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CFR Citation: 50 CFR Part 17

RIN ID: RIN 1018-AG88

NOTICE: Part IV

DOCUMENT ACTION: Proposed rule.

SUBJECT CATEGORY: Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Designation of Critical Habitat for Cirsium loncholepis (La Graciosa thistle), Eriodictyon capitatum (Lompoc yerba santa), and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa (Gaviota tarplant)

DATES: We will accept comments until January 14, 2002. Public hearing requests must be received by December 31, 2001.

DOCUMENT SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), propose to designate critical habitat pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), for Cirsium loncholepis (La Graciosa thistle), Eriodictyon capitatum (Lompoc yerba santa), and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa [= Hemizonia increscens ssp. villosa] (Gaviota tarplant). Approximately 27,046 hectares (ha) (66,830 acres (ac)) in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, California, are proposed for designation of critical habitat. Critical habitat receives protection from destruction or adverse modification through required consultation under section 7 of the Act with regard to actions carried out, funded, or authorized by a Federal agency. Section 4 of the Act requires us to consider economic and other relevant impacts when specifying any particular area as critical habitat.

We solicit data and comments from the public on all aspects of this proposal, including data on economic and other impacts of the designation. We may revise this proposal prior to final designation to incorporate or address new information received during the comment period.

SUMMARY: Interior Department, Fish and Wildlife Service,

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

Cirsium loncholepis (La Graciosa thistle), Eriodictyon capitatum (Lompoc yerba santa), and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa [=Hemizonia increscens ssp. villosa] (Gaviota tarplant) occur along the south central California coast. They are restricted to a narrow area in northern and western Santa Barbara County and southern San Luis Obispo County, in declining or altered habitats including central dune scrub, central maritime chaparral, valley needlegrass grassland, coastal freshwater wetlands, and southern bishop pine forest (Holland 1986, Schoenherr 1992).

Cirsium loncholepis

Cirsium loncholepis (La Graciosa thistle) was collected by Eastwood in 1906 near the village site of La Graciosa (razed in 1877) in Santa Barbara County (Smith 1976), near presentday Orcutt. Cirsium loncholepis is a shortlived, spreading, moundlike or erect and often fleshy, spiny member of the sunflower family (Asteraceae). Plants are from 10 to 100 centimeters (cm) (4 to 39 inches (in)) tall, with one or more stems. The leaves are wavymargined. The lower leaves are 10 to 30 cm (4 to 12 in) long, with spiny petioles (leaf stalks), and are usually deeply lobed with secondary lobes or teeth. The leaf base of the middle and upper leaves forms short, spiny wings along the petiole. Flowering heads are 2 to 4 cm (0.8 to 1.6 in) wide in tight clusters at the tips of the stems. The corollas are 25 to 30 millimeters (mm) (1 to 1.2 in) long and nearly white with a purplish tube containing purple anthers. The achenes (seeds) are 3 to 4 mm (0.01 to 0.02 in) long and topped by an umbrella of long (15 to 25 mm (0.6 to 1.0 in)) awns that are ideal for wind dispersal. This species distribution overlaps C. brevistylum (Indian thistle), a taller plant species with the upper portion covered with cobwebby hairs. The leaves of C. brevistylum are shallowly lobed, whereas the leaves of C. loncholepis are deeply lobed with secondary lobes (Keil and Turner 1993). Another species of thistle that is widespread in montane wetland areas in California, C. scariosum, occurs in the Mount Pinos regionone of the headwaters of the Santa Maria River. Keil is currently studying the taxonomic relationship between this species and C. loncholepis (Keil, California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, California, pers. comm. 2001).

Cirsium loncholepis was originally thought to have a life span of only 1 to 2 years (Morey 1989). However, more recent observations indicate that this species is monocarpic (flowers and fruits once, then dies). While some individuals may flower and die within 1 year, other individuals may exist as a rosette for 2, 3, or more years before sending up flowering stalks (Hendrickson 1990; Mary Lea, California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo (CPU), pers. comm. 2001). A census of several populations at Guadalupe Dunes indicates that the species exhibits a typical ``inverse J'' distribution of age and size classes, with populations comprised of many young, small individuals and very few old, large individuals. The causes of seedling mortality include foraging by rabbits and gophers (Hendrickson 1990; J. Langford, consultant, in litt. 2001). Large individuals produce more flowering heads and more seeds per head (average = 473 seeds per plant) than smaller individuals (average =168 seeds per plant), and therefore contribute disproportionately to the future seedbank of the population. The number of years an individual persists before flowering may be related to stress, with more stressed individuals flowering sooner. In one population currently under study at the Guadalupe Dunes, the source of new seedlings was almost entirely from the previous year's seeds, and only a small portion was derived from the resident seed bank (Lea 2001). Because most recruitment is from the previous year's seeds rather than the seedbank, longterm viability of populations may be more difficult to maintain in smaller populations, which produce fewer seeds, than in larger ones. In addition, low seed viability rates have been reported by several workers (Lea 2001, Fross in LevineFricke Recon 1998).

In general, thistle taxa with heads similar to Cirsium loncholepis are pollinated by bees (both native and the introduced honeybee), butterflies, flies, and beetles (D. Keil, CPU, in litt. 2001). Carrion beetles and black ants have also
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been observed visiting heads of
C. loncholepis (M. Lea, pers. comm. 2001). The variety and abundance of pollinators indicate that this species is a generalist (utilizes a wide variety of pollinators). The distribution of individual plants within populations is often an elongated pattern that is consistent with seed dispersal caused by the prevailing coastal winds.

Alice Eastwood first collected this species in 1906 and gave the location as ``La Graciosa.'' The town of Orcutt is likely built near the site of an old community named La Graciosa, and historic maps show the area dotted with extensive wetlands many of which no longer exist (Hendrickson 1990). However, Clifton Smith (1976) suggested that the name derived from marshes at the mouth of San Antonio Creek, named Laguna Graciosa, where the Anza expedition camped in the late 1700s. Smith's theory is plausible, since a recent occurrence of the thistle is found at the headwaters of San Antonio Creek, at Canada de las Flores, 15 miles inland. Nevertheless, the theory that the probable type locality is near Orcutt is more accepted because maps available at the time Eastwood made her collection do not show the name Graciosa at the mouth of San Antonio Creek (Hendrickson 1990).

