Wyoming Basins Ecoregion

Target Plant Species and

Potential Plant Conservation Sites

Prepared for the Wyoming Nature Conservancy

By Walter Fertig Wyoming Natural Diversity Database · University of Wyoming PO Box 3381 Laramie, WY 82071

22 November 1999 I"- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to thank the following individuals for their assistance with this analysis:

David Anderson, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Ft. Collins, CO Frank Blomquist, BLM Rawlins Field Office, Rawlins, WY Charmaine Delmatier, botanical consultant, Green River, WY Robert Dorn, Mountain West Environmental Services, Cheyenne, WY Ben Franklin, Utah Natural Heritage Program, Salt Lake City, UT Jerry Freilich, Wyoming Nature Conservancy, Lander, WY Sherel Goodrich, Ashley National Forest, Vernal, UT Ron Hartman, Rocky Mountain Herbarium, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY Bonnie Heidel, MontanaNatural Heritage Program, Helena, MT George Jones, Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY Tom Kohley, Beartooth Mapping, Red Lodge, MT Steve Laster, BLM Pinedale Field Office, Pinedale, WY Peter Lesica, botanical consultant, Missoula, MT Michael Mancuso, Idaho Conservation Data Center, Boise, ID Stuart Markow, Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY Bob Moseley, Idaho Conservation Data Center, Boise, ID B. Ernie Nelson, Rocky Mountain Herbarium, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY Jean Nitscheke-Sinclear, BLM Vernal Field Office, Vernal, UT William Reiners, Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY Amy Roderick, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY Richard Scott, Central Wyoming College, Riverton, WY Susan Spackman, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Ft. Collins, CO Alan Ward, Utah Natural Heritage Program, Salt Lake City, UT Beth Ward, botanical consultant, Spearfish, SD Laura Welp, Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY

2 CONTENTS

Page

Acknowledgements ...... 2

Introduction ...... 4

Methods ...... 4

Results ...... 5

Discussion ...... 47

Literature Cited ...... 48

FIGURES

1. Wyoming Basins Ecoregion ...... map folder

TABLES

1. Vascular Plant Species of Concern in the Wyoming Basins Ecoregion . . . . 6

APPENDICES

Appendix A. Potential Plant Conservation Sites in the Wyoming Basins Ecoregion ...... 52

Appendix B. Rejected Taxa ...... 68

3 INTRODUCTION

The Wyoming Basins Ecoregion (WBE) comprises the eastern portion of the Intermountain Semi desert Province (Bailey 1995) and consists of a series of mid­ continental desert shrub and grassland basins and low mountain ranges bounded by the Utah/Wyoming and Colorado Rocky Mountains and Northern Great Plains ecoregions (The Nature Conservancy 1997). The WBE extends from the Montana border through central and southwestern Wyoming to extreme southeastern Idaho, northeastern Utah, and northwestern Colorado. The region includes the Bear River, Bighorn, Bridger, Great Divide, Green River, Hanna, Laramie, Shirley, Uinta, Washakie, Wind River, and Yampa River basins, as well as granite and sedimentary-cored uplifts in central Wyoming (Bridger, Ferris, Granite, Green, Owl Creek, Pedro, Rattlesnake, Seminoe, and Shirley mountains) (Figure 1).

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has identified the WBE as an important conservation area and TNC's Wyoming Field Office is currently working with neighboring states to develop a comprehensive, region-wide conservation blueprint. TNC has contracted with the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database and other regional heritage programs to determine which plant and animal species and native plant associations should be targets for ecoregional planning efforts, what the conservation goals for each target should be, and where potential conservation sites are located. This report summarizes the goals for selected vascular plant species and describes potential plant conservation sites in the WBE.

METHODS

Target vascular plant species were chosen because of their global rarity, limited geographic distribution, and evidence of decline based on data from state heritage programs and regional floras (Colorado Natural Heritage Program 1997, Cronquist et al. 1972, Dorn 1992; Fertig and Beauvais 1999, Goodrich and Neese 1986, Heidel1999, Idaho Conservation Data Center 1999, Stone 1998, Weber 1987, Welsh et al. 1993). Highest priority was assigned to WBE endemics or species known from 20 or fewer extant populations rangewide. Species at the periphery of their range were not included in this analysis, even though they may be considered "species of special concern" in their respective states. The final list of target species is included in Table 1 and excluded species are listed in Appendix B.

For each target species, information was assembled on WBE distribution, abundance, and protection status from heritage databases, consultation with regional experts, recent floristic surveys, natural areas inventories, and relevant literature (Atwood et al. 1991, Cramer 1997, Delmatier 1998, Fertig 1992, 1995 a, 1998 a, Fertig and Jones 1997 a, 1997 b, Fertig et al. 1994, 1998, Haines 1988, Jones 1989, Jones and Fertig 1996, Lesica 1998, Lesica and Achuff 1992; Lichvar et al.1985, Marriott and Jones 1989, Roderick 1999, Spackman et al. 1997, Ward 1998, Weber 1987, Welp 1997, Welsh et al. 1993). These data were used to develop conservation goals for each target element that address the minimum number and distribution of populations needed to ensure long-term

4 survival. Point location data were also used to identify important biological areas that should be considered part of a "portfolio" of potential conservation sites (The Nature Conservancy 1997) (Appendix A).

RESULTS

258 vascular plant taxa were initially evaluated as potential species of conservation concern in the WBE. Ofthese, 121 were selected as final targets based on their global rarity or high vulnerability to extirpation (Table 1). This number represents less than 1/3 of all plants endemic to the WBE area and surrounding foothills and basins (Fertig et al. 1998). Overall, the WBE has one of the highest rates of regional endemism for vascular plants in the north-central United States.

The development of finite conservation goals for individual plant taxa is hampered by the lack of detailed knowledge about the life history, demographic structure, genetic composition, and metapopulation dynamics of most species (Given 1994, Primack 1993). In addition, the ability of many plants to produce long-lived seed banks and reproduce asexually confounds our abilities to determine the minimum population size needed for long-term survival (Menges 1991). While a universal "magic number" for the minimum viable population size of plants is probably unattainable (Givens 1994), theoreticians have suggested that minimum population sizes of 500 individuals may be sufficient for large-bodied, long-lived perennial plants of stable environments, while a minimum of 10,000 individuals might be needed for the survival of annual plants in unstable environments (Primack 1996).

The number of individuals in a single population may be less important than the total number and spatial extent of all populations for ensuring the long term survival of a plant species (Given 1994). A conservation strategy that protects a suite of populations scattered across the full range of a species is likely to capture greater genetic variability than single populations and reduce the risk of a species being extirpated due to localized, stochastic environmental disturbances. How many sites are needed to ensure adequate representation will vary depending on a species' life history, growth form, population size, pollination biology, and genetic variability (Given 1994, Primack 1993).

In the absence of concrete demographic and genetic data for most target species in the WBE, the following general strategy for plant species is proposed:

* All populations of G 1 species should be candidates for protection or other special management attention, although priority should be given to the largest or most abundant colonies or those that occur at a distance from the core of the species' range. [continued on page 10]

5 Table 1 Wyoming Basins Ecoregion Target Vascular Plant Elements

S-Rank Species G-Rank Range co ID MT UT WY Antennaria arcuata G2 Reg End Sl S2 Arabis crandallii G4 * Reg End S2 Sl Arabis lasiocarpa G3 NarEnd S3 Arab is pendulina var. G5T3 Reg End SR SR S3 russeola Arab is pulchra var. G5Tl NarEnd Sl duchesnensis Arabis pus ilia Gl NarEnd Sl Arabis selbyi G4?Q Reg End SR SR Sl Artemisia biennis var. G5TIQ NarEnd SR? Sl diflusa Artemisia porteri G2 NarEnd S2 Asclepias uncia/is G3? Disjunct SlS2 SH Astragalus chloodes G3 Nar End S3 Astragalus coltonii var. G4T3? Reg End SR SR Sl moabensis Astragalus detritalis G3 Reg End S2 S3 Astragalus diversifolius G3 Reg End Sl Sl SH var. diversifolius Astragalus drabelliformis G2G3 NarEnd S2S3 Astragalus duchesnensis G3 Reg End SlS2 SR Astragalus equisolensis Gl NarEnd SR Sl Astragalus gilviflorus var. G5T2 NarEnd S2 purpureus Astragalus grayi G4?* Reg End Sl S3 Astragalus hamiltonii Gl Nar End Sl or Sl SRF (?) Astragalus jejunus var. G3Tl NarEnd Sl articulatus Astragalus jejunus var. G3T3 Reg End Sl Sl Sl S3 jejunus Astragalus nelsonianus G2* Reg End Sl Sl S2 Astragalus oreganus G4?* Reg End Sl S3 Astragalus proimanthus Gl Nar End SP Sl Astragalus racemosus var. G5T3 Reg End S2 Sl treleasei Astragalus saurinus G3 NarEnd S3 Astragalus simplicifolius G3 Reg End S3 Astragalus wetherillii G3 NarEnd S3 SH Atriplex woljii G3G4 Reg End SR S2 Sl Chrysothamnus nauseosus G5TIT NarEnd SlS2 ssp. psilocarpus 2 Cirsium aridum G2Q NarEnd S2 Cirsium barnebyi G3 Reg End SR S2 SR Cirsium ownbeyi G3 Reg End S2 Sl S2 Cleome multicaulis G2G3 Disjunct S2S3 Sl

6 Species Grank Range co ID MT UT WY Cleomella palmeriana G3?Tl NarEnd Sl var. goodrichii Crataegus douglasii var. G5T2 NarEnd S2 duchesnensis Cryptantha caespitosa G3 * Reg End S2 Sl Sl? S3 Cryptantha rollinsii G4 * Reg End S2 S3 Sl Cryptantha stricta G3 Reg End SR S2S3 S2 Cryptantha subcapitata G1 NarEnd Sl Cymopterus duchesnensis G2 * Reg End Sl S3 Cymopterus evertii G2G3 Reg End Sl S2S3 Cymopterus /apidosus G3 Reg End Sl S3 Descurainia pinnata var. G5T3? Reg End SR SR S2 paysonii Descurainia torulosa G1 NarEnd Sl Draba juniperina G3Q Reg End SR S2 S2 Elymus simplex G4?Q * Reg End SR Sl S2? Erigeron allocotus G3 Reg End S3 S2S3 Erigeron consimilis G3 Reg End SR SR Sl Eriogonum acau/e G3 Reg End Sl SR S3 Eriogonum brevicau/e G3 Reg End S3 S2 var. canum [E. lagopus] Eriogonum brevicaule G4T2 NarEnd S2 var. loganum Eriogonum ephedroides G3 Reg End Sl S3 Eriogonum exi/ifolium G3 Reg End SR S2 Eriogonum tumulosum G3 Reg End S2 S2 Glossopetalon spinescens G5T3 Reg End SR SR Sl var. meionandrum Gutierrezia pomariensis G2G3 NarEnd S2S3 Haplopappus [Stenotus] G4G5 S2S3 armerioides var. T2T3 gramineus Hap/opappus G5 Nar End S2 S2 [Pyrrocoma] T2T3 carthamoides var. subsquarrosus Haplopappus macronema G4G5 Reg End S2 S2 var. linearis T3 Haplopappus [Oonopsis] G2G3 NarEnd S2S3 wardii Hedysarum boreale var. G5Tl NarEnd SI gremiale Jpomopsis crebrifolia G3 * Reg End Sl S2 SR S2S3 Lepidium barnebyanum GI NarEnd Sl Lepidium integrifolium 6'3'?-rz.. Res :fr.4 Sl7 S\ var. integrifo/ium Leptodactylon watsonii G3? * Sparse SR SR Sl [esquerella alpina var. G5T3? Reg End SR S2 Sl parvula Lesquerella fremontii G2 NarEnd S2 Lesquer~lla /esicii G1 NarEnd Sl Lesquerella macrocarpa G2 Nar End S2

7 Species Grank Range co ID MT UT WY Lesquerella prostrata G3 Reg End SR Sl Sl Loejlingia squarrosa var. G5 Sparse SR? Sl SH artemisiarum T2T3 Lomatium triternatum var. G5T? Reg End SR? Sl anomalum Machaeranthera G2? Reg End S2 Sl [Haplopappus] coloradoensis Musineon vaginatum G3? Reg End 83 S2 Oenothera [/lava var.] G2 NarEnd S2 S2 acutissima Oryzopsis swallenii G4 Reg End SR S2 Oxytropis besseyi [nana] G5T3 Reg End S3 S2 Sl var. obnapiformis Oxytropis nana var. nana G3 Reg End S3 Parthenium alpinum G3 Reg End Sl S3 Parthenium ligulatum G3 Reg End S2 S3 Penstemon acau/is var. G3T2 Nar End SRF Sl Sl acau/is Penstemon acau/is var. G3Q NarEnd S3 Sl yampaensis Penstemon caryi G3 Reg End S3 S2 Penstemon cyathophorus G3 Reg End S3 S2 Penstemon duchesnensis GlG2 NarEnd S1S2 Penstemonjlowersii G2 NarEnd S2 Penstemon gibbensii G1 NarEnd Sl Sl Sl Penstemon goodrichii G2 NarEnd S2 Penstemon grahamii G2 Reg End S2 S2 Penstemon haydenii Gl Reg End Sl Penstemon paysoniorum G3 Reg End S3 Penstemon scariosus var. G4Tl Nar End Sl Sl albifluvis Penstemon scariosus var. G4T3 Reg End S3 Sl garrettii Phacelia demissa var. G5T3? Reg End S3? Sl minor Phacelia glandulosa var. G4 Nar End? Sl? deserta TIT2Q Phacelia incana G3 Sparse Sl SR S2 S2 Sl Phacelia salina G3?Q Sparse SR Sl Phlox opalensis G3 Reg End Sl S3 Phlox pungens G2 NarEnd S2 Physaria condensata G2 NarEnd S2 Physaria dornii Gl Nar End Sl Physaria eburnijlora G3 NarEnd S3 Physaria saximontana G3T2 NarEnd S2 var. saximontana Rorippa calycina G3 Reg End SH S2S3 Schoenocrambe Gl Nar End Sl argillacea Sc/erocactus brevispinus Gl NarEnd Sl Sc/erocactus glaucus G3 Reg End S3 S3 Shoshonea pulvinata G2G3 NarEnd Sl S2

8 Species Grank Range co ID MT UT WY Sisyrinchium pallidum G3 Reg End S2 S2S3 Sphaeromeria simplex G2 NarEnd S2 Spiranthes diluvialis G2 Sparse S2 S2 ..,s-Y$-z,.. Sl Sl Stanleya tomentosa var. G3T3 Reg End S3 S2 tomentosa Sullivantia hapemanii var. G3T3 Reg End Sl Sl S3 hapemanii Thelesperma caespitosum G1 Reg End Sl Sl Thelesperma pubescens G1 Reg End Sl? Sl Townsendia microcephala G1 NarEnd Sl Trifolium barnebyi G1 NarEnd Sl Yermo xanthocephalus Gl NarEnd Sl Yucca harrimaniae var. G4G5T NarEnd S2? sterilis 2?Q

* Indicates that the current Grank may need revision. See text for details.

