The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today proposed to designate 3,638 acres of critical habitat for Brauntons milk-vetch (Astragalus brauntonii) in Ventura, Los Angeles, and Orange counties, and 4,212 acres for Lyons pentachaeta (Pentachaeta lyonii) in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Both plants are listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Publication of the proposal in the Federal Register opens a 60-day comment period.
A little more than half of the proposed critical habitat for each of the plants occurs on government lands - in city, state and regional parks, and on Federal lands in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
About one-third of the proposed critical habitat for Brauntons milk-vetch is on state property, largely in Topanga State Park, China Hills State Park, and Coal Canyon Ecological Reserve.
Public comments on the proposed rule will be accepted until Jan. 9, 2006. The Service encourages public input on specific elements of the proposal to help ensure that the final critical habitat designation to be made is as accurate as possible. It is particularly interested in comments on economic impacts, the amount and distribution of the two plants, and identifying habitat that contributes to the conservation of the species and why.
Comments on the proposal may be submitted in writing to: Field Supervisor, Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office; 2493 Portola Road, Suite B; Ventura, Calif. 93003, or may be submitted via e-mail to: fw82plantssch@fws.gov . They may also be faxed to: (805) 644-3958.
Brauntons milk-vetch is a perennial herb in the pea family that may reach heights of up to five feet, one of the largest in the genus. Lyons pentachaeta, an annual herb in the sunflower family, has small, golden and daisy-like flowers on a slender stalk.
Both plants were listed as endangered under the ESA in January 1997. The greatest threat to both species is habitat altered or lost by urban development.This critical habitat proposal was completed in response to a lawsuit filed by the Center for Biological Diversity. Todays announcement is in compliance with a July 2003 court order to propose critical habitat for the two species by November 1, 2005. Copies of the proposal and related materials can be downloaded from: http://ventura.fws.gov .
An economic analysis of the proposed critical habitat will be prepared and released at a later date.
Native plants are important for their ecological, economic, and aesthetic values. Plants 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 to treat cancer, heart disease, juvenile leukemia, and malaria, and to assist in organ transplants. Plants are also used to develop natural pesticides.
Critical habitat is a term in the ESA. It identifies specific geographic areas that contain features that contribute to the conservation of threatened and endangered species and may require special management considerations or protection. The designation of critical habitat does not affect land ownership or establish a refuge, wilderness, reserve, preserve, or other conservation area conservation area
A conservation area is a type of national wildlife refuge that consists primarily or entirely of conservation easements on private lands. These conservation easements support private landowner efforts to protect important habitat for fish and wildlife and major migration corridors while helping to keep agricultural lands in production.
Learn more about conservation area .
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 consultations are required where activities involving the protected plants require Federal funding or permitting or the use of an Environmental Protection Agency-registered pesticide. Landowners must still comply with state laws protecting imperiled plants. California landowners who may have these plants on their property are encouraged to contact the state Department of Fish and Game for further guidance.
In 30 years of implementing the ESA, the Service has found that designation of critical habitat provides little additional protection to most listed species, while preventing the agency from using scarce conservation resources for activities with greater conservation benefits.
In almost all cases, recovery of listed species will come through voluntary cooperative partnerships, not regulatory measures such as critical habitat. Habitat is also protected through cooperative measures under the ESA, including Habitat Conservation Plans, Safe Harbor Agreements, Candidate Conservation Agreements and state programs. In addition, voluntary partnership programs such as the Services Private Stewardship Grants and the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program also restore habitat. Habitat for listed species is provided on many of the Service's National Wildlife Refuges and state management areas.
The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 Fish and Wildlife Management offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