The Santa Maria River Valley is a broad floodplain that is bounded by Orcutt Creek along its southwestern edge, and by the Santa Maria River along its northeastern edge. Between the presentday city of Santa Maria and the coast 12 miles to the west, the valley floor is dotted with small settlements and a few oil fields, but the vast majority of the land has been converted to agriculture. A member of the Gaspar de Portola expedition to Monterey in 1769 notes that the expedition had problems getting through the Santa Maria valley because of all the marshes (Companys 1983 in Hendrickson 1990). As has been typical along the central coast of California, however, many of the valley's wetlands were drained or filled to maximize agricultural production; old maps show lakes such as Lake Guadalupe which no longer exist. Cirsium loncholepis most likely had a more widespread distribution in this area, but may have been eliminated by conversion to agriculture before it could be collected. However, even with such conversion, current aerial photos and topographic maps show the persistence of numerous small marshes, wetlands, and drainages in this area; some of these may still harbor small populations of the thistle.

Historical collections also indicate that Cirsium loncholepis also used to occur along the Santa Ynez River, somewhere between the towns of Surf and Lompoc, on Vandenberg Air Force Base. Collections of the plant had been made in 1949 and 1958; however, by 1988 when extensive surveys were launched to relocate this location, none could be found (Hendrickson 1990). Over the years, habitat for the thistle in the floodplain for the river has been altered. According to Smith's notes, agricultural fields have been plowed to the banks of the drainage, willows have been bulldozed, and herbicides were sprayed to eradicate bull thistle (Hendrickson 1990). Because this area historically supported the southernmost documented occurrence of Cirsium loncholepis and because some habitat still remains today, it is considered an important area to use for reestablishment attempts (Morey 1990). However, since plants have not been documented in this area for over 40 years, we are not including it in this critical habitat proposal.

One population of Cirsium loncholepis was recently reported from moist openings in coastal scrub habitat in a coastal drainage in southern Monterey County on lands managed by Los Padres National Forest. However, the identity of the population as C. loncholepis has been questioned. In addition, the habitat characteristics do not resemble those found at other sites that support this species (T. Thomas, in litt. 2001).

Cirsium loncholepis is currently occupies back dune and coastal wetlands of southern San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County, from the Pismo Dunes Lake area and from one inland location at the head of Canada de las Flores, about 20 miles to the southeast. The Guadalupe Dune complex, in which the majority of the species occurs, is the largest coastal dune system in California, covering approximately 47 square kilometers (km) (18 square miles (mi)), but extends inland less than 3.2 km (2 (mi)). The Department of the Interior, recognizing the biological and physical diversity of the area (Schoenherr 1992), added the Guadalupe Dune region to the National Natural Landmark system in 1980. Subsequently, 1,033 ha (2,552 ac) of this area was designated as the GuadalupeNipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge in 2000.

The prevailing coastal winds are from the northwest, and active dune and swale systems are aligned with these winds. Deflation areas (swale areas between two parallel dunes) behind the foredunes are often at or near the water table, creating wetlands and backdune lakes. Cirsium loncholepis is found in wet soils surrounding the dune lakes and in the moist dune swales, where it is often growing in a mat of lowgrowing herbaceous plants including Juncus species (spp.) (rush), Carex praegracilis (sedge), Distichlis spicata (salt grass), Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda grass), Trifolium wormskioldii (clover), Anemopsis californica (yerba mansa), Potentilla anserina (silverweed), and Lotus corniculatus (birdfoot trefoil) (J. Langford, in litt. 2001). At other dune swales where Salix spp. (willow) thickets have become established, Cirsium loncholepis is found scattered in openings among the willow, Toxicodendron diversilobum (poison oak), Rubus spp. (blackberry), and Baccharis pilularis (coyote brush) (Hendrickson 1990). At Canada de las Flores, the most interior site for the thistle, the plants have been found primarily around gently sloping hillside seeps within a grassland community, and with fewer plants found at the edge of willows around a seep bordering an oak woodland community (Hendrickson 1990).

Soils where Cirsium loncholepis are found are somewhat variable, but always include a large component of sand. Coastal populations occur on dune sands, Oceano sands, Camarillo sandy loams, riverwash, and sandy alluvial soils at elevations less than 30.4 meters (m) (100 feet (ft)) (Hendrickson 1990; California Natural Diversity Data Base (CNDDB) 2001). Occasionally, individuals have been found on dune slopes or ridges, rather than in the more typical dune swale habitat; more stable dunes have been shown to act as reservoirs of moisture, and these individuals may be tapping into this moisture (Tim Thomas, Service, in litt. 2001). An inland population, at the headwaters of Canada de las Flores, occurs on Camarillo sandy loam at an elevation of 182.9 m (600 ft) (CNDDB 2001).

There are approximately 17 known locations for Cirsium loncholepis. The populations in the dune systems are generally small and isolated. As of the last rangewide survey effort in 1990, many of these populations had fewer than 60 plants each and showed a low reproductive vigor (Hendrickson 1990); by 1998, five of these populations had fewer than 10 individuals each (John Chesnut, consultant, in litt. 1998; CNDDB 2001). Historically, only one population has had a substantial number of plants, fluctuating between 6,000 and 54,000 individuals. However, it is located at the mouth of the Santa Maria River in the floodplain, where it was significantly disrupted by flooding in 1998; in 2000, only approximately
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100 individuals were observed in the floodplain (J. Langford, pers. comm. 2001).

Ongoing threats to this species include groundwater pumping, oil field development, oil field remediation, and competition from aggressive native and nonnative plants (Hendrickson 1990, California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG) 1992, 65 FR 14888). The coastal dune habitats are highly disturbed and have been invaded by nonnative plant species. Invasive weeds such as Ehrharta calycina (veldt grass), Ammophila arenaria (European beach grass), Carpobrotus edulis (iceplant), and Mesembryanthemum crystalinum (crystalline iceplant) are serious threats to the natural ecological processes of coastal sandy habitats and to the viability of native species in this habitat (Smith 1976, Zedler and Scheid 1988, Schoenherr 1992). Cattle grazing in the riparian habitat at the mouth of the Santa Maria River may reduce the competition from other species (Hendrickson 1990), but the long term effects of livestock use on the habitat are unknown. The trend for Cirsium loncholepis has been one of decline (CDFG 1992, CNDDB 1998). The State of California listed this species as threatened in 1990 (CDFG 1992). CDFG published a management strategy for the recovery of the thistle shortly after it was listed (Morey 1990). The strategy recommends four measures: (1) protect, maintain, and enhance existing and potential thistle habitat; (2) develop a longterm monitoring and reporting program for the existing populations; (3) conduct basic research on the ecology and biology of the species; and (4) establish additional populations of the thistle in appropriate habitat. Since the time the strategy was written, the most notable progress has been in securing protection for certain populations through acquisition and conservation easements, and research being conducted on thistle demography that was previously mentioned. Some restoration and habitat enhancement has also been undertaken at the Guadalupe Dunes as mitigation for damage that occurred to one population during the decommisioning of oil and gas facilities (Service 1998).