Codes: Grank: Ranks developed by The Nature Conservancy to measure the relative rangewide abundance of species (G) and varieties or subspecies (T) based on a scale of I (rarest) to 5 (very common). "?" indicates uncertainty in the numerical score. "Q" indicates uncertainty about the validity of a taxon. Range describes the geographic distribution pattern of each species. Nar End= narrow endemics (very small range, usually less than 200 square miles, and often limited to I state or l-2 counties), Reg End= regional endemics (found in a limited geographic area, usually 200-500 square miles, in 1 or more states), Disjunct= species in the WBE that are widely isolated from the main contiguous portion of their range. Sparse = species which are always found in small patches of specialized habitat and sporadically distributed over a large geographic area. Srank: state ranks are based on the same 1-5 scale as Granks, but are applied to a taxon's abundance within a single state. "H" indicates a species is known only from historical records. "R" indicates a species is present in the state, but a rank has not been assigned.

9 * 5-8 extant populations of all G2 and narrowly endemic G3 species should be protected. These populations should either be 15-20 km apart or sufficiently dispersed to represent the full spatial range of the plant. Priority should be given to the largest and most abundant populations, although those outside the core of the range should also be considered. If fewer than 5 populations occur in the WBE, all should be considered high priority for conservation. Each population needs to contain a minimum of 500 reproductive-age individuals for perennial species or 5,000-10,000 individuals for annuals (unless no larger populations exist). Additional populations should be protected if all populations are below this minimum threshold.

*At least 8 extant populations of all regionally endemic G3 or T3 species should be considered for special management attention. These populations should be located throughout the range of the species to ensure that adequate genetic representation is achieved. Priority should be given to those habitats in the best condition and which harbor other rare species. Each population should contain a minimum of 500 reproductive-age individuals for perennial species or 5,000- 10,000 individuals for annuals (unless no larger populations exist). Additional populations should be protected if all populations are below this minimum threshold. Protection of fewer populations can be justified if the range of the species is not centered in the WBE.

*No goals can be established for some species because insufficient data exist on their distribution throughout the WBE (information is either vague or historical), or location and status data are lacking for 1-2 key states within the ecoregion. These species should remain as targets, but concrete goals cannot be determined without additional research.

In consultation with state heritage programs and regional experts, 113 locations were identified as potential conservation sites within the ecoregion (Appendix A). These sites include both public and private lands. Under current management, less than 30% of these sites receive any formal protection. The 113 potential sites provide habitat for at least one occurrence of 109 of the 121 target species (90%) and achieve the conservation objectives for 80% of these taxa. 12 target species (10%) are not represented in the initial portfolio because of inadequate information.

The current status and recommended conservation goals for each of the target plant species in the WBE is summarized below:

Antennaria arcuata Meadow pussytoes Grank: G2 Range Comments: Regional Endemic of C Wyoming, E Idaho, and NE Nevada. Current Status in WBE: Known from 22 occurrences in central Wyoming with an estimated population size of 100,000-130,000 individuals (Fertig et al. 1998). One population is currently protected in TNC's Sweetwater River Preserve and at least one colony is found in the BLM South Pass Historic Site ACEC (Fertig et al.

10 1998). Populations in Idaho and Nevada are found outside the WBE. Conservation Goals in WBE: A minimum of 5 extant occurrences with more than 1000 individuals (due to its dioecious breeding system) should be protected. These occurrences should be distributed across the Green River Basin, Great Divide Basin, and Sweetwater River Plateau. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Hay Gulch, Bush Rim/Oregon Buttes, Buffalo Creek, Harris Slough, and Lewiston Lake.

Arabis crandallii Crandall's rock cress Grank: G4 (should be re-ranked G2). Range Comments: Regional Endemic of S Wyoming and SW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: 4 occurrences are found in the WBE in southern Wyoming. All are found on public lands managed for multiple use. Colorado populations are limited to the Gunnison Basin, well outside of the WBE (Weber 1987). Conservation Goals in WBE: All known extant occurrences in the Wyoming portion of the WBE should be potential targets for special management consideration. Population size and management data are lacking for at least 3 colonies and should be obtained before concrete conservation goals are developed. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Iron Mountain and Linwood Canyon.

Arabis lasiocarpa Wasatch rockcress Grank: G3 Range Comments: Narrow endemic ofNE Utah (but may also occur in Idaho according to Stone, 1998). Current Status in WBE: Known from at least 5 locations in the Bear River valley region of the WBE on private and Forest Service lands. More widespread in the Wasatch and Bear River ranges in the adjacent Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 2 extant populations should be afforded special management attention in the WBE, while other populations should be protected in the Wasatch and Bear River ranges. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Walton Canyon area.

Arabis pendulina var. russeola Daggett rock cress Grank: G5T3 Range Comments: Regional endemic of S Wyoming, NE Utah, and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from at least 25 locations in the WBE in Wyoming. Also found in Utah and Colorado, but status in WBE is not known. At least 5 occurrences are located in existing special management areas (Fertig et al. 1998). Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 populations should be considered for special management attention. At least one population should be located in the Central Wyoming Mountains, Great Divide Basin, Laramie/Shirley/Hanna basins and North Platte River Valley, and Green River Basin subunits. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Ferris Mountains, Shirley Mountains, Killpecker Dunes/Steamboat Mountain, Bates Hole/Chalk Mountain, Rim of the Mesa, Pine Creek, and Cedar Mountain.

II Additional Comments: Welsh et al. (1993) lump this species with A. demissa, suggesting there is no morphological basis for separating the two taxa. Populations in Wyoming are consistently different in leaf pubescence and behave as good taxon.

Arabis pulchra var. duchesnensis Duchesne rock cress Grank: G5T1 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of the Uinta Basin. Current Status in WBE: Known from 2 occurrences in the vicinity of Duchesne and Myton (Stone 1998). Conservation Goals in WBE: All known occurrences in the WBE warrant special management attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: North Myton Bench. Additional Comments: Welsh et al. (1993) regard this taxon as a phase of the more widespread var. pallens. Stone (1998) revisited the type locality and found both var. duchesnensis and pal/ens occurring together, but maintaining their separate identities.

Arabis pusilla Small rock cress Grank: G1 Range Comments: Narrow Endemic of Fremont Co., Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: The entire world population of this species (one occurrence with 600-1000 individuals on less than 60 acres) is found in the WBE (Fertig et al. 1998). This population is on BLM lands managed as a "special status plant ACEC" (USDI Bureau ofLand Management 1997). Conservation Goals in WBE: All populations should be given special management attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Pine Creek.

Arabis [Boecltera] selbyi Selby rock cress Grank: G4?Q Range Comments: Regional endemic of SW Wyoming, W Colorado, E Utah, and NW New Mexico. Current Status in WBE: Known from 4 occurrences in southern Wyoming within the WBE. Also occurs in the Uinta Basin ofNE Utah and northwest Colorado, but not tracked as a species of concern in these states. One Wyoming population occurs in the BLM Red Creek ACEC (Fertig et al. 1998). Conservation Goals in WBE: Additional information is needed on the abundance of A. selbyi in Utah and Colorado to determine if it truly warrants conservation attention at the fme filter level. If it remains a target, at least 8 extant sites should be identified in the Green River, Washakie, Uinta, and Yampa River basins. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Little Firehole Canyon, Linwood Canyon, and Cherokee Basin/Powder Rim. Additional Comments: Welsh et al. (1993) suggest that this taxon may be better treated as a variety of the more widespread A. perennans.

12 Artemisia biennis var. diffusa Mystery wormwood Grank: G5Tl Q Range Comments: Narrow endemic of Sweetwater Co., Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known only from the type collection along a playa near Point of Rocks, Wyoming, last observed in 1980. At least six surveys since then have failed to relocate this species (the most recent search was in 1998) (Fertig et al. 1998). The type locality is on private lands within the BLM Rock Springs Field Office/private checkerboard. Kim Anderson of Ashley National Forest recently discovered a putative population from aspen woods in NE Utah, but this site still needs to be verified. Conservation Goals in WBE: The taxonomic and biological status ofvar. diffusa needs to be confirmed before conservation sites and management objectives are identified. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Deadman Wash. Additional Comments: Robert Dorn reported "hundreds of plants present" at the type locality in 1980. The morphological differences between var. diffusa and the more widespread var. biennis break down individually across the range of the latter, suggesting that additional taxonomic study is needed to confirm ifvar. diffusa is a legitimate taxon (Fertig et al. 1999 a).

Artemisia porteri Porter's sagebrush Grank: G2 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of central Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Currently known from 8 major populations in the WBE (consisting of nearly 50 subpopulations) and one additional occurrence in the Northern Great Plains Ecoregion. Populations surveyed in 1999 by Dr. Richard Scott, Laura Welp, and W. Fertig ranged from 200-20,000 individuals. One population in the Lysite area is subject to "Porter's sagebrush special management restrictions" under the BLM Lander Field Office Resource Management Plan. Conservation Goals in WBE: 5 extant populations with over 500 reproductive individuals should be afforded special management. Populations need to be divided between the 3 main populations centers in the WBE: the Wind River Basin north of Beaver Rim, the desert country south of the Bridger Mountains, and the badland regions in the vicinity of the towns of Powder River and Lost Cabin. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Boysen Reservoir/Cedar Ridge and Oil Mountain.

Asclepias uncia/is Dwarf milkweed Grank: G3? Range Comments: Disjunct in WBE from its main range in eastern Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from a single historical collection by Charles Parry in 1873 near the confluence of the Green and Big Sandy rivers in the WBE. This site has been resurveyed in recent years by R. Dorn, C. Delmatier, W. Fertig, and J. Locklear, but no evidence of this species has been found. William Weber of the University of Colorado has questioned the authenticity ofthis collection site, noting that Parry may have actually been in northeastern Colorado. Dorn has shown that Parry was in Wyoming on the date of the specimen label and believes

13 the collection comes from Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge (Fertig et al. 1998). - Conservation Goals in WBE: Reported location is currently protected. Additional research is needed to confirm if this species is still extant before conservation goals are determined. Conservation efforts may be better focussed on populations in the Central Shortgrass Prairie Ecoregion. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Seedskadee.

Astragalus chloodes Grass milkvetch Grank: G3 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of the northeastern Uinta Basin. Current Status in WBE: Known from at least 6 sites in the vicinity of Vernal and additional sites near Jensen Gust outside the WBE). Populations may be occasional to locally common (Goodrich and Neese 1986). Conservation Goals in WBE: 4 large, extant occurrences should receive special management attention in the WBE to complement 4 other sites in the UT/WY Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. . Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Maeser Bench.

Astragalus coltonii var. moabensis Moab milkvetch Grank: G4T3? Range Comments: Regional endemic of SE Utah, SW Wyoming, W Colorado, Arizona, · and New Mexico. Current Status in WBE: Known from 5 small, extant occurrences on public lands managed for multiple use in SW Wyoming. Status in the Colorado portion of the WBE is not known. Utah populations are found far to the south of the WBE. Conservation Goals in WBE: Abundance and conservation needs in Colorado should be determined before conservation actions are finalized in the WBE. At least 2 populations in the Wyoming portion of the WBE should be included in the final site portfolio if this species is deemed worthy of attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Cedar Mountain, Hickey Mountain Badlands, and McKinnon.

Astragalus detritalis Debris milkvetch Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic ofNW Colorado and NE Utah. Current Status in WBE: Known from at least 8 occurrences in the Calamity Ridge area of the WBE in Colorado. Populations range in size from 100-5000 individuals (Colorado Natural Heritage Program data). Also present in the Uinta Basin in Utah, where it is considered locally abundant (ranked S3 by Utah Heritage) and tracked only as a "watch list" species (Stone 1998). According to Bameby (1989), populations are largest in years following sufficient winter rains. Occurrences may be present in Dinosaur National Monument. Conservation Goals in WBE: A least 4 occurrences in Colorado with over 500 plants and 4 populations in Utah should be afforded special management attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Calamity Ridge (6), North Vermillion Bluffs, and

14 South Vermillion Bluffs.

Astragalus diversifolius var. diversifolius Meadow milkvetch Grank: G3 Rruige Comments: Regional endemic of C Idaho, N Utah, and W Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: One vague, historical record (Nuttall's 1838 type locality from the Green River Basin in Wyoming) is known from the WBE. Conservation Goals in WBE: Field surveys are needed to confirm if this taxon is still extant in SW Wyoming and to identify suitable areas for special management. The most probable areas to find the plant are in mesic alkaline meadows, probably on private lands along the Green River and its tributaries (Fertig et al. 1998). Any colonies discovered in the WBE are a high priority for protection. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: None.

