: The finding announced in this sites in Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and document was made on November 5, 3. The processing of this petition Washington; only 12 percent of these 1998. To be considered in the 12-month finding is a Tier 2 action. We have made a 90-day finding on a (11 sites) contain more than 100 finding for this petition, information petition to list Silene spaldingii individuals (Heidel 1995, Lichthardt and comments concerning this finding (Spalding’s catchfly). The petition, 1997, Idaho Conservation Data Center should be submitted to us by January dated February 23, 1995, was submitted 1998, Montana Natural Heritage 15, 1999. by the Biodiversity Legal Foundation Program (MNHP) 1998, Oregon Natural ADDRESSES: Data, information, (BLF) of Boulder, Colorado, the Heritage Program (ONHP)1998, comments, or questions concerning this Montana and Washington Native Plant Washington Natural Heritage Program finding should be submitted to the Societies, and Mr. Peter Lesica of (WNHP) 1998). This species is State Supervisor, Snake River Basin Office, Missoula, Montana (BLF et al. 1995). listed as endangered in Oregon, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1387 S. The petition requested listing of Silene threatened in Washington. In Idaho and Vinnell Way, Room 368, Boise, Idaho spaldingii within the conterminous Montana, there are no State Endangered 83709. The petition finding and United States as threatened or Species Acts, but Silene spaldingii is supporting data are available for public endangered under the Act, and was listed by the Idaho Conservation Data inspection, by appointment, during received by us on February 27, 1995. Center and MNHP as very rare (Lesica normal business hours at the above The petition requested that the species and Heidel 1996, Lichthardt 1997, Idaho address. be listed as threatened or endangered Conservation Data Center 1998, MNHP FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: across its entire known historic range, 1998, ONHP 1998, WNHP 1998). The Edna Rey-Vizgirdas, botanist, at the which includes southeastern estimated total number of individuals above address (telephone: 208/378– Washington, adjacent portions of for S. spaldingii is fewer than 14,000 5243). Oregon and Idaho, and northwestern (Heidel 1995). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Montana. The petition submitted Habitat degradation and competition information stating that this species is associated with the invasion of exotic Background threatened by improper livestock plant species continues to threaten this Section 4(b)(3)(A) of the Endangered grazing practices, competition with non- species, including sites on public lands. Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended native and woody vegetation, improper For example, the population of S. (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), requires that we herbicide application, inbreeding spaldingii in the Kramer Palouse make a finding on whether a petition to depression, and fire suppression. Biological Study Area in Washington list, delist, or reclassify a species A member of the pink family declined from 147 to 10 individuals presents substantial scientific or (), Silene spaldingii is a during the period from 1981 to 1994, 63662 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 220 / Monday, November 16, 1998 / Proposed Rules apparently due to encroachment by the contribute to the extirpation of small this 90-day finding. We request any exotic yellow star-thistle (Centaurea populations. For example, a S. additional data, comments, and solstitialis) and woody vegetation spaldingii population at Wild Horse suggestions from the public, other (Heidel 1995). Exotic plant species Island (Montana) declined from concerned governmental agencies, the compete for water, nutrients, and light, approximately 250 to 10 plants, due scientific community, industry, or any in addition to competition for primarily to drought conditions in the other interested parties concerning the pollinators (Lesica and Heidel 1996). late 1980’s (BLF et al. 1995, Heidel status of S. spaldingii. Of particular Herbicide application to reduce or 1995, Lesica 1988). Such reductions in interest, is information regarding the eliminate the exotics has the potential to population size are often exacerbated by existence and status of additional kill non-target species such as S. other factors including pollinator populations, environmental factors spaldingii (BLF et al.1995). competition and poor reproductive determining distribution, pollinators, Fire suppression apparently success. and genetic variability in known contributes to a decline in suitable We have reviewed the petition, the populations. habitat conditions for S. spaldingii (B. literature cited in the petition, and other Heidel, MNHP, pers. comm. 1998), References Cited information available in our files. On facilitating the encroachment of woody the basis of the best scientific and A complete list of all references cited vegetation and other plant species. Fire commercial information available, we herein, as well as others, is available may be necessary for survival of S. find that the petition presents upon request from the Snake River spaldingii populations; Lesica (1992) substantial information that listing of Basin Office (see ADDRESSES section). found that recruitment of S. spaldingii Silene spaldingii may be warranted. The was enhanced following fire. Author available information suggests that the Silene spaldingii reproduces by seed The primary author of this document and requires to pollinate species’ restricted range and small population size increase the likelihood is Edna Rey-Vizgirdas, Snake River the flowers. Competition for pollinators Basin Office (see ADDRESSES section). has been noted at a number of S. of extirpation from random or localized spaldingii sites that have large events such as trampling, herbicide Authority application, drought, competition, and populations of other The authority for this action is the species. Reduced pollinator activity has reduced pollinator activity. At least 25 S. spaldingii populations may have been Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 the potential to adversely affect fertility et seq.). and fitness of the species, resulting in extirpated; two of these are known to Dated: November 5, 1998. inbreeding depression and declines in have been extirpated since 1991 (Heidel small populations (Lesica 1993, Lesica 1995, Lichthardt 1997, MNHP 1998, Jamie Rappaport Clark, and Heidel 1996). WNHP 1998). Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Climatic fluctuations can also We hereby announce the formal [FR Doc. 98–30539 Filed 11–13–98; 8:45 am] adversely affect this species, and review of the species’ status pursuant to BILLING CODE 4310±55±P