Cirsium loncholepis occurs on public lands owned and managed by the State of California (Pismo Dunes State Preserve and Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area) and the Service (Guadalupe Dunes National Wildlife Refuge). The plant also occurs on privately owned lands. A portion of private land in the Dune Lakes area is under a conservation easement to the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County. The Coastal Conservancy is currently negotiating a conservation easement for a portion of a private parcel owned by Unocal Corporation. The Trust for Public Lands manages a parcel owned by the County of Santa Barbara (Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve) adjacent to the Unocal parcel; it supports suitable habitat, but no plants have been documented from that location.

Eriodictyon capitatum

Eriodictyon capitatum (Lompoc yerba santa) was collected by Hoffman in 1932, near Lompoc, growing under Pinus muricata (bishop pine), and described the following year (Eastwood 1933). Eriodictyon capitatum is a shrub in the waterleaf family (Hydrophyllaceae) with narrow, sticky stems up to 3 m (10 ft) tall. The headlike inflorescence has lavender corollas that are 6 to 15 mm (0.2 to 0.6 in) long. It is distinguished from related species by its narrow, entire leaves and its headlike inflorescence. The fruits are 4valved capsules that are 1 to 3 mm (0.03 to 0.1 in) wide, and contain up to 5 seeds (Halse 1993). However, seed set is typically much less; Elam (1994) found that flowers that were intentionally crosspollinated produced a mean of 1.77 seeds per fruit, while flowers that were intentionally selfpollinated produced an average of 0.03 seeds per fruit.

Eriodictyon capitatum occurs in maritime chaparral with Dendromecon rigida (bush poppy), Quercus berberidifolia (California scrub oak), Q. parvula (scrub oak), and Ceanothus cuneatus (buck brush), and in southern bishop pine forests that intergrade with chaparral comprised primarily of Arctostaphylos spp. (manzanita) and Salvia mellifera (black sage) (Smith 1983). These maritime chaparral and bishop pine forests are found inland from the active dunes, where there are remnants of prehistoric uplifted dunes that have formed a weakly cemented sandstone that has weathered to produce a sandy, extremely well drained, and nearly infertile soil (Davis et al. 1988). This substrate has a limited distribution, occurring on the following mesas in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties: Nipomo Mesa, Casmalia Hills, San Antonio Terrace, Burton Mesa, Lompoc Terrace, and Purisima Hills. Central coast maritime chaparral is the primary habitat that occurs on the sand hills and has been the focus of several studies (Ferren et al. 1984, Davis et al. 1988, Philbrick and Odion 1988, Davis et al. 1989, Odion et al. 1992). Seven local endemic plant species, and at least 16 other uncommon plant species, are also components of this habitat. This community type is an exceptional biological resource due to the concentration of rare plants found within it, but most of it has been converted to other land uses, fragmented, or degraded by non native species invasion (Davis et al. 1988, Odion et al. 1992). Central coast maritime chaparral is considered threatened and sensitive by the CDFG's Natural Heritage Division (Holland 1986). Southern bishop pine forest is scattered in the Purisima Hills and intergrades with the central coast maritime chaparral (Holland 1986).

The soils associated with Eriodictyon capitatum are extremely variable, but all tend to be slightly to strongly acidic. Sites on ridgetops have very shallow soils that consist of exposed parent material. Permeability ranges from low (high clay content), in the Santa Ynez Mountains, to excessively drained (Arnold sands with a low clay content) in the Solomon Hills. The Burton Mesa population occurs on an upper highly permeable soil (Tangair sands) underlain by a shale substrate of low permeability. The Pine Canyon population occurs in the bottom of the drainage in a highly gullied landscape (Tim Thomas, pers. obs.).

The four known locations of Eriodictyon capitatum occur in western Santa Barbara County. Based on the presence of appropriate soils and associated species, we believe that other populations may well occur on the mesas listed above, but have not yet been detected by botanists.

Two of the known locations of Eriodictyon capitatum are on Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB). The other two locations are in oil fields south of Orcutt (comprised of one group), and at the western end of the Santa Ynez Mountains (comprised of three groups), all on private land. Based on enzyme analysis, Elam (1994) determined that all of the Santa Ynez Mountains colonies, and one of the VAFB groups, were multiclonal. A clone is composed of many stems produced by the vegetative spread of a single root system. The other two VAFB groups are apparently uniclonal, while the Orcutt location was not studied due to inaccessibility. The three Santa Ynez Mountains groups ranged from 11 to 20 clones each; the single multiclonal group on VAFB had 18 clones. Eriodictyon capitatum is selfincompatible (i.e., it requires pollen from genetically different plants to produce seed), and its fruits appear to be parasitized by an insect (Elam 1994). A study of one of the apparently uniclonal groups at VAFB showed that
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Eriodictyon capitatum resprouted successfully from the base of the plant after a prescribed fire. However, several stems died, and no seedling recruitment occurred (a uniclonal, selfincompatible plant would be expected to produce little or no seed) (Jacks et al. 1984).

Fire management practices, invasive nonnative plant species, low seed productivity, and naturally occurring catastrophic events pose significant threats to the longterm survival of this species. None of the colonies are actively protected. Eriodictyon capitatum was listed as rare by the State of California in 1979 (CDFG 1992).

Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa

Deinandra increscesn ssp. villosa (Gaviota tarplant) is a member of the sunflower family. Tanowitz (1982) described this plant from collected material, as well as a specimen gathered from Gaviota in 1902 by Elmer, as Hemizonia increscens ssp. villosa. Recent studies on the evolution of a related group of the tarplants of North America have resulted in the reinstatement of the genus name Deinandra for Hemizonia increscens ssp. villosa (Baldwin 1999). Deinandra increscesn spp. villosa is a yellowflowered, variable graygreen, soft, hairy annual that is 30 to 90 cm (12 to 35 in) tall with stems branching near the base. The lower leaves are 5 to 8.6 cm (2 to 3.4 in) long. The inflorescence is rounded to flattopped with mostly 13ray flowers and 18 to 31 usually sterile, disk flowers. The seeds produced by the ray flowers (achenes) are threeangled and about 2 mm (xx in); the seeds of this genus lack the long set of awns that assist in wind dispersal, as are found in many other members of the sunflower family (Keil 1993). The seeds most likely are dispersed by adhesion of the sticky bracts clasping the ray achenes to animal fur or feathers (Baldwin 2001). Two other subspecies, D. increscens ssp. increscens and D. increscens ssp. foliosa, differ from D. increscens ssp. villosa by their stiffbristly, deep green foliage; however, chemical composition is the best means to differentiate these species (Keil 1993; Katherine Rindlaub, biological consultant, in litt. 1998). There are occasional observations of 13 rayed Deinandra increscesn ssp. increscens that are reported as Deinandra increscesn ssp. villosa (K. Rindlaub, in litt. 1998).