Astragalus drabelliformis Big Piney milkvetch Grank: G2G3 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of Subl~tte County, WY. Current Status in WBE: Known from approximately 30 essentially contiguous occurrences in the upper Green River Basin. Populations are often locally abundant and tolerant of many surface disturbances. The total population may number over 1 million (Fertig et al. 1998). No occurrences are formally protected at present. Conservation Goals in WBE: 5-8 discrete occurrences, located at scattered intervals throughout the Green River Basin, should be considered for protection. Despite large scale natural gas development activity, this plant appears to be stable to increasing at present and may not require intensive management. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Green River Badlands, Rim of"The Mesa"(3), Big Piney Rims (2), Ross Butte/Ross Rim (2), and Little Colorado Desert. Additional Comments: Populations in the eastern Ross Rim area intergrade with A. spatulatus, suggesting that A. drabelliformis may warrant varietal status (Fertig 1998 a).

Astragalus duchesnensis Duchesne milkvetch Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic ofNE Utah and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from 3 occurrences in the Colorado portion of the WBE. More abundant in the Uinta Basin of Duchesne and Uintah counties, where it is not tracked by the Utah Natural Heritage Program. Conservation Goals in WBE: 2-3 of the Colorado occurrences should be provided some protection, while 5-6 sites in Utah should also be identified for potential special management. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Raven Ridge and Vermillion Creek Falls.

Astragalus equisolensis [A. desperatus var. neeseae] Horseshoe milkvetch Grank: G1 Range Comments: Regional endemic ofUintah Co., UT and Mesa Co., Colorado.

15 Current Status in WBE: Known from a single population of ca 10,000 plants along the Horseshoe Bend of the Green River in the WBE and one disjunct population outside the ecoregion in Colorado (Stone 1998). Plants are restricted to terrace sands and gravels deposited on and weathered from the Duchesne River Formation. Conservation Goals in WBE: All populations in the WBE should be provided with special management attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Horseshoe Bend.

Astragalus gilvijlorus var. purpureus Dubois milkvetch Grank: G5T2 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of Fremont County, WY. Current Status in WBE: Known from 11 extant occurrences in the northwestern Wind River Basin and foothills of the Absaroka and Wind River ranges consisting of 100,000-150,000 plants (Fertig 1998 b). Several occurrences are found on private land easements held by The Nature Conservancy and Jackson Hole Land Trust. Populations are also found in the BLM's Dubois Badlands ACEC and a Wyoming Game and Fish Department wildlife habitat area (Fertig 1998 b). Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 5 populations with over 500 individuals should be targeted for special management attention. These populations should be located in the Dubois badlands (Wind River Basin) and in the foothills of the adjacent Absaroka and Wind River ranges (possibly outside the official boundaries of the WBE). Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Dubois Badlands.

Astragalus grayi Gray's milkvetch Grank: G4? (Rank may need to change to G3 to reflect abundance in Wyoming). Range Comments: Regional endemic of SC Montana and W Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Largely endemic to the WBE, but not currently considered a species of special concern in Wyoming (where it is ranked S3). Known from 8 locations in Montana, none of which are presently protected. Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 populations should be protected rangewide, with at least 2 in the northern Bighorn basin in Montana, and the remainder divided between the major basins in central Wyoming. Better information is needed on abundance and distribution in Wyoming to determine if this species may warrant greater attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: N Bighorn Basin and Boysen Reservoir/Cedar Ridge.

Astragalus [lonchocarpus var.] hamiltonii Hamilton milkvetch Grank: G1 Range Comments: Local endemic ofUintah Co., Utah. Current Status in WBE: Known from 11-12 locations along Asphalt Ridge near Vernal with an estimated population of 10,000-15,000 individuals (Stone 1998). One population occurs in Steinaker State Park. Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 5 major populations distributed throughout the

16 range of the species should be under special management. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Maeser Bench. Additional Comments: Reports from Moffat Co., Colorado (Dinosaur National Monument) and eastern Uintah Co. are thought to be misidentifications according to Dr. Stanley Welsh (Spackman et al. 1997, Stone 1998).

Astragalus jejunus var. articulatus Hyattville milkvetch Grank: G3T1 Range Co~ents: Narrow endemic ofBig Hom County, WY. Current Status in WBE: Known from 2 main populations, divided into several small subpopulations. The total population was estimated at 3 000 plants in 1999 by L. Welp and W. Fertig. All of these colonies occur on public or private lands managed for multiple use. Conservation Goals in WBE: All populations should be given special management attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Military Creek.

Astragalusjejunus var.jejunus Starveling milkvetch Grank: G3T3 Range Comments: Regional endemic of SE Idaho, SW Wyoming, NE Utah, and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from at least 60 occurrences in the WBE, primarily in SW Wyoming, where populations may be locally abundant (the species is not tracked in Wyoming, although it is in the 3 other states in its range). Populations are currently protected in Fossil Butte National Monument and the Kemmerer Cushion Plant Community ACEC in Wyoming. Conservation Goals. in WBE: 8 large, extant populations should receive some protection in the WBE. These should be equally divided between the Green River Basin, Overthrust Belt, Washakie Basin and Bear River Valley. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Ross Butte/Ross Rim, Logan Draw/Wilkins Peak, Kemmerer Cushion Plant Community, Fossil, Fossil Butte South, Rock Creek Ridge, Ragan, Flat Top Mountain, Pegram Creek, Otter Creek, Walton Canyon, and Table Mountain.

Astragalus nelsonianus [A. pectinatus var. platyphyllus] Nelson milkvetch Grank: G2 (Rank may need to be revised to G2G3 based on its abundance in Wyoming). Range Comments: Regional endemic of C and SW Wyoming, NE Utah, and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from 20 extant records in Wyoming, 1 in NE Utah, and 1 in NW Colorado. Wyoming populations are often small and widely scattered (Fertig et al. 1998). No ~opulations are currently protected in Wyoming or Utah. May be found in Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado (Spackman et al. 1997). Conservation Goals in WBE: 5-8 large populations, scattered across the range of the species, should be afforded some protection. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Bush Rim/Oregon Buttes, Killpecker

17 Dunes/Steamboat Mountain, McKinnon, Linwood Canyon, Oil Mountain, and Ace-in-the-Hole Draw.

Astragalus oreganus Wind River milkvetch Grank: G4? (Rank may need to change to G3 to reflect abundance in Wyoming). ifciilge Comments: Regional endemic of SC Montana and W Montana. Current Status in WBE: Occurs at 6 sites within the WBE in Montana. More widespread in western Wyoming, where the species is ranked S3 (but not tracked by WYNDD). At least 3 occurrences are currently protected in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area and the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range. Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 populations should be protected in special management areas scattered throughout the species' range. Two of these populations should be located in Montana. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Pryor Mountains, Bighorn Canyon & Yellowtail Reservoir, and Killpecker Dunes/Steamboat Mountain.

Astragalus proimanthus Precocious milkvetch Grank: Gl Range Comments: Narrow endemic of Sweetwater Co., Wyoming (but to be expected in extreme NE Utah). Current Status in WBE: Known from one extant occurrence estimated to contain 25,000- 40,000 individuals (Fertig et al. 1998). This population occurs within a special status plant ACEC managed by the BLM Rock Springs Field Office. Conservation Goals in WBE: Entire range of this species should be protected. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: McKinnon.

Astragalus racemosus var. treleasei Trelease's racemose milkvetch Grank: G5T3 (Ben Franklin has suggested that the Trank be modified to T2). Range Comments: Regional endemic of SW Wyoming and NE Utah. Current Status in WBE: 2 extant and 4 historical populations are found in SW Wyoming. Goodrich and Neese (1986) note that the species is abundant near Duchesne, Utah, but rare elsewhere in the Uinta Basin. Conservation Goals in WBE: Conservation status and needs in Utah need to be confirmed before goals are determined or potential sites are recommended. If this species warrants attention, at least 2-3 populations in the Green River Basin and foothills of the Wyoming Range should be identified for conservation. · Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: None.

Astragalus saurinus Dinosaur milkvetch Grank: G3 Range Comments: Narrow endemic ofUintah Co., Utah (although to be expected in adjacent Moffat Co., Colorado). Current Status in WBE: Known from 24 occurrences rangewide, many of which are located just outside the ecoregion boundary in the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains. 8 populations (all outside the WBE) are protected in Dinosaur National Monument.

18 Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 extant, large populations should be protected rangewide (including at least 2 along the eastern edge of the WBE). Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Maeser Bench and Horseshoe Bend. Potential habitat may also exist in the Raven Ridge site in western Colorado (Stone 1998).

Astragalus simplicifolius Bun milkveteh Grank: G3 R.:allge Comments: Regional endemic of C and SW Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from ca 50 occurrences in the basins ofC and SW Wyoming. At least 4 occurrences are currently protected on TNC properties along the Sweetwater River and Sheep Rock and in the BLM' s Beaver Rim and Kemmerer Cushion Plant ACECs (Fertig et al. 1998). Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 populations should be protected in Wyoming divided among the Green River, Wind River, and Laramie basins, Overthrust Belt, and Central Mountains. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Dubois Badlands, Beaver Rim/Cedar Rim, Beaver Divide East, Ferris Mountains, W Foothills Laramie Range, Sheep Rock, and Kemmerer Cushion Plant Community.

Astragalus wetherillii Wetherill's milkvetch Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic of E Utah and W Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from over 20 locations in W Colorado, of which only 2 occur within the WBE along the Yampa River. Also known from one historical record near Moab, Utah (outside the WBE). Conservation Goals in WBE: 1 ofthe 2 Colorado populations in the WBE should be protected in order to capture genetic variability which may be lacking from more isolated populations in ecoregions to the south. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Middle Yampa River.

Atriplex wolfii [A. tenuissima] Wolfs orache Grank: G3G4 Range Comments: Regional endemic ofE Utah, SC Wyoming, and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from 3 extant and 1 historic records in the Washakie Basin and Rock Springs Uplift in Wyoming. Reported as infrequent in the Uinta Basin by Goodrich and Neese (1986). Status not known in Colorado. Conservation Goals in WBE: Additional information is needed on the rangewide abundance of this species (especially in Colorado) before goals and sites can be fully determined. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: None (although it may occur in the Cherokee Rim/Powder Rim area).

Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. psilocarpus Huntington Canyon rabbitbrush Grank: G5T1 T2 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of the Wasatch Plateau and W Uinta Basin. Current Status in WBE: Known from one record in the WBE near Duchesne (Fruitland

19 Canyon). Other reports from Utah are from outside the ecoregion. Conservation Goals in WBE: 1 population in the WBE should be protected and at least 4 sites in adjacent ecoregions should receive special management attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Fruitland Canyon.

Cirsium aridum Cedar Rim thistle Grank: G2Q Range Comments: Narrow endemic of C and SW Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from 12 occurrences numbering 40,000-50,000 individuals. A small portion of one population is found in the BLM' s Beaver Rim ACEC (Fertig et al. 1998). Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 5 populations (each numbering over 500 individuals) should be afforded special management attention. Protected populations should be dispersed across the Green River Basin and Sweetwater River Valley. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Beaver Rim/Cedar Rim and Ferris Mountains?.

Cirsium barnebyi Bameby's thistle Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic ofNE Utah, NW Colorado, and reported for SC Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Reported as locally common to abundant in the Uinta Basin by Goodrich and Neese (1986). Colorado populations are found outside of the WBE. The single Wyoming record is based on an unconfirmed report from Cronquist (1994). Conservation Goals in WBE: More detailed information is needed on the distribution of this species in Utah before goals can be set and sites delimited. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: None defined.

Cirsium ownbeyi Ownbey's thistle Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic of SW Wyoming, NE Utah, and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from 7 locations in the WBE in Wyoming and Colorado, and an additional 7-8 sites in the Dinosaur National Monument area outside the WBE in Utah and Colorado. The 6 occurrences in Wyoming numbered 56,000- 75,000 individuals in 1998 (Fertig et al. 1999 b). Conservation Goals in WBE: 4 occurrences in the WBE (3 in Wyoming and 1 in Colorado) should be protected to complement the goal of 4 protected sites in the adjacent Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Currant Creek Ridge, Little Firehole Canyon, Firehole Canyon and Cross Mountain.

Cleome multicaulis Many-stemmed spider-flower Grank: G2G3 Range Comments: Disjunct from SE Colorado in Natrona Co., Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: One occurrence is found within the WBE in C Wyoming. This

20 population is protected in Pathfinder National Wildlife Refuge and contained an estimated 500,000-1,000,000 plants in 1999. Colorado populations are found outside of the ecoregion. Conservation Goals in WBE: The single occurrence in the WBE needs to receive continued protection. As an annual, the population may fluctuate from year to year and could be sensitive to changes in moisture availability and management. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Steamboat Lakes.

Cleomella palmeriana var. goodrichii Goodrich's cleomella Grank: G3 ?T1 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of the Uinta Basin. Current Status in WBE: Known from a single occurrence near Island Park, Utah (Stone 1998). Conservation Goals in WBE: All known occurrences should be protected. Additional field surveys are needed to determine if this taxon may also occur in adjacent Moffat Co., Colorado (Stone 1998). Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Rainbow Draw.

Crataegus douglasii var. duclzesnensis Duchesne River hawthorn Grank: G5T2 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of W Uinta Basin. Current Status in WBE: Known from approximately 15 locations in Utah (Welsh et al. 1993), mostly outside the WBE boundary. Conservation Goals in WBE: Status in WBE and adjacent ecoregions needs to be determined before goals and potential sites are established. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: None identified.

