A final plan to guide the recovery of the federally listed endangered rough popcornflower was released today by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The plant occurs in only 21 small patches near Wilbur, Sutherlin, and Yoncalla in Douglas County, Oregon.
"This recovery plan is our suggested road map of steps toward removing this species from its endangered status," said Pacific Regional Director Dave Allen. "By following the carefully crafted actions in this plan, we and the land managers will be able to protect this species and the ecosystem it inhabits - just as envisioned in the purpose of the Endangered Species Act."
The goal of the Endangered Species Act is to recover listed species to the point where they are secure, self-sustaining members of their ecosystems and no longer need federal protection. A recovery plan is a blueprint providing guidance for actions by federal, state and other public agencies and private interests that will lead to the recovery and delisting of a species. Recovery plans are advisory only. They do not obligate the expenditure of funds or require that the recommended actions be implemented.
The rough popcornflower has white and yellow flowers that can look like buttered popcorn. It grows one to two feet tall and is found only in the vicinity of Wilbur, Sutherlin, and Yoncalla in Douglas County. Its growing season is from November, after the rainy period begins and lasts up until early August, before the onset of hot drying weather. Occasionally, in the right conditions or areas, some plants may survive the summer and continue growing on through to November and the next year. The plant blooms from late May to late July, but some flowers may still be present in August.
Seventeen of the 21 naturally occurring patches are on private land, while the remaining four patches are on state or municipal lands. The three parcels on State lands are specifically managed for the species by Oregon Department of Transportation. Three privately owned patches that are managed specifically for the species by The Nature Conservancy occur on their Popcorn Swale Preserve near Wilbur.
Most populations of the rough popcornflower are small and isolated. The 21 known habitat patches are estimated to contain a total of 18,000 individual plants with a combined area of about 40 acres. The plant was considered extinct until it was rediscovered in 1983 during intensive field surveys. This gives biologists hope that additional populations may come to light during the recovery implementation process.
The species is threatened by habitat loss due to urban development, spring and summer livestock grazing, competition from native and non-native plants, and roadside mowing and spraying.
Like all recovery plans written under the Endangered Species Act, this plan is not regulatory, but simply provides guidance on how land managers can achieve recovery of the endangered species. The plan suggests criteria to use in determining when the species will be recovered, and no longer need the protections of the law. It also lists actions needed to achieve recovery, and projects costs of those actions.
