The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to designate critical habitat for the Kneeland Prairie penny-cress, an endangered native California plant, on about 74 acres of serpentine outcrops in the grasslands of Kneeland Prairie, Humboldt County, California.
Under the Endangered Species Act, a critical habitat designation identifies the a geographic area that is essential for the conservation of a threatened or endangered species and may require special management considerations or protection. However, a designation does not set up a preserve or refuge, nor does it affect the activities of citizens engaged in private activities on their land. Rather, its sole impact is that federal agencies must consult with the Service on activities they authorize, take or fund that might affect critical habitat, to ensure that those activities do not destroy or adversely modify the critical habitat.
When mapping the proposed critical habitat, Service biologists attempted to exclude developed areas such as roads and buildings because these areas do not support habitat for the Kneeland Praire penny-cress. Any developed areas that may remain within the boundaries of the proposed critical habitat designation will be excluded from designation by definition.
About 84 percent of the total acreage proposed for critical habitat for the Kneeland Prairie penny-cress is private land. State lands make up five percent of the proposal, while county lands account for 11 percent.
A perennial herb in the mustard family, the Kneeland Prairie penny-cress (Thlaspi californicum) can grow to five inches tall. It has white flowers, and its fruits are pointed at the tip. Flowering occurs from April through June. It was listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act in February 2000.
The species occurs in relatively small populations with limited distribution, making it extremely vulnerable to extinction from man-made and natural causes. Approximately 5,300 plants are distributed in five colonies in one general location. The colonies are bisected by the Kneeland Airport and a county road. The population is threatened with habitat loss due to construction, maintenance and development activities, hydrologic changes and other ground disturbing activities.
The Endangered Species Act directs federal agencies to protect and promote the recovery of federally listed species. Where listed plants occur on federal lands, consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service is required when projects or activities may affect the species. For private and non-federal landowners, however, consultations come into play only when federal funding or permitting is involved.
Native plants are important for their ecological, economic, and aesthetic values. Plants also play an important role in development of crops that resist disease, insects, and drought. At least 25 percent of prescription drugs contain ingredients derived from plant compounds, including medicine used to treat cancer, heart disease, juvenile leukemia, and malaria, as well as that used to assist organ transplants. Plants are also used to develop natural pesticides.
On June 17, 2000, the Center for Biological Diversity filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against the Service and the Secretary of the Interior for failure to designate critical habitat for the Kneeland Prairie penny-cress. On May 19, 2000, the court issued a joint stipulation and proposed order setting the timetable for critical habitat designation. The Service agreed to propose critical habitat for the species by September 30, 2001, and complete the final rule by May 1, 2002.
To ensure a complete and comprehensive review of this proposal, the Service is asking the public to submit any additional information and data about the species, including economic or other impacts of these designations. Requests for public hearings on today