Cryptantha [Oreocarya] caespitosa Tufted cryptantha Grank: G3 (probably could be reranked G4 based on abundance in SW Wyoming) Range Comments: Regional endemic of W Wyoming, SW Idaho, NE Utah, and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from at least 60 locations in western Wyoming, as well as 9 sites in Colorado, less than 5 sites in Utah, and 1 colony in Idaho. Wyoming populations are often locally abundant on chalky, barren ridges. Populations are currently protected in the BLM's Beaver Rim, Kemmerer Cushion Plant, and Special Status Plant ACECs and on TNC lands at Sheep Rock. Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 8 populations should be protected rangewide, with one site in the Bear River and Yampa River valleys, Green River, Laramie, and Wind River basins, and Sweetwater River Plateau. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Boysen Reservoir/Cedar Ridge, Beaver Rim/Cedar Rim, Bates Hole/Chalk Mountain, W Foothills Laramie Range, Sheep Rock, Ross Butte/Ross Rim, Logan Draw/Wilkins Peak, Kemmerer Cushion Plant Community, Ragan, Pegram Creek, Raven Ridge, Irish Canyon, Hells Canyon, G Gap SW, Lookout Mountain, and Vermillion Bluffs.

21 Cryptantha [Oreocarya] rollinsii Rollins' cats-eye Grank: G4 (G3 may be more appropriate according to Ben Franklin). Range Comments: Regional endemic of SW Wyoming, NE Utah, and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Locally common in Uinta Basin of Utah (Goodrich and Neese 1986), but known from only 10 locations in Wyoming and Colorado. One site in Wyoming may be protected in Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 populations with over 500 plants should be protected. At least 1 site apiece should be designated in Wyoming and Colorado. Potential sites in Utah still need to be determined. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Seedskadee, Little Firehole Canyon, Cedar Mountain, and Raven Ridge.

Cryptantha [Oreocarya] stricta Erect cryptantha Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic of SW and C Wyoming, NE Utah, and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from 22 occurrences in the WBE in Wyoming. Also reported as locally abundant in the Uinta Basin and Green River watershed in Utah and Colorado (Goodrich and Neese 1986, Weber 1987). 3 Wyoming populations are currently found in BLM ACECs (Fertig et al. 1998). Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 8 large populations should be protected in the WBE, with 2 in the Central Wyoming Mountains, 3 in the Green River Basin, and 3 in the Uinta Basin and Yampa River Valley. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Green Mountains, Ferris Mountains, Iron Mountain, Cedar Mountain, Hickey Mountain, and Cherokee Basin/Powder Rim. To be expected in the Raven Ridge site.

Cryptantha subcapitata Owl Creek miner's candle Grank: G1 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of the Owl Creek/Bridger Mountains and adjacent foothills in Fremont Co., Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from 4 confirmed occurrences and one vague, historical record. Population estimated at 38,000 in survey by Domin 1989. One occurrence is in Boysen State Park, but does not receive special management attention (Fertig and Jones 1997 b). Conservation Goals in WBE: All known occurrences should be protected. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Boysen Reservoir/Cedar Ridge.

Cymopterus duclzesnensis Uinta Basin spring parsley Grank: G2 (rank should be G3 based on S3 rank for Utah) Range Comments: Regional endemic ofNE Utah and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: 4 populations occur in the WBE in NW Colorado. Location data are not available for Utah, but the species is reported as "locally common from Myton to Raven Ridge" (Goodrich and Neese 1986). Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 5 occurrences should be provided with special management considerations in the WBE. Two of these should be in the Yampa

22 River Valley in NW Colorado and the remainder at appropriate sites in the Uinta Basin ofNE Utah. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Raven Ridge, G-gap, G gap SW, and Dry Creek at Irish Canyon.

Cymopterus evertii Evert's wafer parsnip Grank: G2G3 R:allge Comments: Regional endemic ofNW Wyoming and NE Utah. Current Status in WBE: Only 2 populations in the Owl Creek Range and Bighorn Basin ofNW Wyoming occur completely within the ecoregion (2 other sites are in the foothills of theSE Absarokas along the WBE boundary). These populations numbered ca 4800-5600 individuals in 1998 (Fertig et al. 1999 b). All other populations occur in the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. 8 populations outside the WBE in Wyoming are found in the Washakie Wilderness Area and BLM Carter Mountain ACEC (Fertig et al. 1999 b). Conservation Goals in WBE: The Hillberry Rim occurrence is a strong candidate for special management because it is slightly disjunct from other sites and occurs in an unusual, low elevation habitat. Other protected populations should be located in the Wyoming and Utah portions of the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Hillberry Rim and Enos Creek.

Cymopterus lapidosus Echo spring-parsley Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic of SW Wyoming and N Utah. Current Status in WBE: Known from 20-25 occurrences in the Green River, Bighorn, and Washakie basins and Overthrust Belt in Wyoming. Utah populations are located outside the WBE in Summit County. At least one Wyoming population is protected in Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge. Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 large extant sites, dispersed throughout the WBE, should be protected for this species. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Seedskadee, Logan Draw/Wilkins Peak, Twin Buttes/Black Mountain, Little Dry Creek, N Cedar Mountain, Cedar Mountain, Hickey Mountain Badlands, and Opal/Chrisman Bench.

Descurainia pinnata var. paysonii Payson's tansymustard Grank: G5T3? Range Comments: Regional endemic of SW Wyoming, E Utah, W Colorado, and N Arizona. Current Status in WBE: Known from 7 extant occurrences in SW Wyoming. Status elsewhere in the ecoregion is poorly known. 2 Wyoming populations are in BLM ACECs and a third is in the Adobe Town Wilderness Study Area (Fertig et al. 1998). Conservation Goals in WBE: Better information is needed on this species in Colorado and Utah before conservation targets can be set. This species can be difficult to identify and is probably undercollected.

23 Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: None identified, but to be expected in sites with stabilized sand dunes.

Descurainia torulosa Wyoming tansymustard Grank: G1 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of the southern Absaroka Range and Rock Springs Uplift and Green River Basin in NE and SW Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Only 2 ofthe 8-11 known occurrences are found in the WBE (the remainder occur in the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion). All known populations are small (often with only 40-70 individuals) and may fluctuate in size from year to year. Both populations in the WBE are protected within Special Status Plant ACECs managed by the BLM Rock Springs Field Office. Conservation Goals in WBE: All occurrences in the WBE should be afforded special management attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Pine Butte and Lion Bluffs.

Draha [oligosperma var.]juniperina (D. pedinpila, misapplied). Uinta draba Grank: G3Q Range Comments: Regional endemic of SW Wyoming, NE Utah, and NW Colorado (Stone 1998). Current Status in WBE: Known from 14 occurrences in the WBE in Wyoming, and 5-20 locations in Utah (some of which are in the Utah/Rocky Mountains Ecoregion) (Atwood et al. 1991; Welsh et al. 1993). Populations in Wyoming number between 800,000-1.5 million plants in an area of at least 360 acres. 4 occurrences in Wyoming are found within the BLM' s Currant Creek, Red Creek, and Sage Creek ACECs and 1 is in a Wilderness Study Area (Fertig et al. 1998). At least 1 Utah population is protected in Dinosaur National Monument (Atwood et al. 1991). Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 discrete occurrences, isolated by at least 15 km, should be protected in the Green River Basin, Rock Springs Uplift, and Uinta foothills. These populations should number over 20,000 individuals. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Currant Creek Ridge and Iron Mountain.

Elymus simplex [Leymus simplex] Alkali wild-rye Grank: G4?Q (Rank may need to be changed to G3Q to reflect current knowledge). Range Comments: Regional endemic of SW Wyoming, NE Utah, and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: This species is largely restricted to the WBE, although it extends into the Northern Great Plains Ecoregion in Wyoming. E. simplex is extremely uncommon in Utah (S 1) and appears to be grossly undersampled in S Wyoming, where 14 of20 known records are historical (Fertig et al. 1998). The status in Colorado is not known. No populations are currently protected in Wyoming. Additional survey efforts are needed to determine this species' abundance and possible conservation needs in the WBE. Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 8 occurrences in the WBE should be afforded special management status. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Bush Rim/Oregon Buttes and Killpecker

24 Dunes/Steamboat Mountain. I Additional Comments: Elymus simplex is often confused with E. salinus in the literature. E. simplex can be recognized by its long rhizomes, shorter height, and sandy riverbank or clayey soil habitat, while E. salinus is typically a tall bunchgrass found on clay-loamy soils on rocky slopes or hills (Fertig et al. 1998). E. simplex is also closely allied with E. triticoides and is sometimes treated as a synonym (Stone 1998). Dorn (1992) recognizes two varieties of E. simplex based on differences in floret and awn length, but these distinctions seem to be of limited taxonomic value.

Erigeron allocotus Bighorn fleabane Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic of SC Montana and NC Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: At least 8 occurrences are found in the WBE in the Bighorn Canyon region or along the W foothills of the Bighorn Range. Most of this plant's range is probably in the Bighorn Mountains section of the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains (Fertig 1999 a). At least 9 populations are currently protected in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Shell Canyon Research Natural Area, the Spanish Point Karst and Little Mountain ACECs, and TNC's Tensleep Preserve (Lesica and Shelly 1991, Fertig 1999 a). Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 large populations should be protected. These should be divided between sites in the Bighorn Range and lower elevatio"n areas in the Pryor Mountains or Bighorn Canyon region. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Pryor Mountains, Bighorn Canyon & Yellowtail Reservoir, Little Mountain/E Bighorn Canyon, Trapper Canyon, Dry Medicine Creek, Military Creek, and Canyon Creek Canyon.

Erigeron [compactus var.] consimilis San Rafael daisy Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic of E Utah, S Wyoming, NW Colorado, and Arizona. Current Status in WBE: Known from 5 occurrences on public lands in Wyoming. Goodrich and Neese (1986) cite 3 locations in the Uinta Basin and also note a report from adjacent Colorado. Also found in eastern Utah outside of the WBE. Conservation Goals in WBE: 1 site in the Washakie Basin, Rock Springs Uplift, and Uinta Basin should be conserved, along with sites elsewhere in E Utah and Arizona (outside the WBE). Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Cherokee Basin/Powder Rim.

Eriogonum acaule Single-stemmed wild buckwheat Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic of C and SW Wyoming, NE Utah, and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from ca 25 locations in the WBE, almost entirely in Wyoming. At least 3 Wyoming occurrences are protected in the Kemmerer Cushiori Plant ACEC, Fossil Butte National Monument, and TNC's Sheep Rock

25 preserve. Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 large populations, equally distributed across the Yampa River Valley, North Platte River Valley, Wind River Basin, Green River Basin, and Overthrust Belt, should be preserved. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Boysen Reservoir/Cedar Ridge, Bush Rim/Oregon Buttes, Bates Hole/Chalk Mountain, Sheep Rock, Ross Butte, Logan Draw/Wilkins Peak, Cedar Mountain, Kemmerer Cushion Plant Community, and Fossil Butte.

Eriogonum brevicaule var. canum [E. lagopus] (Rabbit buckwheat) Grank: G3 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of SC Montana and NC Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from 6 major locations in Wyoming and nearly 40 sites in Montana (Fertig 1999 a; Lesica and Achuff 1992). 2large populations (numbering in the hundreds of thousands) are currently protected in the Wyoming portion of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Conservation Goals in WBE: Existing protection may be adequate to preserve this species in the Bighorn Canyon area. 2-3 additional populations in the Bighorn Basin and east slope of the Bighorn Range (outside the WBE) should be protected to capture additional genetic variability. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Pryor Mountains, Bighorn Canyon & Yellowtail Reservoir, and Little Mountain/E Bighorn Canyon. ·

Eriogonum brevicaule var.loganum [E. loganum] Logan buckwheat Grank: G4T2 Range Comments: Narrow endemic ofN Utah. Current Status in WBE: 4 occurrences are found in the Bear River Valley area of the WBE, with additional records known from the adjacent Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. WBE populations are on private or BLM lands managed for multiple use. Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 2 WBE populations should be protected, along with 3 occurrences in the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Otter Creek and Walton Canyon areas.

Eriogonum [brevicaule var.] ephedroides Ephedra buckwheat Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic ofNE Utah and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from 6 records in the WBE from Colorado. Locally common in the Uinta Basin ofUtah according to Goodrich and Neese (1986) and not actively tracked .. Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 sites rangewide should receive some protection. These should be split between Colorado (2 sites), the WBE portion of the Uinta Basin (2-3 sites), and the Utah High Plateaus (2-3 sites). Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Raven Ridge.

26 Eriogonum exilifolium Slender-leaved buckwheat Grank: G3 RanSe Comments: Regional endemic of SE Wyoming and NC Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from 7 extant occurrences in the Wyoming portion of the WBE. Colorado populations are found outside the ecoregion. Wyoming populations all occur on public lands managed for multiple use. Conservation Goals in WBE: 4 large occurrences in Wyoming (distributed between the Laramie and Shirley basins) should be conserved and 4 populations from Colorado should be protected. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Shirley Basin/Muddy Creek.

Eriogonum tumulosum Woodside buckwheat Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic ofNE Utah and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from 3-4 sites in the eastern Uinta Basin and Yampa River Valley in Utah and Colorado. Also present in the western Uinta Basin (possibly outside of the WBE) and in ecoregions to the south. At least 1 population in Colorado occurs in Dinosaur National Monument (Spackman et al. 1997). Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 2 occurrences in the Yampa River Valley and eastern Uinta Basin should be protected. Additional conservation sites outside of the WBE need to be identified as well. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Gates ofthe Lodore and Irish Canyon.

Glossopetalon spinescens var. meionandrum [Forsellesia meionandra] Utah greasebush Grank: G5T3 Range Comments: Regional endemic ofE Utah, W Colorado, and SW Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from 3 occurrences in Wyoming. Reported as locally common in sandstone or limestone ridge areas by Goodrich and Neese (1986). Most Utah sites appear to be outside the WBE (Welsh et al. 1993). Status not known in Colorado. Conservation Goals in WBE: Status in Utah and Colorado should be clarified before formal goals and sites are established. This species may be sufficiently important locally to warrant recognition as a coarse filter community dominant or subdominant. Wyoming sites may be disjunct from the species' core range, and so at least 1 Green River Basin site should be protected. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Little Firehole Canyon and Linwood Canyon.

