July 1984 Vol. IX No. 7 Department of interior. U.S. Fish and Wildlife service Technical Bulletin Endangered Species Program, Washington, D.C. 20240 Four Plants Proposed for Listing Proposed Tlireatened Status for Another four plants have been pro- spring of 1983. It is not known who posed by the Service for addition to the removed individuals of the thornmint or Two Desert Fishes list of Endangered and Threatened spe- for what purpose they were removed, During June 1984, the reduced status cies. If the proposals are made final, the but because underlying soil was also of another two desert fishes was recog- total number of plants given protection taken, it is suspected that an attempt nized by the Service as proposals to list under the Endangered Species Act will was made to transplant individuals of them as Threatened species were pub- increase to 80. the subspecies. Since Critical Habitat lished in the Federal Register. Both the designation requires the publication of Fish Creek Springs tui chub (Gila bico- San Mateo Thornmint maps specifically indicating its location, ior euchila) and the Sonora chub (Gila the Service feels that such designation is Proposed for listing as an Endangered ditaenia) are jeopardized by habitat de- not prudent at this time because it could species (F.R. 6/8/84) is the San Mateo gradation and the introduction of exotic lead to further removal of plants, ulti- thornmint (Acanthomintha obovata ssp. fishes. The proposals bring to 18 the mately contributing to the taxon's duttonii), a member of the mint family. It number of desert fishes now being con- decline. is knowntoexist only asonesmall popu- sidered for listing as Endangered or Comments on this proposal should be lation of 2,000-3,000 individual plants in Threatened under the Endangered Spe- received by August 17,1984, at the office Edgewood County Park near Redwood cies Act, in addition to the 30 desert of the Field Supervisor, U.S. Fish and City, California. Historically, this sub- fishes already listed. species also grew on grassy serpentine Wildlife Service, 2800 Cottage Way, hillsides in locations scattered through- Room E1823, Sacramento, California Fish Creek Springs Tui Chub out San Mateo County, California. Pop- 95825. ulations at these other sites have been G. b. euchila is known only from Fish destroyed, however, presumably by Welsh's Milkweed Creek Springs, located in the Little urban development, road construction, A member of the family Asclepiada- Smoky Valley of Eureka County, Neva- and other land development activities. ceae, the Welsh's milkweed (Asclepias da, and is the only fish native to the The remaining population of this sub- welshii), is known to occur only in the spring system. This relict subspecies of species is being affected by unauthor- Coral Pink Sand Dunes area and in an tui chub once occurred in large numbers ized and uncontrolled recreational area known as the Sand Hills to the within the four formerly interconnected activities in Edgewood Park, such as northeast, both in Kane County, south- springs and their outflows, which com- habitat disturbance by ORVs and tram- ern Utah. This plant is a herbaceous per- prise Fish Creek. Unfortunately, how- pling by pedestrian and horseback traf- ennial that grows up to 10 cm tall and ever, G. b. euchila has declined fic. Other uses currently being has large, oval leaves and cream- substantially in range and numbers due considered forthe park include opening colored flowers with a rose-tinged mid- primarily to two factors. Introduced day camps, establishing picnic areas, dle. The species grows on open, rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) and and developing a golf course, all of sparsely vegetated sand dunes and on brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) prey which have the potential to affect the extensively on the native tui chubs and surviving thornmint population by continued on page 4 restricted them to spring pools in areas reducing the extent of undeveloped land of dense aquatic vegetation. The habitat and thus increasing the intensity of also has been degraded by cattle over- recreational ORV use on what will grazing the vegetation that surrounds remain. the spring system. This overgrazing The thornmint is listed as an endan- contributes to siltation from the erosion gered species by the State of California; of adjacent lands, and generally however, State law principally degrades water quality. Overgrazing addresses restrictions on trade and sal- also reduces plants that provide cover vage of plants when there is a change in and are a source of insects, upon which land use. Federal listing would provide the tui chub feeds. In addition, one the additional protection necessary to springhead has been drastically altered ensure survival of this plant in its natural to provide a livestock watering tank, and habitat. is no longer connected to the spring A designation of Critical Habitat is not system. being proposed for the San Mateo By July 1983, biologists surveying the thornmint. This decision is based