Deinandra increscesn ssp. villosa has a highly localized distribution in western Santa Barbara County, where it is associated with needlegrass grasslands comprised of native Nassella spp. (needlegrass), the nonnative Avena spp. (wild oats) and Bromus diandrus (ripgut brome), and other herbs and grasses. The grasslands intergrade with coastal sage scrub composed of Artemisia californica (California sagebrush), Baccharis pilularis (coyote bush), Hazardia squarrosa (sawtooth golden bush), and Eriogonum fasciculatum (California buckwheat) (CNDDB 2001).

Until several years ago, populations of Deinandra increscesn ssp. villosa were only known from marine terraces in the vicinity of Gaviota. However, populations have recently been observed at approximately seven new locations ranging westward from Gaviota along the coast and in the Santa Ynez Mountains to Point Arguello (M. Meyer, CDFG, pers. comm. 2001; Hendrickson, Ferren, and Klug 1998). This species is found on sandy soils associated with marine terraces and uplifted marine sediments, ranging from 46 m (150 ft) in elevation along the lowest terraces to 305 m (1000 ft), where it occurs on sandy ridgelines in the Santa Ynez Mountains. One disjunct population occurs on a marine terrace just south of Point Sal on VAFB (C. Gillespie, botanist, VAFB, pers. comm. 2001).

Soil characteristics have been studied most extensively near the Gaviota population. There, the plant is restricted to Conception and MilpitasPositas soils, which consist of acidic, fine, sandy loams (All American Pipeline Company (AAPC) 1990). A subsurface clay layer 2.5 to 90 cm (1 to 36 in) deep may serve as a reservoir of soil moisture in an area otherwise characterized by summer drought (Howald 1989). However, Deinandra increscesn ssp. villosa consistently occurs where the depth to clay is only 2.5 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) (K. Rindlaub, in litt. 1998).

Deinandra increscesn ssp. villosa blooms from June through September. Pollinators observed on the flowers include several species of flies, bees, skippers, and butterflies (Tanowitz in Howald 1989). As is typical of annual plant species, the number of individuals present from one year to the next varies dramatically, most likely depending on climatic conditions such as amount of rainfall, timing of rainfall, and temperature regimes during critical stages of germination and seedling growth. There are some years when patches may contain few to no individuals (Howald 1989). In 1995 and 1997, the species was not abundant at the locations known at the time (K. Rindlaub, in litt. 1998).

The narrow coastal terrace at Gaviota is bisected lengthwise by Highway 101, a railroad, and several pipelines. Most of the habitat for Deinandra increscesn ssp. villosa lies on the north side of the highway on private lands owned by the petroleum industry; CDFG is in the process of acquiring an 86 ha (35 ac) parcel to establish a tarplant preserve. A few colonies occur on the south side of Highway 101 on land owned by California Department of Parks and Recreation. Most of the other populations west of Gaviota are located on private land; certain petroleum companies have leased land for their facilities and access to them at Government Point, just east of Point Conception. Two populations, one near Point Arguello and one near Point Sal, are located on VAFB (CNDDB 2001; C. Gillespie, pers. comm. 2001).

Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa is threatened by destruction of individual plants, habitat loss, and habitat degradation from the development and decommissioning of oil and gas facilities, including pipelines, and competition with nonnative weeds. Within the last 5 years, two aggressive nonnative grasses, Ehrharta calycina (veldt grass) and Phalaris aquaticus (harding grass), have invaded the Gaviota site and pose a serious threat to D. increscens ssp. villosa and the remaining coastal prairie habitat at this site (K. Rindlaub, consultant, pers. comm. 2001; M. Meyer, CDFG, pers. comm. 2001). Until recently, the overall trend for this species has been characterized as one of decline (CDFG 1992); this was based primarily on impacts occurring on the Gaviota populations. The populations in the vicinity of Point Conception and Government Point were discovered in the year 2000. The populations in this area face similar threats to those in the Gaviota area, specifically from activities associated with the decommissioning of oil and gas facilities, and from alteration of habitat due to the spread of iceplant (M. Meyer, pers. comm. 2001). However, some of the populations found within the last 3 years are in remote areas in the Santa Ynez Mountains and do not appear to be threatened at this time.

Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa was listed as endangered by the State of California in 1990 (CDFG 1992). In 1989 when the species was first proposed for state listing, CDFG recommended several recovery and management actions including: 1) research on the reproductive biology and habitat requirements so that essential habitat can be more clearly defined and protection requirements can be formulated; 2) working with Santa Barbara County and private landowners to establish a longterm monitoring program and protected status for the tarplant; and 3) working with Santa
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Barbara County and private landowners to assure that future impacts to the tarplant are avoided or adequately mitigated (Howald 1989). In their role as the lead permitting agency for the California Environmental Quality Act, the County has worked with CDFG and the petroleum industry over the past decade to develop a strategy to mitigate for impacts to the tarplant resulting from oil and gas activities in the Gaviota area. This has resulted in establishment of a tarplant preserve with CDFG as the landowner, and mitigation bank established to assist in the funding of habitat restoration efforts on the preserve.

At least two decommissioning efforts will be undertaken in the near future in areas where the tarplant has been found within the last three years. These include the decommissioning of Texaco's Hollister Ranch facility pipelines that stretch from Gaviota west to Saint Augustine, and Unocal's facilities at Government Point just east of Point Conception. The County will be working with CDFG, the Service, and the California Coastal Commission to ensure appropriate measures are taken to conserve the tarplant as well as other federally listed wildlife species that occur in these areas.

Previous Federal Action

Federal action on these plants began as a result of section 12 of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), which directed the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution to prepare a report on those plants considered to be endangered, threatened, or extinct in the United States. This report (House Document No. 9451) was presented to Congress on January 9, 1975, and included Cirsium loncholepis and Eriodictyon capitatum as endangered. We published a notice in the July 1, 1975, Federal Register (40 FR 27823) of our acceptance of the Smithsonian Institution report as a petition within the context of section 4(c)(2) (petition provisions are now found in section 4(b)(3)) of the Act), and our intention to review the status of the plant species named therein.