Gutierrezia pomariensis Uinta Basin snakeweed Grank: G2G3 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of Duchesne and Uinta Cos., Utah. Current Status in WBE: One population is located along the NE border of the Uinta Basin segment of the WBE and the Dinosaur subregion of the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. Several populations are protected in Dinosaur National Monument outside the WBE.

27 Conservation Goals in WBE: Goals for this species should be established in conjunction 1 with the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion Plan. The WBE occurrence ' J should be protected if it is one ofthe larger known populations and is significantly isolated from other occurrences in the Utah/Wyoming Rockies. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: No sites defined.

Haplopappus [Stenotus] armerioides var. gramineus Grass-leaved goldenweed Grank: G4G5T2T3 Range Comments: Narrow endemic ofNE Utah and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: 4 records are known from the southeast rim of the Uinta Basin, probably just outside the WBE boundary in the Utah High Plateaus Ecoregion. Conservation Goals in WBE: Status within the WBE needs to be determined before goals and sites are established. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: None identified.

Haplopappus [Pyrrocoma] carthamoides var. subsquarrosus Absaroka goldenweed Grank: G5T2T3 Range Comments: Narrow endemic ofNW Wyoming and SC Montana, found primarily in the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. Current Status in WBE: One occurrence is found on the NE flank of the Beartooth Mountains, just outside the boundary of the WBE. Peter Lesica advocates that this site (NE Beartooth Foothills) is ecologically more similar to the WBE than the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains and should be included in this analysis. 13 populations numbering over 100,000 individuals occur in the Utah/Wyoming Rockies Ecoregion in Wyoming, 4-6 of these occurrences are found in the North Absaroka Wilderness Area or TNC easements (Fertig 1998 b). Conservation Goals in WBE: The Montana site warrants special management attention in this plan or the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains plan ecoregion plan. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: NE Beartooth Foothills.

Haplopappus macronema var. linearis Narrowleaf goldenweed Grank: G4G5 Range Comments: Regional endemic ofW Wyoming and SC Montana. One disjunct population is found in the WBE in Lincoln Co., Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from a single extant record in Wyoming. Outside the WBE, at least 6 populations are protected in Yellowstone National Park and wilderness areas on Bridger-Teton and Shoshone National Forests (Fertig et al. 1998). Conservation Goals in WBE: The single disjunct WBE population warrants protection because it may be genetically and morphologically distinct from other populations in the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains ecoregion and SW Montana. Additional field surveys in Lincoln County are warranted. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: None.

Haplopappus [Oonopsis] wardii Ward's goldenweed Grank: G2

28 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of south-central Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from at least 12locations conservatively numbering 50,000-75,000 individuals. The population trend may be increasing as this species is able to colonize exposed clay-gumbo soils along rural dirt roads. All known populations are on public or. private lands managed for multiple use. Conservation Goals in WBE: 5 large populations, divided between the Shirley and Laramie basins should receive conservation attention. Most current management practices appear to be compatible with this species. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Shirley Basin/Muddy Creek, Medicine Bow River, and Laramie Plains Lakes.

Hedysarum boreale var. gremiale Rollins' sweetvetch Grank: G5Tl Range Comments: Narrow endemic of the Uinta Basin. Current Status in WBE: Known from 2 records in the WBE in the Asphalt Ridge area near Vernal. Conservation Goals in WBE: All known populations in the ecoregion should receive special management attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Maeser Bench. lpomopsis [congesta var.] crebrifolia Compact gilia Grank: G3 (ranked G5T4? by Heidel, 1999). Range Comments: Regional endemic ofSW Montana, W Wyoming, W Utah, and N New Mexico. Current Status in WBE: Known from 23 extant sites in western Wyoming, most of which occur in the WBE. Populations from Montana, Colorado, and Utah are found outside of the ecoregion. At least 5 Wyoming populations are currently found in BLM ACECs (Fertig et al. 1998). Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 large occurrences, distributed across the Green River and Great Divide basins, Overthrust Belt, and foothills of the Wind River and Wyoming ranges should be afforded special management. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Bush Rim/Oregon Buttes, Killpecker Dunes/Steamboat Mountain, Green River Badlands, Rim of "The Mesa", Big Piney Rims, Ross Butte/Ross Rim, White Mountain, and Kemmerer Cushion Plant Community. Additional Comments: Welsh et al. (1993) suggest that Utah populations may belong to a separate taxon.

Lepidium barnebyanum Barneby peppergrass Grank: G1 Range Comments: Narrow endemic restricted to the Duchesne area Current Status in WBE: 4 occurrences with a total of 5,000 individuals occur along the boundary between the WBE and Utah High Plateaus Ecoregion (Stone 1998). This species is federally listed as Endangered Conservation Goals in WBE: All known sites should be afforded special management attention.

29 Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Benches of Lower Indian Canyon.

Lepidium integrifolium var. integrifolium Entire-leaved peppergrass Grank: G2Tl? Range Comments: Regional endemic of SW Wyoming and SC and NE Utah. May also occur in Idaho and Arizona (Stone 1998). Current Status in WBE: Known from 2 occurrences in SW Wyoming, including a population of250-500 plants in Fossil Butte National Monument: May also occur in the Bear River Valley area of Rich Co., Utah in the WBE. Populations from SC Utah may be extirpated (Stone 1998). Conservation Goals in WBE: This species occurs in low elevation saline meadow habitats, many of which have been lost due to conversion to hay meadows. All known sites should be afforded some special management attention. Additional field work strongly recommended. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Fossil Butte.

Leptodactylon watsonii Watson's prickly-phlox Grank: G3? (This rank seems suspiciously low given the species' large geographic Range. G4 may be. more appropriate). Range Comments: Sparse? Occurs from Idaho to northern Wyoming south to Nevada, S Utah, and Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from 4 occurrences in Wyoming, 3 of which are present in the WBE. Status in Utah and Colorado is poorly known. Threats are mostly low due to the plant's steep cliff habitat. Conservation Goals in WBE: Conservation status in Utah and Colorado need to be determined before s-etting goals. If this species warrants attention, at least 2 sites in Wyoming (Owl Creek Mountains and Flaming Gorge area) should be protected. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Linwood Canyon.

Lesquerella alpina var. parvula [L. parvula] Narrowleaved bladderpod Grank: G5T3? Range Comments: Regional endemic ofNC Colorado, NE Utah, and S Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: 7-8 extant populations occur in the Wyoming portion of the WBE (a Wyoming population in the Big Creek Park area on theE side of the Sierra Madre probably is in the Colorado Rocky Mountains Ecoregion). Utah and Colorado occurrences are found in neighboring ecoregions. One Wyoming population is protected in a BLM "special status plant ACEC" for Thelesperma pubescens. Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 3 Wyoming populations should receive protection and 5 sites should be conserved in adjacent ecoregions Utah/Wyoming and Colorado Rocky Mountains). Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Cedar Mountain.

Lesquerella fremontii Fremont bladderpod Grank: G2 \

30 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of Fremont Co., Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: 2 small populations occur in the Beaver Rim area of the WBE, while all other known occurrences (6-7) are found in the Wind River Range (Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion). Two Wind River occurrences are in 1NC's Red Canyon Ranch Preserve and the Fitzpatrick Wilderness Area (Fertig 1998 b). One record is also known from the Beaver Rim ACEC, but this population has not been relocated in recent years. Conservation Goals in WBE: The WBE populations occur at lower elevation and in a desert rim habitat that differs from other sites in the Wind River Range. At least 1 of these colonies should be protected to capture genetic variability that may be missing from isolated mountain populations. The Beaver Rim population is within a BLM ACEC, but may not be extant. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Beaver Rim/Cedar Rim. Red Canyon populations are probably in the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains ecoregion.

Lesquerella lesicii Lesica's bladderpod Grank: G1 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of Carbon Co., Montana. . Current Status in WBE: Known from 5 occurrences, all found in the Pryor Mountains. One of these is within Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Conservation Goals in WBE: All known should be protected. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Pryor Mountains.

Lesquerella macrocarpa Large-fruited bladderpod Grank: G2 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of C Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from 9 occurrences numbering at least 52,000 individuals (Fertig et al. 1998). 2 populations are found in the BLM's Steamboat ACEC and 2 others occur in the Honeycomb Buttes Wilderness Study Area. Conservation Goals in WBE: 5 occurrences should receive special management attention. Ideally, each should contain at least 1000-5000 flowering plants or rosettes, as population size can vary from year to year in this biennial (Fertig et al. 1998). Sites should be distributed between the Great Divide and Green River basins. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Bush Rim/Oregon Buttes and Ross Butte.

Lesquerella prostrata Prostrate bladderpod Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic of SW Wyoming, SE Idaho, and N Utah. Current Status in WBE: Known from 5 occurrences in SW Wyoming (all on public lands) and at least 4 in Rich County, Utah (probably within the WBE). Status in Idaho is poorly known. Conservation Goals in WBE: 2-3 Wyoming populations should receive some conservation attention and at least 1 site in Utah should be protected. Sites in Idaho should also be identified. Conservation plans for this species may depend on its status in Idaho - if it is abundant in Idaho it may be of less concern elsewhere.

31 Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Fossil Butte South, Ragan, and Bridger Butte.

'....._ __ /" Loejlingia squarrosa var. artemisiarum Sage-like loeflingia Grank: G5T2T3 Ra.IlSe Comments: Sparse; occurs sporadically from SW Wyoming to California, south to Utah and Arizona. Current Status in WBE: Known from a single vague, historical record in the WBE in SW Wyoming. Conservation Goals in WBE: Better information is needed on the status of this species rangewide before conservation goals are determined. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: None identified.

Lomatium triternatum var. anomalum Ternate desert-parsley Grank: GST? Range Comments: Regional endemic of S Idaho and NE Oregon, with outlying populations in NE Utah and SW Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from at least 2 records in SW Wyoming (Dr. Ron Hartman of the University of Wyoming may have additional localities in the Overthrust Belt area). One population is protected in Fossil Butte National Monument (Fertig et al. 1998). Utah populations are found outside of the WBE. Conservation Goals in WBE: Up to 5 Wyoming populations should ultimately be protected. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Fossil Butte. Additional Comments: Ron Hartman is studying the taxonomy of this species and suspects that Wyoming material may constitute a separate and undescribed variety. If so, it probably will rank T1.

Macltaeranthera [Haplopappus] coloradoensis Colorado tansy-aster Grank: G2? Range Comments: Regional endemic of SE Wyoming and C Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from 3 occurrences in the WBE in Wyoming (1 additional record occurs just outside the ecoregion along theE slope of the Sierra Madre in the Colorado Rocky Mountains Ecoregion). No populations are currently protected in Wyoming. Conservation Goals in WBE: 1 population in the WBE should receive special management attention. The Sierra Madre colony (in the Jerry Park site) and 3-4 populations in C and SW Colorado should also be conserved to ensure adequate rangewide protection of this species. Additional field work should be conducted along the E rim of the Laramie Basin to find potential new occurrences. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: W Foothills Laramie Range.

Musineon vaginatum Sheathed musineon Grank: G3? Range Comments: Regional endemic ofNC Wyoming and S Montana. Current Status in WBE: Known from 1-2 records in the Bighorn Canyon area. Most of this speeies' range is outside the WBE in the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains

,,_ /

32 Ecoregion. At least 1 population is in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area r ·. in Montana, and 3 occurrences are in the Little Mountain ACEC, and TNC easements and WY Game and Fish Wildlife Management Areas in Wyoming. Conservation Goals in WBE: 1-2 populations in the WBE should be protected to complement 6-7 portfolio sites in the Bighorn/Pryor mountains in the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Pryor Mountains and Little Mountain/E Bighorn Canyon.

Oenothera acutissima Narrowleaf evening-primrose Grank: G2 Range Comments: Regional endemic ofNE Utah and NW Colorado (perhaps to be expected in SW Wyoming). Current Status in WBE: Known from 3 records in the Colorado portion of the WBE. Utah populations are found in the adjacent Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. Conservation Goals in WBE: 2 populations in the WBE should be protected to complement 3 recommended protected sites in the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: W Boone Draw and Whiskey Springs East.

Oryzopsis swallenii Swallen mountain ricegrass Grank: G4 Range Comments: Regional endemic of E Idaho and SW Wyoming. Idaho occurrences are primarily outside of the WBE. Current Status in WBE: Known from 10 extant locations in Wyoming. Populations in Idaho are outside the WBE. Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 sites should be protected rangewide, with 5 of these in Idaho (the main portion of the species' range) and 3 in Wyoming. Wyoming sites should be divided among locations in the Overthrust Belt, foothills of the Wyoming Range, and Green River Basin. This species may be sufficiently abundant in E Idaho to be treated as a coarse filter element. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Big Piney Rims, Ross Butte/Ross Rim, Little Colorado Desert, and Opal/Chrisman Bench.

Oxytropis hesseyi [nana] var. obnapiformis [0. obnapiformis] Maybell locoweed Grank: G5T3 Range Comments: Regional endemic of NW Colorado, NE Utah, and SW Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from 4 extant populations in Wyoming and 14 occurrences in Colorado. Status in WBE in Utah is not known (although reported as "occasional" by Goodrich and Neese, 1986). All Wyoming populations are on public lands managed for multiple use, although one is just outside of the Beaver Rim ACEC (Fertig et al. 1998). " Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 populations should be afforded protection rangewide. 3 of these should be in Wyoming, divided between the Beaver Rim, Bridger Butte, and McKinnon areas; 2 should be in Utah (sites to be determined), and 3 should

33 be in Colorado. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Beaver Rim/Cedar Rim, Beaver Divide East, McKinnon, Bridger Butte, Gates ofthe Lodore, East Boone Draw, Vermillion Creek Falls, and Cross Mountain.

