U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Draft Recovery Plan for the Prairie Species of Western Oregon and Southwestern Washington Left: Fender's Blue Butterfly Below: Bradshaw's Lomatium Willamette Daisy Above: Nelson's Checker-mallow; Left: Kincaid's Lupine Cover photographs used by permission of Cheryl Schultz (Fender’s blue butterfly), and Jeff Dillon (Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens, Lomatium bradshawii, Lupinus sulphureus ssp. kincaidii, and Sidalcea nelsoniana). DRAFT RECOVERY PLAN FOR THE PRAIRIE SPECIES OF WESTERN OREGON AND SOUTHWESTERN WASHINGTON Fender’s blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides fenderi), Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens (Willamette daisy) Lomatium bradshawii (Bradshaw’s lomatium) Lupinus sulphureus ssp. kincaidii (Kincaid’s lupine) Sidalcea nelsoniana (Nelson’s checker-mallow) August 2008 REGION 1 U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE PORTLAND, OREGON Approved: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Regional Director, Region 1 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Date: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX DISCLAIMER Recovery plans delineate reasonable actions that are believed to be required to recover and/or protect listed species. We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, publish recovery plans, sometimes preparing them with the assistance of recovery teams, contractors, State agencies, and others. Objectives will be attained and any necessary funds made available subject to budgetary and other constraints affecting the parties involved, as well as the need to address other priorities. Recovery plans do not necessarily represent the views nor the official positions or approval of any individuals or agencies involved in the plan formulation, other than our own. They represent our official position only after they have been signed by the Regional Director or Director as approved. Approved recovery plans are subject to modification as dictated by new findings, changes in species status, and the completion of recovery tasks. Literature citation should read as follows: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2008. Draft Recovery Plan for the Prairie Species of Western Oregon and Southwestern Washington. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Portland, Oregon. x + 212 pp. An electronic version of this recovery plan will also be made available at http://www.fws.gov/pacific/ecoservices/endangered/recovery/plans.html and http://www.fws.gov/endangered/recovery/index.html. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This recovery plan was prepared by staff biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, with input and guidance from the Recovery Team and consultants to the team. Recovery Team: Tom Kaye, Institute for Applied Ecology (team co-leader) Cheryl Schultz, Washington State University, Vancouver (team co-leader) Joseph Arnett, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program Jock Beall, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Willamette Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex Florence Caplow, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Natural Heritage Program Kelly R. Dirksen, The Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde Community of Oregon Steve Gisler, Oregon Department of Transportation Judy Lantor, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Western Washington Office Andrew F. Robinson, Jr., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Office (retired) Dave Vesely, Pacific Wildlife Research, Inc. Nancy Wogen, Bureau of Land Management, Eugene District Consultants to the Recovery Team: Ed Alverson, The Nature Conservancy Kat Beal, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lynda Boyer, Heritage Seedlings Dick Brainerd, Salix Associates Deborah Clark, Oregon State University Elizabeth Crone, University of Montana Rebecca Currin, Oregon State University Peter Dunwiddie, The Nature Conservancy Greg Fitzpatrick, The Nature Conservancy Ed Guerrant, The Berry Botanic Garden Paul Hammond, Oregon State University Bob Hansen, Marion County Public Works Department (retired) James Kagan, Oregon Natural Heritage Program Keith Karoly, Reed College Wes Messinger, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Bruce Newhouse, Salix Associates Nathan Rudd, The Nature Conservancy Paul Severns, Oregon State University Sally Villegas, Bureau of Land Management Mark Wilson, Oregon State University Eric Wold, City of Eugene iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CURRENT SPECIES STATUS This recovery plan addresses one listed butterfly and four listed plants: Fender’s blue butterfly Icaricia icarioides fenderi Endangered Willamette daisy Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens Endangered Bradshaw’s lomatium Lomatium bradshawii Endangered Kincaid’s lupine Lupinus sulphureus ssp. Kincaidii Threatened Nelson’s checker-mallow Sidalcea nelsoniana Threatened This recovery