On June 16, 1976, we published a proposal in the Federal Register (41 FR 24523) to determine approximately 1,700 vascular plant species to be endangered species pursuant to section 4 of the Act. Cirsium loncholepis and Eriodictyon capitatum were included in that Federal Register publication. Comments received in relation to the 1976 proposal were summarized in an April 26, 1978, Federal Register publication (43 FR 17909). The Endangered Species Act Amendments of 1978 required that all proposals more than two years old be withdrawn. A one year grace period was given to those proposals already more than two years old. On December 10, 1979 (44 FR 70796), we published a notice of withdrawal of the June 16, 1976, proposal along with four other proposals that had expired.

We published an updated Notice of Review (NOR) for plants on December 15, 1980 (45 FR 82480). This notice included Cirsium loncholepis and Eriodictyon capitatum as category 1 candidate species. Category 1 candidates were those species for which we had on file substantial information on biological vulnerability and threats to support preparation of listing proposals, but issuance of the proposed rule was precluded by other pending listing activities of higher priority. On November 28, 1983, we published a supplement to the 1980 NOR (48 FR 53640), in which C. loncholepis was included as a category 2 candidate. Category 2 species were those species for which information in our possession indicated that proposing to list as endangered or threatened was possibly appropriate, but for which sufficient data on biological vulnerability and threats were not available to support proposed rules.

The NOR for plants was again revised on September 27, 1985 (50 FR 39526). In this notice, Eriodictyon capitatum was included as a category 1 candidate, and Cirsium loncholepis remained a category 2 candidate. On February 21, 1990 (55 FR 6184), and September 30, 1993 (58 FR 51144), revised NORs were published that included Cirsium loncholepis, Eriodictyon capitatum, and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa as category 1 candidates. On February 28, 1996, the Notice of Review of Plant and Animal Taxa that are Candidates for Listing as Endangered or Threatened Species (61 FR 7596) discontinued the designation of category 2 species as candidates. The notice included as candidates only those species meeting the former definition of category 1, and included Cirsium loncholepis, Eriodictyon capitatum, and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa.

A proposed rule to list Cirsium loncholepis, Eriodictyon capitatum, Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa, and a fourth species, Lupinus nipomensis, as endangered was published in the Federal Register on March 30, 1998 (63 FR 15164). The final rule listing Cirsium loncholepis, Eriodictyon capitatum, Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa, and Lupinus nipomensis as endangered species was published on March 20, 2000 (65 FR 14888).

Section 4(a)(3) of the Act, as amended, and our implementing regulations (50 CFR 424.12) require that, to the maximum extent prudent and determinable, the Secretary designate critical habitat at the time the species is determined to be endangered or threatened. Our regulations (50 CFR 424.12(a)(1)) state that designation of critical habitat is not prudent when one or both of the following situations exist: (1) the species is threatened by taking or other human activity, and identification of critical habitat can be expected to increase the degree of threat to the species, or (2) such designation of critical habitat would not be beneficial to the species. At the time Cirsium loncholepis, Eriodictyon capitatum, and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa were listed, we found that designation of critical habitat for these taxa was prudent but not determinable, and that designation of critical habitat would occur once we had gathered the necessary data.

On June 17, 1999, our failure to issue final rules for listing Cirsium loncholepis, Eriodictyon capitatum, and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa and six other plant species as endangered or threatened, and our failure to make a final critical habitat determination for the 9 species was challenged in Southwest Center for Biological Diversity and California Native Plant Society v. Babbitt (Case No. C992992 (N.D.Cal.)). On May 22, 2000, the judge signed an order for the Service to propose critical habitat for the species by September 30, 2001. Plaintiffs agreed to two brief extensions of this due date until November 2, 2001.

Critical Habitat

Critical habitat is defined in section 3(5)(A) of the Act as(i) the specific areas within the geographic area occupied by a species, at the time it is listed in accordance with the Act, on which are found those physical or biological features (I) essential to the conservation of the species and (II) that may require special management considerations or protection; and (ii) specific areas outside the geographic area occupied by a species at the time it is listed, upon a determination that such areas are essential for the conservation of the species. Areas outside the geographic area currently occupied by the species shall be designated as critical habitat only when a designation limited to its present range would be inadequate to ensure the conservation of the species.

Conservation is defined in section 3(3) of the Act as the use of all methods and procedures which are necessary to
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bring any endangered or threatened species to the point at which listing under the Act is no longer necessary. Regulations under 50 CFR 424.02(j) define special management considerations or protection to mean any methods or procedures useful in protecting the physical and biological features of the environment for the conservation of listed species.

In order to be included in a critical habitat designation, the habitat must first be ``essential to the conservation of the species.'' Critical habitat designations identify, to the extent known using the best scientific and commercial data available, habitat areas that provide essential life cycle needs of the species (i.e., areas on which are found the primary constituent elements, as defined at 50 CFR 424.12(b)).

When we designate critical habitat at the time of listing, as required under Section 4 of the Act, or under short courtordered deadlines, we may not have the information necessary to identify all areas which are essential for the conservation of the species. Nevertheless, we are required to designate those areas we know to be critical habitat, using the best information available to us.

Within the geographic area occupied by the species, we will designate only areas currently known to be essential. Essential areas should already have the features and habitat characteristics that are necessary to sustain the species. We will not speculate about what areas might be found to be essential if better information became available, or what areas may become essential over time. If the information available at the time of designation does not show that an area provides essential life cycle needs of the species, then the area should not be included in the critical habitat designation. Within the geographic area occupied by the species, we will not designate areas that do not now have the primary constituent elements, as defined at 50 CFR 424.12(b), which provide essential life cycle needs of the species.

Our regulations state that, ``The Secretary shall designate as critical habitat areas outside the geographic area presently occupied by the species only when a designation limited to its present range would be inadequate to ensure the conservation of the species' (50 CFR 424.12(e)). Accordingly, we do not designate critical habitat in areas outside the geographic area occupied by the species unless the best available scientific and commercial data demonstrate that the unoccupied areas are essential for the conservation needs. In this case, the best scientific and commercial data has demonstrated that some unoccupied areas are essential for the conservation of the species, and accordingly, we have included within this designation some areas currently unoccupied by the species.