Oxytropis nana var. nana Wyoming locoweed Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic of C Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from ca 50 locations in Wyoming. Several occurrences are protected in TNC easements and the Beaver Rim ACEC. Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 8 large extant populations should be protected throughout the range of this species. Sites should be distributed in the Dubois area, Sweetwater Plateau, Ferris Mountains, Shirley Basin, and Wind River Basin. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Dubois Badlands, Beaver Rim/Cedar Rim, Granite Mountains/Sweetwater Rocks, Ferris Mountains, and Bates Hole/Chalk Mountain.

Parthenium [Bolophyta] alpinum Alpine fever-few Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic of C and SE Wyoming and NC Colorado Current Status in WBE: Known from 5-6 small to medium-sized locations in the. Wyoming portion of the WBE. Much more widespread and abundant (numbering in the hundreds of thousands) in the Great Plains of SE Wyoming. Colorado populations are located outside the WBE. Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 locations should be identified as potential conservation sites for this species rangewide, with 2 of these located inC Wyoming (where the species is slightly disjunct). 1 site should be protected in the Shirley Mountain/Shirley Basin area, and a second in the Alcova area. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Bates Hole/Chalk Mountain.

Parthenium [Bolophyta] ligulatum Ligulate fever-few Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic ofNE Utah and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from at least 7 occurrences in the Colorado portion of the WBE and at least one site in the Brown's Park area of Utah (Goodrich and Neese 1986). Other Utah and Colorado populations are found in the Utah High Plateaus Ecoregion. Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 sites should be protected rangewide, divided equally between the BE and Utah High Plateaus Ecoregion. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Raven Ridge and Irish Canyon.

Penstemon acaulis var. acaulis Stemless beardtongue Grank: G3T2 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of Sweetwater Co., Wyoming and Daggett Co., Utah. Reports from Moffat Co. Colorado are suspected to be misidentified var. yampaensis (Stone 1998). Current Status in WBE: Known from 3 extant occurrences in Wyoming (consisting of 6

34 subpopulations) and 3 occurrences in the Utah portion of the WBE. 6 additional populations in Utah are found in the adjacent Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregionjust SW of Flaming Gorge. Ben Franklin estimated the Utah population at "hundreds ofthousands" in 1992 (Stone 1998). Wyoming populations are much smaller, averaging 30-200 individuals (Fertig et al. 1998). Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 5 large population should be protected rangewide. Efforts should focus on Utah colonies, which appear to be much larger and probably less threatened than Wyoming sites. 3 sites should be identified in the WBE and 2 in the adjacent Utah/Wyoming Rockies. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: McKinnon (includes Phil Pico Mountain on the WYIUT border) and Linwood Canyon (includes Lucerne valley area ofNE Utah). Additional sites could be located in the Manila area in the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion.

Penstemon acaulis var. yampaensis [P. yampaensis] Yampa penstemon Grank: G3Q Range Comments: Narrow endemic of Daggett Co., Utah and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: KnoWn from ca 25 locations in the WBE. Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 large, extant populations should be afforded some protection. Sites should be located primarily in Colorado since Utah populations may intergrade with var. acaulis (Stone 1998). Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Whiskey Springs, Cross Mountain, Middle Yampa River, East Boone Draw, Irish Canyon, Juniper Mountain, Sugarloaf Buttes South, and Sugarloaf Buttes Southeast.

Penstemon caryi Cary beardtongue Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic ofNC Wyoming and SC Montana. Most occurrences are found outside the WBE in the Bighorn Mountains section of the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. Current Status in WBE: Known from 2-5 populations along the NE edge of the WBE. More widespread in the adjacent Pryor and Bighorn mountains of the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. At least 6 populations are protected in TNC's Tensleep Preserve, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, and the Spanish Point Karst and Little Mountain ACECs. Recent studies have suggested this species is secure in Montana, but Wyoming populations are relatively small and potentially impacted by rural development, overcollection, and habitat degradation (Fertig 1999 a). Conservation Goals in WBE: Rangewide, 8 large, stable populations should receive special management attention, divided equally between Montana and Wyoming. 2 of the 8 populations should be located in the WBE. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Pryor Mountains, Little Mountain!E Bighorn Canyon, Trapper Canyon, Dry Medicine Creek, and Canyon Creek Canyon.

Penstemon cyathophorus North Park beardtongue Grank: G2G3 .

35 Range Comments: Regional endemic of SC Wyoming and NC Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from 7 extant and one historical occurrences along the foothills of the Sierra Madre and Medicine Bow Range in Carbon Co., Wyoming (possibly just outside the boundaries of the WBE in the Colorado Rocky Mountains Ecoregion). At least 2 occurrences are protected in Nature Conservancy conservation easements in the Saratoga area. Previous records from the WBE area in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, were based on misidentified specimens of P. pachyphyllus. Conservation Goals in WBE: 2 populations in the WBE should be protected (assuming the species occurs here). 6-8 additional sites should be established in the Colorado Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: None identified (may be located outside the WBE).

Penstemon (do/ius var.] duchesnensis Duchesne beardtongue Grank: G1G2 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of the Uinta Basin. Current Status in WBE: At least 2 occurrences are found along the western edge of the WBE near Duchesne: Reported as "locally common" by Goodrich and Neese (1986). Additional populations occur outside the ecoregion boundary. Conservation Goals in WBE: Both known sites in the WBE should be afforded some protection. Additional populations outside the ecoregion may also be needed to ensure the long term survival of the species. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: North Myton Bench and Benches of Lower Indian Canyon.

Penstemon jlowersii Flowers' penstemon Grank: G2 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of the Uinta Basin. Current Status in WBE: Known from 8 occurrences, all restricted to the North Myton Bench region of the Uinta Basin. Population estimated at 15,000-20,000 plants in mid 1990s (Stone 1998). All of these occurrences are found on private lands. Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 5 occurrences should be afforded special management attention. Entire world population found within the North Myton Bench site. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: North Myton Bench.

Penstemon gibbensii Gibbens' beardtongue Grank: G1 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of SC Wyoming, NE Utah, and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from 5-6 occurrences worldwide, all restricted to the WBE. Population estimated at 13,000-14,000 plants in Wyoming. One population on the Utah/Colorado border is protected in Brown's Park National Wildlife Refuge and 1large occurrence is found in TNC's Sheep Rock preserve. Conservation Goals in WBE: All known occurrences should be protected. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Sheep Rock, Flat Top Mountain, Cherokee Basin/Powder Rim, and Spitzie Draw (includes Utah's Browns Park colony).

36 Penstemon goodrichii Goodrich penstemon Grank: G2 Rai1ge Comments: Narrow endemic of Duchesne and Uintah cos., Utah. Current Status in WBE: Known from 8 occurrences in the WBE in Utah numbering 15,000-25,000 plants (Stone 1998). Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 5 occurrences should be protected. 6 populations occur in the Maeser Bench site. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: :M:aeser Bench.

Penstemon grahamii Graham beardtongue Grank: G2 Range Comments: Regional endemic ofNE Utah and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from ca 33 locations rangewide, of which 11 occur in the WBE (10 in Colorado and 1 in Utah). The majority ofUtah's populations are in the Utah High Plateaus Ecoregion. Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 8 occurrences should be protected rangewide, with 3 centered in the WBE and 5 in the Utah High Plateaus region. WBE sites should be distributed evenly through the ecoregion. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Raven Ridge and Maeser Bench.

Penstemon haydenii Blowout penstemon Grank: G1 Range Comments: Regional endemic of SC Wyoming and C Nebraska. Found primarily in the Great Plains, but with one disjunct occurrence in Carbon Co., Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from a single occurrence in the WBE consisting of300- 500 plants. Listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Conservation Goals in WBE: All populations in the WBE should be protected. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Ferris Dunes.

Penstemon paysoniorum Payson beardtongue Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic of C and SW Wyoming (to be expected in NE Utah). Current Status in WBE: Known from ca 40 occurrences in the WBE. At least 5 populations are currently protected in the Currant Creek, White Mountain, and Beaver Rim ACECs, Fossil Butte National Monument, and Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge (Fertig et al. 1998). Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 populations should be conserved rangewide. divided between the Sweetwater Plateau (2), Green River Basin (3), and Overthrust Belt (3). Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Beaver Rim/Cedar Rim, Beaver Divide East, Bush Rim/Oregon Buttes, Ross Butte/Ross Rim, Currant Creek Ridge, Logan Draw/Wilkins Peak, White Mountain, Hickey Mountain, McKinnon, Opal/Chrisman Bench, Kemmerer Cushion Plant Community, Fossil Butte, Fossil Butte South, Bridger Butte, and Red Canyon.

37 Penstemon scariosus var. albifluvis White River penstemon Grank: G4T1 Railge Comments: Narrow endemic ofNE Utah and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: 6 populations occur in the WBE ( 4 in Utah and 2 in Colorado). 7 additionRl populations are found just outside the WBE in the Utah High Plateaus Ecoregion. Conservation Goals in WBE: All populations in the WBE should be afforded some protection. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Raven Ridge.

Penstemon scariosus var. garrettii Garrett's beardtongue Grank: G4T3 Range Comments: Regional endemic ofNE Utah and SW Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from 3 occurrences in Wyoming in the WBE, first discovered in 1995 (Delmatier 1998, Fertig et al. 1998). Utah populations are located outside the WBE in the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains and Utah High Plateaus ecoregions. Conservation Goals in WBE: Rangewide, 5-8 populations should be protected. 2 should be conserved in the Little Mountain and Hickey Mountain areas of Wyoming (N side of the Uintas), while other conservation sites should be divided between the Uinta Range and Tavaputs Plateau in Utah. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Currant Creek Ridge and Hickey Mountain.

Phacelia demissa var. minor Intermountain or Uinta Basin phacelia Grank: G5T3 Range Comments: Regional endemic ofNE Utah and SW Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Reported as "locally abundant" in the NE Uinta Basin by Goodrich and Neese (1986), with populations extending outside the WBE into Dinosaur National Monument. Also known from 4 disjunct populations in SW and C Wyoming. Wyoming populations estimated at 7500-14,000 plants in 1995 (Fertig et al. 1998). Conservation Goals in WBE: 5-8 populations should be protected rangewide. At least 2 should be located in Wyoming to capture genetic diversity that might be missing in Utah. Being an annual, these sites should ideally be large enough to contain 5,000-10,000 plants. No sites have been identified in Utah. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Bush Rim/Oregon Buttes. Additional Comments: Dr. Duane Atwood is currently revising the taxonomy of this group. Two taxa may be present in Wyoming.

Phacelia glandulosa var. deserta Desert glandular phacelia Grank: G4T1T2Q Range Comments: Regional endemic of SW Wyoming (possibly also in NE Utah). Current Status in WBE: Known from 4-8 extant records in SW Wyoming and several vague, historical records (Fertig et al. 1998). Total population estimated at 20,000-25,000 in 1998. All known populations are on public lands managed for multiple use.

38 Conservation Goals in WBE: Taxonomic status should be resolved before conservation goals are finalized. If this is a good taxon, at least 5 of the largest Wyoming populations should receive some protection. Sites should be distributed between the Flaming Gorge area, upper Green River Basin, and Overthrust Belt. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Ross Butte/Ross Rim, Flaming Gorge, Logan Draw/Wilkins Peak, White Mountain. Additional Comments: This variety is being resurrected by Duane Atwood, a long-time student of the genus. Variety deserta differs from typical glandulosa in having primarily gray, non-glandular pubescence on the upper stems. Intermediates are common throughout the range of the 2 taxa and glandular hairs can be lost during pressing and drying of specimens. Fertig ( 1999 c) conducted a rangewide status survey and concluded that var. deserta may only be a localized genetic variant not worthy of formal taxonomic recognition.

Phacelia incana Western phacelia Grank: G3 Range Comments: Sparse; Nevada and S Idaho to SW Wyoming, NW Colorado, and C Utah. Current Status in WBE: Known from 6 extant locations in SW Wyoming (5 discovered since 1995) and at least 3 records in the Uinta Basin ofUtah and Colorado (Fertig et al. 1998, Goodrich and Neese 1986). One Wyoming population is in the BLM Sage Creek ACEC. As an annual, populations are likely to fluctuate greatly depending on available spring moisture. Conservation Goals in WBE: 5 large, extant populations should receive protection in the WBE, with 3 sites in Wyoming and 2 in Utah and Colorado. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Flaming Gorge, Logan Draw/Wilkins Peak, Little Firehole Canyon. May also occur in Raven Ridge site (Goodrich and Neese 1986).

Phacelia salina Nelson phacelia Grank: G3?Q Range Comments: Sparse; SW Wyoming ToW Utah and EC Nevada. Current Status in WBE: Known from 7 extant occurrences (6 of which have been discovered since 1995). Populations are often small, with 75-100 plants in areas of less than 100 square meters (Fertig 1998 a). These colonies may fluctuate each year depending on weather and past seed production and survival. All known occurrences are on public lands managed for multiple use. Utah populations are found outside the WBE. Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 5 occurrences should receive some special management attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Bush Rim/Oregon Buttes, Rim of"The Mesa", and Ross Butte/Ross Rim. Additional Comments: Often lumped with the more widespread Phacelia lutea var. scopulina, which differs in having a long-exserted style over 1 mm long and more ovules per fruit. Although minor, these characters seem to be correlated with differences in habitat selection in Wyoming (Dorn 1992; Welsh et al. 1993).

39 Phlox opalensis Opal phlox Grank: G3 Railge Comments: Regional endemic of SW Wyoming and NE Utah. Current Status in WBE: Known from at least 35 populations in the WBE numbering 1.3- 1.5 million plants (Fertig 1996). Barely extends into the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion in NE Utah (but ecologically belongs in the WBE). Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 large populations should receive some formal conservation attention. These should be distributed across the range of the spectes, with at least 2 in the upper Green River Basin, 3 in the Cedar Mountain/Hickey Mountain area, and 3 along theW side of Flaming Gorge from Twin Buttes to Manila. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Big Piney Rims, Ross Butte/Ross Rim, Seedskadee, Twin Buttes/Black Mountain, Little Dry Creek, N Cedar Mountain, Hickey Mountain Badlands, McKinnon, Opal/Chrisman Bench, and Linwood Canyon (includes Utah populations near Manila). Additional Comments: An unusual phlox from the WoodruffNarrows area along the Wyoming/Utah border resembles Opal phlox and has been attributed to P. andicola by Robert Dom (1992). This population may represent an undescribed taxon and should be sought in adjacent Utah.