plan also provides conservation measures specific to the Willamette Valley for Castilleja levisecta (golden paintbrush), a threatened species for which a recovery plan was published in 2000. In addition, one candidate species and six species of concern are addressed: Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly (Euphydryas editha taylori), Delphinium leucophaeum (pale larkspur), Delphinium oreganum (Willamette Valley larkspur), Delphinium pavonaceum (peacock larkspur), Horkelia congesta ssp. congesta (shaggy horkelia), Sericocarpus rigidus (white-topped aster) and Sisyrinchium hitchcockii (Hitchcock’s blue-eyed grass). HABITAT REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITING FACTORS The prairie species addressed in this recovery plan occur on upland prairies and grasslands, and in wet prairies that range from southwestern Washington south through the Willamette Valley and into the Umpqua Valley in Oregon. They are all threatened by the continued degradation, loss, and fragmentation of their native prairie ecosystems. RECOVERY STRATEGY The strategy to achieve the recovery of Fender’s blue butterfly, Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens, Lomatium bradshawii, Lupinus sulphureus ssp. kincaidii and Sidalcea nelsoniana is to restore and maintain multiple viable populations of the species by protecting, restoring, maintaining, and connecting the remaining fragments of prairie habitats or areas with potential for restoration to prairie habitats within their historical range. These areas should be restored to functional prairie ecosystems with management that restores and maintains a diversity of native species typical of these prairie communities. The primary threats to be addressed through this recovery strategy are habitat isolation and fragmentation, invasion by non-native plant species, and succession. iv RECOVERY GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND CRITERIA Specific recovery goals for the five listed species are as follows: Fender’s blue butterfly – reclassify from endangered to threatened, and then delist. Erigeron decumbens var. decumbens – reclassify from endangered to threatened, and then delist. Lomatium bradshawii – reclassify from endangered to threatened, and delist. Lupinus sulphureus ssp. kincaidii – delist. Sidalcea nelsoniana – delist. Other goals of this recovery plan are to ensure the long-term conservation of Castilleja levisecta in the Willamette Valley, and to conserve the candidate and species of concern in prairie habitats within the range of this plan such that listing is not necessary. The objective of the recovery program is to achieve viable populations of the listed species distributed across their historical ranges in a series of interconnected populations; this will be accomplished by establishing networks of restored prairie reserves across the geographic range of this recovery plan. For Fender’s blue butterfly, three recovery zones have been delineated that encompass the historical range of the species. Each recovery zone has a target of three functioning networks or two functioning networks and two large independent populations. A functioning network must be composed of three or more subpopulations, each occupying at least the minimum patch size (currently defined as 6 hectares [15 acres]) and separated by less than the maximum separation distance (currently defined as 2 kilometers [1.2 miles]) from the next nearest subpopulation or connected by stepping stone patches of lupine less than 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) apart. Population size in each functioning network must average at least 4,000 butterflies over 10 years; at least one subpopulation in each functioning network must not fall below 1,000 butterflies in that 10-year period. The terrain between habitat patches must be relatively free of barriers to butterfly movement. Large independent populations must occupy at least the minimum patch size (currently defined as 6 hectares [15 acres]) and average at least 2,000 butterflies over 10 years; the population must not fall below 1,000 in that 10-year period. All population sites and stepping stone habitats must be protected and managed for high quality prairie habitat. For the listed plants, we have delineated 10 recovery zones that cover the geographic range of the species. Recovery criteria for each of the listed plants specify the number and size of populations in each recovery zone, the distribution of subpopulations that make up the populations, evidence of a stable or increasing population trend for at least v 15 years, and evidence of reproduction. The habitat that supports the populations must be managed for high quality prairie habitat, and must be in secure, conservation-oriented ownership, with management and monitoring to control threats. In addition, genetic material must be banked in a facility approved by the Center for Plant Conservation. ACTIONS NEEDED Actions needed to recover Fender’s blue butterfly: 1. Preserve, restore, and manage existing populations