Our Policy on Information Standards Under the Endangered Species Act, published in the Federal Register on July 1, 1994 (59 FR 34271), provides criteria, establishes procedures, and provides guidance to ensure that our decisions represent the best scientific and commercial data available. It requires our biologists, to the extent consistent with the Act and with the use of the best scientific and commercial data available, to use primary and original sources of information as the basis for recommendations to designate critical habitat. When determining which areas are critical habitat, a primary source of information should be the listing package for the species. Additional information may be obtained from a recovery plan, articles in peer reviewed journals, conservation plans developed by states and counties, scientific status surveys and studies, and biological assessments, unpublished materials, and expert opinion or personal knowledge. Methods

As required by the Act and regulations (section 4(b)(2) and 50 CFR 424.12) we used the best scientific information available to determine areas that contain the physical and biological features that are essential for the conservation of Cirsium loncholepis, Eriodictyon capitatum, and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa. This information included information from the CNDDB (CNDDB 2001), soil survey maps (U.S. Soil Conservation Service 1971 and 1983) aerial photographs available through TerraServer (http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com), recent biological surveys and reports, additional information provided by interested parties, and discussions with representatives of CDFG, the County of Santa Barbara Planning Department, and other botanical experts. We also conducted site visits at several locations managed by local, State or Federal agencies, including VAFB, GuadalupeNipomo Dunes National Wildlife Refuge, Gaviota State Beach, Oceano Dunes State Vehicle Recreation Area, and Pismo Dunes State Preserve; we have also visited the portion of Guadalupe Dunes owned by the Unocal Corporation.

Because Cirsium loncholepis, Eriodictyon capitatum, and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa were federally listed in the year 2000, the Service has not yet had the opportunity to develop recovery plans for these taxa. As mentioned earlier, CDFG developed a management strategy document for the thistle. Because Eriodictyon capitatum has been state listed since 1979 and the other two taxa have been statelisted since 1990, the conservation needs of these taxa have been considered during the review of individual projects by the two counties, as lead CEQA agencies, and CDFG.

Certain areas, such as the Gaviota Coast, have been the target of broader planning efforts because the presence of Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa overlaps in large part with the Gaviota Consolidated Planning Area, which is a designation conferred by the County of Santa Barbara Planning and Development Energy Division (SBPDED) on areas where multiple oil and gas facilities already exist and additional oil and gas production and processing could occur (L. Perez, SBPDED, pers. comm 2001). One result of collaboration between numerous agencies and the oil and gas industry in this planning area has been the establishment of the Gaviota Tarplant Reserve.

The stretch of coast between Pismo Dunes State Preserve and Point Sal has recently been the focus of a regional conservation planning effort spearheaded by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) (TNC n.d.). They consider this area, referred to as the GuadalupeNipomo Dunes, to be one of only four out of the thirteen dune areas in California that remain relatively natural and undisturbed. Their vision document includes a fourpoint plan that calls for: (1) Protection of specific parcels that support floodplain habitat, the Unocal Guadalupe Oil Field, the dune scrub lands east of the State Vehicular Recreation Area, and areas where dune margins interface with agricultural and ranching lands. This area overlaps in large part with one of the proposed critical habitat units in this rule. Other measures call for: (2) ensuring the health of the dune ecosystem through eradication of nonnative species, restoration of damaged areas, management of sensitive resources, and maintaining ecologic processes such as sand movement; (3) enhancement of visitor services; and (4) community outreach and education programs (TNC n.d.).

Recently, the U.S. Congress directed the National Park Service to initiate a feasibility study for the Gaviota coast to determine whether the area, or a portion of it, is eligible and suitable to be managed as a unit of the National Park System according to specific criteria, including the determination as to
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whether the resources in the area are nationally significant (http:// www.nps.gov/pwro/gaviota/). The stretch of coast being studied ranges from Coal Oil Point (east of Gaviota) west to Point Arguello and continuing north to the northern boundary of Vandenberg Air Force Base; this area overlaps with all or a portion of seven of the nine units being proposed for critical habitat designation in this rule. The results of the feasibility study will be available in early 2002.

These numerous initiatives and planning efforts all recognize the sensitivity of the coastal habitats and the sensitive resources along this portion of the central California coast. Due to the historic loss of the habitats that supported Cirsium loncholepis, Eriodictyon capitatum, and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa, we believe that future conservation and recovery of these taxa depends not only on protecting them in the limited areas that they currently occupy, but also on providing the opportunity to increase their distribution by designating currently unoccupied habitat within their historic ranges.

Some of the critical habitat units being proposed for Cirsium loncholepis and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa include areas that are currently unoccupied by the taxa. Determining the specific areas that these taxa occupy is difficult for several reasons: (1) The methods for mapping the current distributions of Cirsium loncholepis and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa can be variable, depending on the scale at which groups of individuals are recorded (e.g., many small groups versus one large group); and (2) depending on the climate and other annual variations in habitat conditions, the extent of the distributions may either shrink and temporarily disappear, or, if there is a residual seedbank present, enlarge and cover a more extensive area. Therefore, the inclusion of currently unoccupied habitat interspersed with patches of occupied habitat in the critical habitat units reflects the dynamic nature of the habitat and the life history characteristics of these taxa. For Cirsium loncholepis, we have also included a larger area of currently unoccupied habitat in the Pismo Orcutt unit, extending from the known coastal locations of the species inland to Orcutt. This unoccupied habitat is essential to the conservation of the species because it provides connectivity between the known locations on the coast and the Canada de las Flores location further inland and potentially suitable habitat for introductions needed for recovery of the species.

Primary Constituent Elements

In accordance with section 3(5)(A)(i) of the Act and regulations at 50 CFR 424.12, in determining which areas to propose as critical habitat, we consider those physical and biological features (primary constituent elements) that are essential to the conservation of the species and that may require special management considerations or protection. These include, but are not limited to: space for individual and population growth, and for normal behavior; food, water, air, light, minerals or other nutritional or physiological requirements; cover or shelter; sites for breeding, reproduction, or rearing of offspring; germination or seed dispersal; and habitats that are protected from disturbance or are representative of the historic geographical and ecological distributions of a species. All areas proposed as critical habitat for Cirsium loncholepis, Eriodictyon capitatum, and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa are within each species' historic range and contain one or more of the physical or biological features (primary constituent elements) identified as essential for the conservation of each species.

The proposed critical habitat is designed to provide sufficient habitat to maintain selfsustaining populations of Cirsium loncholepis, Eriodictyon capitatum, and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa throughout each species' range, and provide those habitat components essential for the conservation of each species. Habitat components that are essential for Cirsium loncholepis are found in, but not limited to, coastal dune, coastal scrub, and wetland communities where physical processes, such as occasional soil disturbance and the pattern of prevailing coastal winds, support natural dune dynamics in coastal areas, or occasional floodplain depositional events in inland areas. Habitat components that are essential for Eriodictyon capitatum are found in vegetation communities classified as maritime chaparral and in southern bishop pine forests that intergrade with chaparral where physical processes, such as occasional naturallyoccurring or controlled fires, support patch dynamics within the pine forest and chaparral communities. Habitat components that are essential for Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa are found in needlegrass grassland and coastal sage scrub communities with a clay layer found below the sandy soil surface.