mostly The San Mateo thornmint is l<nown to Fish Creek Springs system found tui on the fact that a portion of this limited exist only as one small population in population was removed during the Edgewood County Park, California. continued on page 7 ENDANGERED SPECIES TECHNICAL BULLETIN Vol. IX No. 7 (1984) Creek on Vandenberg Air Force Base. That translocation had previously been recommended by the recovery team, approved by Vandenberg officials, and incorporated into the stickleback recov- ery plan, but was deferred until now because of the unavailability of surplus donor stock. The Sacramento staff assisted The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in developing a water management plan for Borax Lake in Harney County, Oregon. TNC has acquired a lease to Borax Lake in order to protect the Endangered Borax Lake chub (Gila Endangered Species Program regional that may be affected by proposed oil boraxoblus). The plan emphasizes the staffers have reported the following exploration and road repair projects. security of Borax Lake for the chub and activities for the month of June: Sticklebacks were discovered in several the need for restoration of marshes Region 1—The Sacramento Endan- isolated pools in and above Barka around the lake. To these ends, an artifi- gered Species Staff participated in a Slough that may soon dry up becauseof cial channel from Borax Lake to a meeting of the Unarmored Threespine the extremely low precipitation in the nearby reservoir will be partially filled Sticklebacl< (Gasterosteus aculeatus basin this year. In response to this dis- and some water will be diverted into williamsoni) Recovery Team and sur- covery, 850 sticklebacks were translo- now-dry marsh habitat. veyed portions of San Antonio Creek cated from these pools into Honda U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service James Johnson, Endangered Species The Sacramento staff met with BLM Washington, D.C. 20240 Specialist. and State officials in Ukiah, California, Robert A. Jantzen, Director Region 3, Federal BIdg., Fort Snelling, to evaluate study proposals and select a (202-343-4717) Twin Cities, MN 55111 (612-725-3500): contractor for the Arabis mcdonaldiana Robert E. Gilmore Harvey Nelson, Regional Director: (McDonald's rock-cress) study at Red Associate Director and John S. Popowski, Assistant Regional Mountain. The study is intended to pro- Endangered Species Program Manager Director: James M. Engel, Endangered vide information on the plant's ecology (202-343-4646) Species Specialist. and life history, and assist in the deter- John L. Spinks, Chief. Region 4, Richard B. Russell Federal mination of essential habitat for this spe- . Office of Endangered Species BIdg., 75 Spring St., S.W., Atlanta, GA cies. It will provide information critical to (703-235-2771) 30303(404-221-3583): James W.Pulllam, developing an appropriate management Thomas J. Parisot, Chief, Regional Director: John I. Christian, plan for the Arabis populations on pub- federal Wildlife Permit Office Assistant Regional Director: Alex B. lic land on Red Mountain, and assist with (703-235-1937) Montgomery, EndangeredSpecies Spe- the species' recovery. Clark R. Bavin, Chief, cialist. Division of Law Enforcement (202-343-9242) Region 5, Suite 700, One Gateway Center, TECHNICAL BULLETIN STAFF Newton Corner, MA 02158 (617-965- 5100): Howard Larsen, Regional Direc- Michael Bender, Editor Egg clutches were collected from 28 tor: Stephen W. Parry, Assistant Regional Denise Melio, Assistant Editor California peregrine falcon (FaIco pere- Director; Paul Nickerson, Endangered (703-235-2407) grinus) nests during April and May as Species Specialist. part of the continuing effort to improve Regional Offices Region 6, P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal wild reproduction. Of the 103 collected, Region 1, Suite 1692, Lloyd 500 BIdg,, Center, Denver, CO 80225 (303-234- 54 eggs were viable, 26 were dead, and 500 N.E. Multnomah St. Portland, OR 2209): Galen Buterbaugh, Regional 28 had already broken in the nests prior 97232 (503-231-6118): Richard J. My- Director; John D. Green, Assistant to collection. Artificial eggs were placed shak. Regional Director-, William F. Regional Director; Barry S. Mulder, in the nests until nestlings can be fos- Shake, Assistant Regional Director, Endangered Species Specialist. tered. All eggs were transferred to the Sanford R. Wilbur, Endangered Species Region 7, 1101 E. Tudor Rd., Anchorage, Specialist. Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research AK 99503 (907-786-3542): Robert E. Group for articial incubation. Nestlings Putz, Regional Director: Jon Nelson, Region 2, P.O. Box 1306, Albuquerque, hatched either from wild eggs or from Assistant Regional Director: Dennis NM 87103 (505-766-2321); Michael J. captivity-produced eggs will be fostered Spear, Regional Director: Conrad A. Money, Endangered Species Special- to the wild pairs. DDE contamination Fjetland, Assistant Regional Director: ist. continued to be a major factor in lower- ing reproductive success of wild pere- U.S.