Phlox pungens Beaver Rim phlox Grank: G2 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of C Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from 16 occurrences numbering in the tens to hundreds of thousands (Fertig et al. 1998). Several populations of the "typical" form of the species are protected on TNC conservation easements and the Red Canyon Ranch preserve, as well as the BLM' s Beaver Rim ACEC. All other occurrences of the typical form and all populations of the "Ross Butte morph" are on public lands managed for multiple use. Conservation Goals in WBE: 5 populations of the typical morph and 5 of the Ross Butte form should receive formal management attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Typical morph: Oil Mountain, Beaver Rim/Cedar Rim, Red Canyon, and Sheep Mountain. Ross Butte morph: Rim of"The Mesa", Ross Butte/Ross Rim, Little Colorado Desert, and Rock Creek Ridge. Additional Comments: Populations in the Green River Basin and Overthrust Belt differ from the typical form in the Beaver Rim and Southeast Wind River Range in having short-stalked glandular hairs on the leaves and narrow leaf blades (under 1 mm wide) that lack thickened midribs and margins (Fertig 1998 a). Populations of this "Ross Butte morph" may represent an undescribed variety (Cramer 1997; Fertig et al. 1998).

Physaria condensata Tufted twinpod Grank: G2 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of SW Wyoming.

40 Current Status in WBE: Reported from 16 occurrences numbering ca 40,000-60,000 individuals (Fertig et al. 1998). 3 occurrences are protected in Fossil Butte National Monument and the BLM Kemmerer Cushion Plant ACEC. Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 5 populations should receive some formal management attention. Sites should be divided between the Overthrust Belt and Green River Basin (Little Colorado Desert area) and emphasize large populations with low threats. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Little.Colorado Desert, Kemmerer Cushion Plant Community, Fossil Butte, Fossil Butte South, and Bridger Butte.

Physaria dornii Dom' s twinpod Grank: G1 Range Comments: Narrow endemic ofW Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from 4 extant occurrences (consisting of over 50 subpopulations) numbering ca 20,000 individuals. 4 subpopulations in the Rock Creek Ridge area are managed within the Kemmerer BLM's "Physaria dornii No Surface Occupancy Area" (Fertig et al. 1998). Conservation Goals in WBE: Colonies from all known occurrences should receive special management attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Rock Creek Ridge and Ragan.

Physaria eburnijlora Devil;s Gate twinpod Grank: G3 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of C Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Currently known from ca 25 extant populations, some of which are locally abundant and minimally threatened. Conservation Goals in WBE: 5 occurrences should receive formal management attention. These populations should be divided between the Ferris, Green, and Granite mountains and the chalky rims of the Shirley Basin/Bates Hole area. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Green Mountains, Granite Mountains/Sweetwater Rocks, Ferris Mountains, and Bates Hole/Chalk Mountain.

Physaria saximontana var. saximontana Rocky Mountain twinpod Grank: G3T2 Range Comments: Narrow endemic ofC Wyoming. Range is split between the WBE and Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. Current Status in WBE: Known from at least 16 occurrences in the WBE and adjacent foothills of the E Wind River and SE Absaroka ranges (possibly just outside the ecoregion in the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains). Populations may be locally abundant to quite sparse and localized. 2 of the largest known populations are currently protected in the Beaver Rim ACEC and TNC's Red Canyon Ranch preserve (Fertig 1998 b). Conservation Goals in WBE: 5 populations should be protected in the WBE, divided between the Bighorn Basin (2) and Sweetwater Plateau (3). 1-2 additional protected sites should be established in the foothills of the Wind River and Absaroka ranges.

41 Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Enos Creek, Beaver Rim/Cedar Rim, Sheep Mountain, Beaver Divide East, and Red Canyon.

Rorippa calycina Persistent sepal yellowcress Grank: G3 R:allge Comments: Regional endemic ofW and C Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota, with a disjunct population in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Current Status in WBE: Known from 24 occurrences in Wyoming in the WBE (consisting of ca 70 subpopulations) with an estimated 15,000-25,000 individuals. 11 populations are currently protected on lands managed by The Nature Conservancy, Pathfinder National Wildlife Refuge, Red Canyon ACEC, and Wyoming state parks (Fertig et al. 1998). This species depends on fluctuating water levels to maintain early successional mud bank habitats. Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 populations should receive some special management attention. These should be divided between the Bighorn Basin (2), Green River Basin (1), Wind River Basin(l), and North Platte watershed (4). Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Bighorn Canyon & Yellowtail Reservoir, Cottonwood Creek, Medicine Bow River, Seminoe Reservoir, Flaming Gorge, and Red Canyon.

Sclwenocrambe argillacea Bookcliffs schoenocrambe Grank: G1 Range Comments: Narrow endemic ofUintah Co., Utah. Current Status in WBE: 1 population is barely located within the WBE and 5 additional occurrences are found just outside the area in the adjacent Utah High Plateaus Ecoregion. Populations number ca 5200 plants (Stone 1998). This species is listed as Threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Conservation Goals in WBE: All populations in the WBE and Utah High Plateaus should be fully protected. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: None identified. May be a more appropriate target for the Utah High Plataeus Ecoregional Plan.

Sclerocactus brevispinus Pariette Bench hookless cactus Grank: G1 Range Comments: Local endemic of Duchesne and possibly Uinta cos., Utah. Current Status in WBE: Known from 2 main occurrences consisting of a series of small scattered populations (Stone 1998). Listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act based on its original treatment as a form of Sclerocactus glaucus (which was listed as Threatened in 1979). Conservation Goals in WBE: All known populations should be fully protected. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Pariette Bench. Additional Comments: This species has been treated as a short-spined form of Sclerocactus glaucus in the past, although Welsh et al. (1993) considerS. brevispinus to be a "peculiar phase" of Sclerocactus whipplei var. roseus that "does not warrant taxonomic recognition".

42 Sclerocactus [wltipplei var.] glaucus Uinta Basin hookless cactus Grank: G3Q Range Comments: Narrow endemic ofNE Utah and NW Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from 19 populations in the Utah portion of the WBE and an additional 10 locations just outside the WBE border in the Utah High Plateaus Ecoregion. Colorado populations all located outside of the WBE (Spackman et al. 1997). 2 populations in the Uinta Basin are found in Ouray National Wildlife Refuge. Listed as Threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Conservation Goals in WBE: 5-8 populations should be protected in the Uinta Basin to complement a comparable number of target sites in the Utah High Plateaus regiOn. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Pariette Bench. Additional sites need to be identified.

Sltos/wnea pulvinata Shoshonea Grank: G2G3 Range Comments: Narrow endemic ofNW Wyoming and SC Montana. Current Status in WBE: Kno\vn from 4 occurrences in SC Montana in the Pryor Mountains region (at least 1 may be just outside the WBE boundary). Montana populations occur in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Meeteetse Spires ACEC, and Lost Water Canyon Research Natural Area. 2 small populations are found in the WBE in Wyoming (both in the Owl Creek Mountains) on the Wind River Indian Reservation and private and BLM lands. Most Wyoming occurrences are on BLM or Shoshone NF lands in the foothills of the Absaroka Range (Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains). One Wyoming population is protected on Heart Mountain Gust outside the WBE boundary). Rangewide population estimated at 225,000 plants in the late 1980s (Fertig 1998 b). Conservation Goals in WBE: 8 populations should be protected rangewide, of which 4 should be located in the WBE. At least 1 protected site should be found in the Owl Creek Mountains of Wyoming and 3 in southern Montana. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Pryor Mountains and NE Beartooth Foothills.

Sisyrincltium pallidum Pale blue-eyed grass Grank: G3 Range Comments: Regional endemic of SE Wyoming and C Colorado. Current Status in WBE: Known from ca 20 occurrences in Wyoming numbering about 250,000 individuals (Hartman 1992). One population is protected in Mortensen Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), and a second is just outside Hutton Lake NWR. Other populations in the state are mostly on private lands in the Laramie Basin. Populations in Colorado are found outside of the WBE. Conservation Goals in WBE: At least 5 large Wyoming populations should receive some formal special management attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Laramie Plains Lakes.

Spltaeromeria simplex Laramie false sagebrush Grank: G2

43 Range Comments: Narrow endemic of SC Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: 4 large occurrences are found within the WBE and 5 others are located on the edge of the ecoregion, probably within the Laramie Range segment of the Colorado Rocky Mountains Ecoregion. Population estb;nated at 860,000 by Dorn (Mountain West Environmental Services 1996) before the discovery of 4-5 additional sites in 1997-98. Total population now estimated at ca 1 million. Only 1 occurrence is presently protected in a 20 acre conservation easement between The Nature Conservancy and Mountain Cement Company. Conservation Goals in WBE: 5 occurrences in the WBE and 2-3 in the adjacent Laramie Range segment of the Colorado Rocky Mountains Ecoregion should receive special management attention. Protected sites should be divided between the Shirley Mountains, rim of Shirley Basin, and the foothills of the Laramie Range. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Shirley Mountains, Bates Hole/Chalk Mountain, W Foothills Laramie Range, and Laramie Quarry.

Spiranthes diluvialis Ute ladies tresses Grank: G2 Range Comments: Sparse; occurs in NE Washington, SW Montana, E Idaho, NE Nevada, NE Utah, SE Wyoming, W Nebraska, and N Colorado. Current Status in WBE: 7 populations occur in NE Utah along the Green River and its tributaries in the WBE. An additional16 colonies are found just outside ofthe WBE in Utah and Colorado (primarily in the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion). 5 of these latter populations are in Dinosaur National Monument. This species was listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1992. Conservation Goals in WBE: Due to its high rarity, all populations in the WBE should be considered a priority for conservation attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: North Myton Bench and Green River.

Stanleya tomentosa var. tomentosa Hairy prince's plume Grank: G3T3 Range Comments: Regional endemic ofNC Wyoming and SC Montana. Current Status in WBE: Lesica and Achuff(1992) documented 28 small populations in the Pryor Mountain Desert in the early 1990s. 17-20 locations are found in the Bighorn Basin and adjacent foothills in Wyoming, most containing very few individuals (Fertig 1999 a). At least 2 Wyoming populations are protected in Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area and the BLM's Little Mountain ACEC. Conservation Goals in WBE: 5-8 populations should receive special management attention in the WBE. These should be evenly divided between Montana and Wyoming and should focus on the largest possible colonies. Wyoming sites should be divided between the eastern and western rims of the Bighorn Basin. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Pryor Mountains, Bighorn Canyon & Yellowtail Reservoir, Little Mountain/E Bighorn Canyon, Military Creek, Hillberry Rim, and Boysen Reservoir/Cedar Ridge.

44 Sullivantia hapemanii var. hapemanii Hapeman's sullivantia Grank: G3T3 Range Comments: Regional endemic SC Montana, NC Wyoming, and C Idaho. Current Status in WBE: 3-5 populations occur in the WBE in Wyoming and Montana. Over 20 other large populations are found in the adjacent Bighorn Mountain segment of the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains. Many of the latter sites are quite sizeable, numbering in the tens ofthousands of individuals (Fertig 1999 a). At least 13 populations are currently protected rangewide in Bighorn Canyon NRA, TNC easements and the Tensleep Preserve, Five Springs and Spanish Karst ACECs, Shell Canyon RNA, and Amsden Creek Wildlife Habitat Management Area. Conservation Goals in WBE: 2 WBE populations ofthis species should be protected. More attention should be paid to conserving populations on the Bighorn Mountains in the Utah/Wyoming Rockies ecoregion. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Pryor Mountains, Trapper Canyon, Dry Medicine Creek, and Canyon Creek Canyon

Thelesperma caespitosum [T pubescens var. caespitosum] Green River greenthread Grank: Gl Range Comments: Regional endemic of Sweetwater Co., Wyoming and Duchesne Co., Utah. Current Status in WBE: Known from 2 occurrences in Wyoming and 4-7 disjunct populations in Utah. Fertig (1999 d) estimated the Wyoming population at 26,500-31,500 plants in 1997-98 surveys. 4 populations in Utah are found near Duchesne, on the SW edge of the WBE. Additional Utah populations in the Anthro Mountain area consist of a mix ofT caespitosum and T pubescens-1ike plants (as well as intermediates), suggesting that hybridization may be occurring. These latter populations are found outside the WBE in the Utah High Plateaus Ecoregion. No populations are currently protected, although part of 1 Wyoming occurrence is found in a county park that receives heavy recreational vehicle use. Conservation Goals in WBE: All populations of this species should receive special management attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Logan Draw/Wilkins Peak and Benches of Lower Indian Canyon. Additional Comments: Curtis Hansen has completed a biosystematic study of the Thelesperma subnudum complex and concluded that T caespitosum should be treated as a variety ofT pubescens (Fertig 1999 d).

Thelesperma pubescens Uinta greenthread Grank: G1 Range Comments: Regional endemic of SW Wyoming and NE Utah. Current Status in WBE: Known from 4 occurrences in Wyoming numbering at least 9200 plants (Fertig et al. 1998). All ofthese sites are currently managed as a "Special Status plant" ACEC by the BLM Rock Springs Field Office. Populations of Thelesperma caespitosum in the Anthro Mountain area of Duchesne County, Utah, (in the Utah High Plateaus Ecoregion) may also contain T pubescens

45 (Fertig 1999 d). Conservation Goals in WBE: All known populations in the Hickey Mountain area of SW Wyoming and adjacent Utah should receive conservation attention. Mixed T. caespitosum/T. pubescens populations inS Duchesne County, Utah, should also be protected, although these occur outside the WBE. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Cedar Mountain, Hickey Mountain, and Sage Creek Mountain.

