STATE OF WASHINGTON August 2020 Mazama Pocket Gopher Recovery Plan and Periodic Status Review Derek W. Stinson Washington Department of FISH AND WILDLIFE Wildlife Program In 1990, the Washington Wildlife Commission adopted procedures for listing and de-listing species as endangered, threatened, or sensitive and for writing recovery and management plans for listed species (WAC 220-610-110, Appendix A). The procedures, developed by a group of citizens, interest groups, and state and federal agencies, require preparation of recovery plans for species listed as threatened or endan- gered. Recovery, as defined by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is the process by which the decline of an endangered or threatened species is arrested or reversed, and threats to its survival are neutralized, so that its long-term survival in nature can be ensured. The Mazama pocket gopher (Thomomys mazama) was listed as threatened by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in March 2006. The four subspecies found in Thurston and Pierce counties were listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act in 2014. This is the Washington State Recovery Plan and periodic status review for the Mazama Pocket Gopher. This is an update of the 2013 draft re- covery plan that was not finalized while genetic analysis was completed, population modeling was done, and our understanding of recovery needs progressed. It updates information on the current distribution and abundance of the species in Washington and describes factors affecting populations and habitat, and prescribes strategies to recover the species, such as protecting populations and habitat and research and monitoring needed to aid in recovery actions. It also identifies population objectives for populations needed for reclassification of the species. As part of the State’s listing and recovery procedures, the update of the draft recovery plan and status review was available for 90-day public comment period. Responses to public comments on both the 2019 and 2013 drafts are included in Appendix E and F. Comments received were considered in preparation of the final recovery plan. The Department presented a summary of the recovery plan and periodic status review to the Fish and Wildlife Commission at the July 31, 2020 meeting, and the Commission voted to maintain the species status of Threatened on 21 August. For additional information about Mazama Pocket Gophers or other state-listed species, check our web- site, or contact us at [email protected], or by mail to: Wildlife Program, Recovery Section Manager Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife P.O. Box 43141 Olympia, WA 98504-3141 This report should be cited as: Stinson, D. W.. 2020. Mazama Pocket Gopher Recovery Plan and Periodic Status Review. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia.102+vii pp. Cover photos by Rod Gilbert (gopher), D. Stinson (background: camas on JBLM, Range 51). illustration by Darrell Pruett. This work was supported in part by personalized and endangered species license plates Mazama Pocket Gopher Recovery Plan and Periodic Status Review Derek W. Stinson Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Wildlife Program Natural Resources Building, 1111 Washington Street SE Olympia, Washington August 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................. iii LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES ............................................................................................................ iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................... v INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 1 DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................................................. 2 NATURAL HISTORY ................................................................................................................................. 5 Behavior, Burrowing and Burrows ........................................................................................................... 5 Diet and Foraging ...................................................................................................................................... 8 Home Range, Movements, and Dispersal ............................................................................................... 10 Reproduction ........................................................................................................................................... 12 Pocket Gopher Demography and Population Dynamics ......................................................................... 13 Predation .......................................................................................................................................... 14 Ecological Relationships and Functions .................................................................................................. 15 HABITAT REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................... 17 Mazama Pocket Gopher Association with Prairies and Grassland Vegetation ....................................... 17 POPULATION AND HABITAT STATUS ............................................................................................... 22 Past Status of Habitat and Populations .................................................................................................... 22 Present Status of Populations and Habitats ............................................................................................. 28 MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................................. 37 Habitat Protection and Conservation Planning ....................................................................................... 37 Habitat Management and Restoration ..................................................................................................... 40 Research .................................................................................................................................................. 41 Information and Education ...................................................................................................................... 43 FACTORS AFFECTING Mazama Pocket Gophers ................................................................................... 43 Adequacy of Existing Regulatory Mechanisms ...................................................................................... 43 Impacts of Habitat Loss, Fragmentation, Degradation, and Succession ................................................. 45 Airport Management and Development .................................................................................................. 49 Military training and land management on Joint Base Lewis-McChord ................................................. 49 Climate Change ....................................................................................................................................... 50 Altered Ecological Communities ............................................................................................................ 51 RECOVERY .............................................................................................................................................. 52 RECOVERY GOAL ................................................................................................................................... 52 RECOVERY STRATEGIES AND TASKS ............................................................................................... 57 IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE ........................................................................................................... 67 PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS .......................................................................................................... 80 Appendix A. Washington Administrative Code. ........................................................................................ 81 Appendix B. Measurements and dorsal fur colora of eight described subspecies of Mazama Pocket Gophers from Washington. ............................................................................................................ 84 Appendix C. Hypothesized suitabilityab of certain soils of Mason County for Mazama Pocket Gophers based on gopher presence and abundance...................................................................................... 85 Appendix D. Washington localities, year, and collector of Mazama Pocket Gopher specimens collected from 1825–2006, in major research collections. ............................................................................ 86 Appendix E. Responses to written public comments received on the 2013 Draft Recovery Plan. ............. 90 Appendix F. Responses to written public comments received on the Draft Recovery Plan. ...................... 98 Washington State, Periodic Status Reviews, Status Reports, Recovery Plans, and Conservation Plans .. 102 August 2020 iii Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1. Federal and state legal status and locations of eight subspecies of Mazama Pocket Gopher, and the Brush Prairie Pocket Gopher (T. talpoides douglasii)