Based on our knowledge to date, the primary constituent elements of critical habitat for Cirsium loncholepis consist of, but are not limited to:
(1) Moist sandy soils associated with dune swales, margins of dune lakes and marshes, and river margins from the Guadalupe Dune complex along the coast and inland to Canada de las Flores;
(2) Plant communities that support associated species including, coastal dune, coastal scrub, and wetland communities, particularly where the following associated species are found: Juncus spp (rush), Scirpus spp. (tule), Salix spp. (willow), Toxicodendron diversilobum (poison oak), Distichlis spicata (salt grass), and Baccharis pilularis (coyote brush); and
(3) Hydrologic processes, particularly the maintenance of a stable groundwater table that supports the soil moisture regime that appears to be favored by Cirsium loncholepis.

Eriodictyon capitatum

Based on our knowledge to date, the primary constituent elements of critical habitat for Eriodictyon capitatum consist of, but are not limited to:
(1) Soils with a large component of sand and that tend to be acidic;
(2) Plant communities that support associated species, including maritime chaparral, particularly where the following associated species are found: Dendromecon rigida (bush poppy), California scrub oak, Quercus parvula (Santa Cruz Island oak), and Ceanothus cuneatus (buck brush); and in southern bishop pine forests that intergrade with chaparral Arctostaphylos spp. (manzanita) and Salvia mellifera (black sage); and
(3) Habitat directly adjacent upslope and downslope from known populations, as this species appears to spread primarily through vegetative reproduction.

Threats to the habitat of Eriodictyon capitatum include: incompatible fire management practices; invasive nonnative plant species; low seed productivity; and naturally occurring catastrophic events (65 FR 14888). Some of the sites proposed for critical habitat may be degraded by the presence of nonnative species, such as Ehrhardta calcina (veldt grass), that may compete with native vegetation. This fastspreading species is difficult to control, particularly after an area has been denuded by wildfire. Controlling veldt grass poses a special management need within proposed critical habitat for Eriodictyon capitatum. The areas we are proposing to designate as critical habitat provide some or all of the habitat [[Page 57567]]
components essential for the conservation of Eriodictyon capitatum. Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa

Based on our knowledge to date, the primary constituent elements of critical habitat for Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa are: (1) Sandy soils associated with coastal terraces adjacent to the coast or uplifted marine sediments at interior sites up to 5.6 km (3.5 mi) inland from the coast; and
(2) Plant communities that support associated species, including needlegrass grassland and coastal sage scrub communities, particularly where the following associated species are found: needlegrass species, California sagebrush, coyote bush, sawtooth golden bush, and California buckwheat.

Threats to the habitat of Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa include: habitat loss and degradation from the development of oil and gas facilities; including pipelines; competition with nonnative weeds; and naturally occurring catastrophic events (65 FR 14888). The presence of nonnative species which compete for resources available for growth and reproduction of Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa may pose a special management need for the areas proposed as critical habitat for this species. Portions of these units being proposed for critical habitat may be degraded by the presence of nonnative species such as veldt grass, ripgut, and harding grass, that may compete with native vegetation. This is particularly true for the sites where most of the coastal populations are found, particularly in the vicinity of Gaviota, as they have been subject to more human disturbance than the inland sites. The areas we are proposing to designate as critical habitat provide some or all of the habitat components essential for the conservation of Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa.

Special Management Considerations or Protections

Special management considerations or protections may be needed to maintain the primary constituent elements for the three taxa within the units being proposed as critical habitat. In some cases, protection of existing habitat and current ecologic processes may be sufficient to ensure that populations of the plants are maintained at those sites, and have the ability to reproduce and disperse in surrounding habitat. In other cases, however, active management may be needed to maintain the primary constituent elements for the three taxa. We have outlined below the most likely kinds of special management and protection that these three taxa may require. Not all of these will apply to each plant taxon.

1. Existing soil conditions may need to be protected by avoiding activities that cause the erosion of soils from areas with slopes; on flat areas, maintaining an intact soil profile may be necessary to maintain edaphic features such as a perched water table atop a clay layer, or a horizon of permeable sandy soils on the surface layer.

2. In nearcoastal areas (dunes) the supply and movement of sand along the coast must be maintained to create the mosaic of wetlands, swales, and marshes that are needed for Cirsium loncholepis.

3. Existing hydrologic conditions may need to be protected by avoiding activities that cause a change in surface or subsurface water flows upon which the plant taxa depend.

4. The quality of water must also be maintained to keep it free from deleterious levels of herbicides or chemical or organic contaminants.

5. The associated plant communities must be maintained to ensure that the habitat needs of pollinators and dispersal agents are maintained. For some grassland areas, it may be important to maintain openings between coastal scrub communities that might otherwise encroach upon grassland patches that support Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa. Along the coast, the growth of willow thickets may encroach upon the margins of dune swales and wetlands, and shade out Cirsium loncholepis.

6. In all plant communities where these taxa occur, invasive, non native species such as harding grass and veldt grass need to be actively managed. Once these grasses have become established, they cannot be removed without great expenditure of time and effort.

7. Certain areas where these taxa occur may need to be fenced to protect them from accidental or intentional trampling by humans and livestock.

Criteria Used to Identify Critical Habitat

The proposed critical habitat units for Cirsium loncholepis, Eriodictyon capitatum, and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa were delineated by creating data layers in a geographic information system (GIS) format of the areas of known occurrences of the three taxa using information from the CNDDB (CNDDB 2001), aerial photographs available through TerraServer (http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.com), recent biological surveys and reports, representatives of CDFG, the County of Santa Barbara Planning Department, and discussions with botanical experts. These data layers were created on a base of USGS 7.5' quadrangles obtained from the State of California's Stephen P. Teale Data Center. We defined the boundaries for the proposed critical habitat units using roads and known landmarks and, where necessary, township, range, and section numbers from the public land survey.

We also considered the status of habitat conservation plan (HCP) efforts in proposing areas as critical habitat. Section 10(a)(1)(B) of the Act authorizes us to issue permits for the take of listed wildlife species incidental to otherwise lawful activities. An incidental take permit application must be supported by an HCP that identifies conservation measures that the permittee agrees to implement for the species to minimize and mitigate the impacts of the permitted incidental take. Although ``take'' of listed plants is not prohibited by the Act, listed plant species may also be covered in an HCP for wildlife species. Subsection 4(b)(2) of the Act allows us to exclude from critical habitat designation areas where the benefits of exclusion outweigh the benefits of designation, provided the exclusion will not result in the extinction of the species. At the time we prepared this proposed rule, there were no approved HCPs covering any of these three species within the areas being proposed for critical habitat.