Townsendia microcephala Cedar Mountain Easter-daisy Grank: Gl Range Comments: Narrow endemic of Sweetwater and Uinta Cos., Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from 3 occurrences numbering ca 2300-4500 plants (Fertig et al. 1998). All of these colonies co-occur with Thelesperma pubescens in BLM special status plant ACECs. Conservation Goals in WBE: All populations in the WBE should be protected. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Cedar Mountain and Sage Creek Mountain.

Trifolium barnebyi Bameby's clover Grank: G1 Range Comments: Local endemic of Fremont Co., Wyoming. Previously known only from the southeastern Wind River Range in the Utah/Wyoming Rocky Mountains Ecoregion, but reported for the vicinity of Sheep Mountain by Dr. Richard Scott in 1999. Current Status in WBE: One large occurrence is protected in TNC's Red Canyon Ranch Preserve (Fertig 1995 a) and the adjoining BLM Red Canyon ACEC. An additional occurrence may be found in the WBE area between the SE end of the Wind River Range and Beaver Rim. Conservation Goals in WBE: All known occurrences in the WBE should be afforded special management attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Red Canyon. May also occur in the Sheep Mountain site.

Yermo xantlwcephalus Desert yellowhead Grank: G1 Range Comments: Local endemic of Fremont Co., Wyoming. Current Status in WBE: Known from a single occurrence with ca 10,000 flowering and vegetative rosettes in 5 acres of occupied habitat. Proposed for listing as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act in October 1998. Conservation Goals in WBE: All occurrences of this species should be afforded protection. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Beaver Rim/Cedar Rim.

Yucca harrimaniae var. sterilis Creeping yucca Grank: G4G5T2?Q Range Comments: Narrow endemic of the Uinta Basin. Current Status in WBE: Known from 4 occurrences in the WBE.

46 Conservation Goals in WBE: All known occurrences in the ecoregion should be provided special management attention. Potential Conservation Sites in WBE: Horseshoe Bend and Uinta River. Additional Comments: This taxon has never been collected in fruit (Welsh et al. 1993).

DISCUSSION

The WBE area has attracted the attention of plant conservationists because of its high degree of endemism, large number of rare species, and high proportion of poorly protected land cover types (Fertig et al. 1998, Starns et al. 1998). At present, less than 2% of the region is managed specifically for the enhancement of natural vegetation or plant species, and less than 40% of the high priority rare plants and 80% of the land cover types are adequately protected (Starns et al. 1998). An impending "boom" cycle in the development of natural gas and other mineral resources and growing human population pressures in parts of the ecoregion make the management of rare plants and representative communities an important conservation priority (Fertig et al. 1998).

113 potential plant conservation sites have been identified in the WBE. These sites form a "safety net" which, if implemented, would provide protection for at least one population of 109 of the 121 target species (90%) described in this report. Additional sites are still need to ensure the survival of all vascular plant, vertebrate, invertebrate, and plant community targets in the WBE.

Four caveats should be noted about these potential conservation sites. Site boundaries are ecologically based, and so ignore land ownership patterns. Nonetheless, it is not here implied that actions be undertaken on private lands within these sites without the participation or consent of the land owner. Secondly, the sites are often very large in order to capture a sufficient area to ensure the functioning of large-scale biological processes and to provide an adequate buffer around rare plant populations. Many areas within these boundaries may be of low conservation importance or not necessary for the protection of the target species or communities. Management of such lands can be far less restrictive without compromising the integrity of the entire site. Third, sites are geared primarily to rare plants and secondarily to community types, and all are based on current knowledge. Additional sites may be warranted for rare animal species or uncommon community types. Better sites may be discovered with additional field work, or known sites may prove to be less important if target species are found to be more abundant. Improved knowledge about the demography, life history, and genetics of target species may also necessitate a revision in site planning. Lastly, these sites have been created primarily to draw attention to areas of unusual biological significance that may not have been previously recognized. Regardless of whether these sites receive formal protection, their value should be recognized during resource planning.

47 LITERATURE CITED

Atwood, N.D., J. Hollander, R. Bolander, B. Franklin, D.E. House, L. Armstrong, K. Thorne, and L. England. 1991. Utah Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Plant Field Guide. USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Utah Natural Heritage Program, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, Navajo Nation, and Skull Valley Goshute Tribe. Bailey, R.G. 1995. Description of the Ecoregions of the United States. USDA Forest Service Misc. Publications 1391. Barneby, R.C. 1989. Fabales, Vol. 3 Part B. In: A. Cronquist, A.H. Holmgren, N.H. Holmgren, J.L. Reveal, and P.K. Holmgren. Intermountain Flora: Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, USA. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY. Collins, E.I., ed. 1994. Wyoming Natural Area Needs Workshop Proceedings. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA. Colorado Natural Heritage Program. 1997. Colorado's Natural Heritage: Rare and Imperiled Animals, Plants, and Plant Communities. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Ft. Collins, CO. Cramer, T. 1997. A floristic survey of the upper Green River Basin, Wyoming. Master's thesis, Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie. Cronquist, A. 1994. Intermountain Flora, Volume 5: Asterales. Intermountain Flora: Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, USA. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY. Cronquist, A., A.H. Holmgren, N.H. Holmgren, and J.L. Reveal. 1972. Volume 1. Geological and Botanical History of the Region, its Plant Geography and a Glossary. The Vascular Cryptogams and the Gymnosperms. Intermountain Flora, Vascular Plants of the Intermountain West, USA. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY. Delmatier, C.R. 1998. A general floristic survey of southwest Wyoming and northeast Utah. Master's thesis, Department ofBotany, University of Wyoming, Laramie. Dorn, R. D. 1992. Vascular Plants of Wyoming, second edition. Mountain West Publishing, Cheyenne, WY. Fertig, W. 1992. Sensitive plant species surveys and revised species checklist, Grass Creek Resource Area, BLM. Report prepared by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Fertig, W. 1995 a. Plants of The Nature Conservancy's Red Canyon Ranch. Report prepared for the Wyoming Nature Conservancy by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Fertig, W. 1995 b. Sensitive plant survey ofthe Mountain Cement limestone quarry site, Albany County, Wyoming. Report prepared for Mountain Cement Company by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Fertig, W. 1996. Status report on Phlox opalensis in southwestern Wyoming and northeastern Utah. Report prepared for the BLM Wyoming State Office and Rock Springs District by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Fertig, W. 1998 a. Plant species of special concern ofthe Ross Butte ecosystem, Sublette

48 County, Wyoming. Report prepared for the Bureau of Land Management Wyoming State Office and Rock Springs District by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Fertig, W. 1998 b. The status of rare plants on Shoshone National Forest: 1995-97 survey results. Report prepared for the USDA Forest Service by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Fertig, W. 1999 a. The status of rare plants in the Bighorn Landscape. Report prepared . for The Nature Conservancy Wyoming Field Office by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Fertig, W. 1999 b. Status report on Ownbey's thistle (Cirsium ownbeyi) in southwest Wyoming. Report prepared for the BLM Wyoming State Office by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Fertig, W. 1999 c. Status report on Desert glandular phacelia (Phacelia glandulosa var. deserta) in southwestern Wyoming. Report prepared for the BLM Wyoming State Office by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Fertig, W. 1999 d. Updated status report on Green River greenthread (Thelesperma caespitosum) in southwestern Wyoming. Report prepared for the BLM Wyoming State Office and Rock Springs Field Office by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Fertig, W. and G. Beauvais. 1999. Wyoming Plant Species of Special Concern. Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Fertig, W. and G. Jones. 1997 a. Plant species of special concern and plant associations of the Shirley Mountains ecosystem, Carbon County, Wyoming. Report prepared for the BLM Wyoming State Office by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Fertig, W. and G. Jones. 1997 b. Plant species of special concern and plant associations of the Copper Mountain ecosystem, Fremont County, Wyoming. Report prepared for the BLM Wyoming State Office by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Fertig, W., C. Refsdal, and J. Whipple. 1994. Wyoming Rare Plant Field Guide. Wyoming Rare Plant Technical Committee, Cheyenne, WY. Fertig, W., L. Welp, and S. Markow. 1998. The status of rare plants in Southwest Wyoming. Report prepared for the Bureau of Land Management Wyoming State Office by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Fertig, W., L. Welp, and S. Markow. 1999 a. Status report on mystery wormwood (Artemisia biennis var. diffusa) in southwest Wyoming. Report prepared for the BLM Wyoming State Office by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Fertig, W., L. Welp, and S. Markow. 1999 b. Status report on Evert's wafer-parsnip ( Cymopterus evertii) in northwestern Wyoming. Report prepared for the BLM Wyoming State Office by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Given, D.R. 1994. Principles and Practice of Plant Conservation. Timber Press, Portland, OR. Goodrich, S. and E. Neese. 1986. Uinta Basin Flora. USDA Forest Service Intermountain Region, Ashley National Forest, and USDI Bureau of Land

49 Management Vernal District. Haines, J. 1988. A flora ofthe Wind River Basin and adjacent areas, Fremont, Natrona, and Carbon counties, Wyoming. Master's Thesis, Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY. Hartman, R.L. 1992. Report on the status of Sisyrinchium pallidum, a candidate threatened species. Report prepared for the US Fish and Wildlife Service by the Rocky Mountain Herbarium, Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie. Heidel, B. 1999. Montana plant species of special concern. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT. Idaho Conservation Data Center. 1999. Plant Species of Special Concern List. Available from www.state/idlus/fishgame/cdchome.htm. April 1999 edition. Jones, G. 1989. Survey of plant species and communities of interest in the Beaver Rim Area of Critical Environmental Concern. Report prepared for the BLM Rawlins District by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Jones, G. 1993. Vegetation mapping, Fossil Butte National Monument. Report prepared for the National Park Service Regional Office by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Jones, G. and W. Fertig. 1996. Plant associations and plant species of special concern in the Jack Morrow Hills ecosystem. Report prepared for the Bureau of Land Management Rock Springs District by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Knight, D.H., R.J. Hill, and A.T. Harrison. 1976. Potential natural landmarks in the Wyoming Basin -terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Report prepared for the National Park Service by the Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY. Knight, D.H., G.P. Jones, Y. Akashi, and R.W. Myers. 1987. Vegetation ecology in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area. Report prepared for the US National Park Service and University of Wyoming-National Park Service Research Center by the Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY. Lesica, P. 1998. Northern Bighorn Basin site conservation plan. Report prepared for the Montana Nature Conservancy. Lesica, P. and P .L. Achuff. 1992. Distribution of vascular plant species of special concern and limited distribution in the Pryor Mountain Desert, Carbon County, Montana. Montana Natural Heritage"Program, Helena, MT. Lesica, P. and J.S. Shelly. 1991. Sensitive, Threatened, and Endangered Vascular Plants of Montana. Montana Natural Heritage Program Occasional Publ. # 1. Montana Natural Heritage Program, Helena, MT. Lichvar, R.W., E.I. Collins, and D.H. Knight. 1985. Checklist of the vascular plants of the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area, Wyoming and Montana. Great Basin Naturalist 45:734-746. Marriott, H.P. and G.P. Jones. 1989. Special status plant surveys and plant community surveys in the Trapper Creek and Medicine Lodge Wilderness Study Areas and the Spanish Point Karst ACEC. Report prepared for the BLM Worland District by the Wyoming Natural Diversity Database, Laramie, WY. Menges, E.S. 1991. The application of minimum viable population theory to plants. In: D.A. Falk and K.E. Holsinger (eds.), Genetics and Conservation of Rare Plants,

50 pp. 45-61. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. Mountain West Environmental Services. 1996. Inventory and status survey for Sphaeromeria simplex. Report prepared for the BLM Wyoming State Office. Primack, R.B. 1993. Essentials of Conservation Biology. Sinauer Associates, Inc. Sunderland, MA. Primack, R.B. 1996. Lessons from ecological theory: dispersal, establishment, and population structure. In: D.A. Falk, C.I. Millar, and M. Olwell (eds.), Restoring Diversity: Strategies for Reintroduction of Endangered Plants, pp 209-233. Island Press, Washington, DC. Roderick, A. 1999. Final report on the general floristic inventory of the Upper North Platte and Laramie River drainages. Report prepared for the BLM Rawlins and Casper districts by the Rocky Mountain Herbarium, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY. Spackman, S., B. Jennings, J. Coles, C. Dawson, M. Minton, A. Kratz, and C. Spurrier. 1997. Colorado Rare Plant Field Guide. Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Colorado Natural Heritage Program. Stoms, D.M., F.W. Davis, K.L. Driese, K.M. Cassidy, and M.P. Murray. 1998. Gap analysis ofthe vegetation of the Intermountain Semi-Desert Ecoregion. The Great Basin Naturalist 58:199-216. Stone, D. 1998. Endemic and rare plants of Utah: an overview of their distribution and status. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Salt Lake City, UT. The Nature Conservancy. 1997. Designing a Geography ofHope. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA. USDI Bureau ofLand Management. 1997. Record of Decision and Green River Resource Management Plan. Bureau of Land Management Rock Springs Field Office. Ward, B. 1998. A floristic survey of south-central Wyoming. Master's thesis, Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY. Weber, W.A. 1987. Colorado Flora: Western Slope. Colorado Associated University Press, Boulder, CO. Welp, L. 1997. A floristic survey of the Great Divide Basin, Green Mountains, and Upper Sweetwater Plateau in southwest Wyoming. Master's thesis, Department ofBotany, University ofWyoming, Laramie, WY. Welsh, S.L., N.D. Atwood, S. Goodrich, and L.C. Higgins. 1993. A Utah Flora, second edition, revised. Brigham Young University, Provo, UT. Wyoming Natural Diversity Database. 1996. Documentation accompanying the Wyoming Potential Conservation Sites Map. Report prepared for The Nature Conservancy Wyoming Field Office.

51