Species
Fact Sheets
 

Prairie Species
of Western Oregon and Southwestern Washington

RECOVERY PLAN

Draft Recovery Plan for Prairie Species
of Western Oregon and Southwestern Washington available for public comment

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a draft recovery plan for five threatened and endangered prairie species native to Oregon’s Willamette and Umpqua River valleys and southwestern Washington. The species are Fender’s blue butterfly, Kincaid’s lupine, Willamette daisy, Bradshaw’s lomatium, and Nelson’s checker-mallow. The plan is available for public review and we are seeking public comments through December 22, 2008. Click here to view a copy of the draft recovery plan. Photo - Nelson's checkermallow (Courtesy of Jeffrey Dillon, USFWS).

In addition to recovery strategies for the listed species mentioned above, the recovery plan recommends conservation strategies for one candidate species, Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly, and six other plant species which are not federally protected but are considered species of concern: pale larkspur, Willamette Valley larkspur, peacock larkspur, shaggy horkelia, white-topped aster and Hitchcock’s blue-eyed grass.

Also addressed in this recovery plan is the golden paintbrush, a threatened species that has not been found in the wild in Oregon since 1938. Though it has an existing recovery plan, recommendations for the reintroduction of the golden paintbrush into its historical range in the Willamette Valley are included in the draft plan.


Public Comment. A 90-day comment period opened on September 22, 2008. Written comments and materials regarding this plan can be sent to: Field Supervisor, USFWS- Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office, 2600 SE 98th Avenue, Suite 100, Portland, Oregon, 97266 (phone: 503-231-6179), or via e-mail: FW1PrairieRecoveryPlan@fws.gov. All comments must be received by close of business on December 22, 2008. For more information on the draft recovery plan, contact Cat Brown at the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Office at 503-231-6179 or cat_brown@fws.gov.

CRITICAL HABITAT

Designation of Critical Habitat for Fender's Blue Butterfly, Kincaid's Lupine, and Willamette DaisyPhoto - Fender's blue butterfly (Courtesy of Jeffrey Dillon, USFWS).

On October 31, 2006, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated approximately 3,720 acres of critical habitat for the three Oregon species native to the prairies of the Willamette Valley.

The individual designations for the species total 3,010 acres for Fender’s blue butterfly in Benton, Lane, Polk, and Yamhill Counties, Oregon; 585 acres for Kincaid’s lupine in Benton, Lane, Polk, and Yamhill Counties, Oregon and Lewis County, Washington; and 718 acres for the Willamette daisy in Benton, Lane, Linn, Marion, and Polk Counties, Oregon.

News Release (10/31/06)
Q&A Sheet
Federal Register Notice (10/31/06)
Literature Cited in Final Critical Habitat Designation

Draft Economic Analysis Released and Public Comment Period Reopens

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released an analysis that estimates costs related to the conservation of the Willamette daisy, Kincaid's lupine, and Fender's blue butterfly and their proposed critical habitat at $25 to $53 million over the next 20 years.

In releasing the economic analysis, the Service also opened an additional 15-day public comment period on all aspects of the proposed critical habitat and the economic analysis. Comments were accepted through June 30.

News Release (6/15/06)
Draft Economic Analysis
Federal Register Notice

References Cited

Listing rule published in the Federal Register on 25 January 2000 (65 FR 3875)

Proposed critical habitat rule published in the Federal Register on 2 November 2005 (70 FR 66492)

Recovery Outline for Kincaid's Lupine (March 2006)

 

Photos - Fender's Blue Butterfly, Kincaid's Lupine, and Willamette Daisy (USFWS).

 

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