The Air Force has developed an Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan (INRMP) for VAFB. The INRMP is intended to provide an adaptive management approach to natural resource issues on the base (Tetra Tech, Inc. 1997). Although the INRMP calls for annual monitoring of Eriodictyon capitatum, it does not provide any specific measures to ensure the conservation and recovery of this species. The INRMP calls for surveys for Cirsium loncholepis, which has not been seen on the base since 1958; Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa is not discussed in the plan. The INRMP is currently being revised. However, because measures to provide for the conservation of these species are not currently in place, we are not excluding from the proposed critical habitat unit those portions of the base that support Eriodicyton capitatum, or those portions of the Point Sal and Point Arguello Gaviota units that support Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa.

Critical habitat includes habitat throughout the species' current ranges in the United States (Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, California). Lands proposed are under Federal, State, local, and private ownership.
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Federal lands include areas owned and managed by Vandenberg Air Force Base and the Service. State lands include areas owned and managed by the California Department of Parks and Recreation and the California Department of Fish and Game. Local lands include parks owned by the County of Santa Barbara. Private lands include areas that are being managed for conservation by private landowners, as well as those that are being managed for agriculture, ranchlands, or oil production. We are proposing to designate critical habitat on lands that are considered essential to the conservation of each of the three species. Each of the critical habitat units is considered to be occupied by either seeds as part of the seed bank or standing plants, and contain habitat that includes the specific soils, hydrology, and plant communities that are associated with each of the three species.

Throughout this designation, in selecting areas of proposed critical habitat, we made an effort to avoid developed areas, such as housing developments, and other areas that are unlikely to contribute to the conservation of Cirsium loncholepis, Eriodictyon capitatum, and Deinandra increscens ssp. villosa. However, due to mapping and time constraints, we did not map critical habitat in sufficient detail to exclude all developed areas or other lands unlikely to contain the primary constituent elements essential for the conservation of these taxa. Areas within the boundaries of the mapped units, such as buildings, roads, parking lots, railroads, airport runways and other paved areas, lawns, and other urban landscaped areas will not contain any of the primary constituent elements. Federal actions limited to these areas, therefore would not trigger a section 7 consultation, unless they affect the species or primary constituent elements in adjacent critical habitat.

Proposed Critical Habitat Designation

The proposed critical habitat areas described below include all of the primary constituent elements described above and constitute our best assessment at this time of the areas needed for the conservation of each of the three taxa:

Cirsium loncholepis

Critical habitat being proposed for Cirsium loncholepis includes two units that currently sustain the species. Protection of this proposed critical habitat is essential for the conservation of the species because the geographic range that Cirsium loncholepis occupies has been reduced to so few sites that the species is threatened with extinction. The areas being proposed as critical habitat contain the appropriate dune, wetland, marsh, and riparian habitat that supports Cirsium loncholepis, including the sandy soils, the associated plant communities, and a groundwater table that maintains wet soil conditions. We propose to designate approximately 17,934 ha (44,315 acres) of land as critical habitat for Cirsium loncholepis. Approximately 6 percent of this area consists of Federal lands, while State lands comprise approximately 5 percent, County lands comprise approximately 1 percent, and private lands comprise approximately 88 percent of the proposed critical habitat (Table 1). Both of the two units being proposed for Cirsium loncholepis support standing plants or seedbank of the species. In addition to these areas, both units contain additional habitat that is needed to maintain the ecologic processes that support the primary constituent elements, and habitat that is needed to allow expansion of existing populations and to maintain connectivity through pollinators and dispersal agents between the two units.
Table 1.Approximate Proposed Critical Habitat Unit Areas for Cirsium loncholepis in Hectares (ha) (Acres (ac)) by Land Ownership \1\ County and other local Unit Name State Private jurisdictions Federal Total PismoOrcutt....................... 869 ha 14,592 ha 240 ha 1,033 16,734 ha (2,148 ac) (36,058 ac) (592 ac) (2,553 ac) (41,351 ac) Canada de las Flores............... 0 ha 1,200 ha 0 ha 0 ha 1,200 ha (0 ac) (2,964 ac) (0 ac) (0 ac) (2,964 ac)

Total.......................... 869 ha 15,792 ha 240 ha 1,033 ha 17,934 ha (2,148 ac) (39,022 ac) (592 ac) (2,553 ac) (44,315 ac) \1\ Approximate hectares have been converted to acres (1 ha = 2.47 ac).

A brief description of each critical habitat unit is given below: PismoOrcutt Unit

The PismoOrcutt Unit consists of coastal dunes, swales, and wetlands extending from Grover City south to Mussel Point, just north of Point Sal, and then extends inland across the Santa Maria Valley to the area of Orcutt. This unit includes a portion of the Pismo Dunes State Preserve, Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, the Guadalupe Dunes National Wildlife Refuge, Rancho Guadalupe Dunes Preserve, and privately owned lands. In the vicinity of Orcutt, some of the private lands included in this unit have been designated as open space by the County of Santa Barbara (1998). The coastal portion of this unit contains almost all the known populations of Cirsium loncholepis, including the largest population known to exist anywhere on privately owned lands, the Unocal parcel near the mouth of the Santa Maria River, as well as numerous smaller populations that are scattered along the coast north to Grover City. Maintaining all of these populations is important for this species to survive through a variety of natural and environmental changes as well as stochastic events. The more interior portions of this unit are primarily within the lower portion of the Santa Maria River valley (below 80 ft in elevation) and have been placed in agricultural production. However, fragments of numerous small marshes, wetlands, and drainages can still be found interspersed with agricultural fields. The prevailing winds from the stretch of coast between Pismo Beach and the mouth of the Santa Maria River blow southeast across the lower Santa Maria River Valley in the direction of Orcutt and beyond to Canada de las Flores. This intervening habitat is therefore important to maintain connectivity between the coastal populations and the Canada de Las Flores unit through pollinator activity and seed dispersal mechanisms and to provide suitable habitat for introduction efforts needed for recovery of the species.
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Canada de Las Flores Unit

The Canada de Las Flores Unit consists of marsh

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT Connie Rutherford or Tim Thomas, Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2493 Portola Road, Suite B, Ventura, CA 93003 (telephone 805/6441766; facsimile 805/6443958).