The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today the completion of a 5-year Status Review of Spaldings catchfly (Silene spaldingii), a rare plant native to portions of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, Canada.
"After a thorough review of the best available scientific and commercial information for Spaldings catchfly, we have determined that its status has not changed and recovery criteria for delisting have not been met," said Jeff Foss, State Supervisor of the Services Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office. "Spaldings catchfly will remain a listed threatened species."
Spaldings catchfly was listed as a threatened species in October 2001. A Recovery Plan was published for the species in September 2007, developed with input from over 50 individuals and data and guidance from a technical team. In that Plan, the Service summarized the status of the species and actions needed for recovery, and also included a 5-factor threat analysis and evaluation of ongoing management efforts. The Plan is available at http://endangered.fws.gov/recovery/index.html
On April 29, 2008, the Service opened a public comment period to solicit new information regarding the species or its habitats since completion of the Recovery Plan and one comment was received. Since the publication of the Plan, ten new Spaldings catchfly populations have been discovered, but none of the new populations was in areas that expand the known range of the plant. Additionally, surveys or counts conducted since the 2007 Recovery Plan have not significantly changed the number of Spaldings catchfly individuals in each population.
Overall, Spaldings catchfly populations are still adversely impacted by invasive nonnative plants; changes in fire regime and fire effects; land conversion associated with urban and agricultural development; livestock and wildlife grazing and trampling; off-road vehicle use; insect damage and disease; impacts from prolonged drought and climate change climate change
Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.
Learn more about climate change ; and the inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms.
The Service will continue ongoing collaborative conservation efforts, including research, Palouse Grassland conservation actions, invasive nonnative plant control, land acquisition and monitoring/surveys.
Fifty-eight percent of Spaldings catchfly populations occur either entirely or partially on private land; the remaining populations occur on federal lands (U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuges (Turnbull and Lost Trail), National Park Service (Chief Joseph National Monument), Department of Defense (Fairchild Air Force Base) and state and tribal lands (Flathead Indian Reservation and Nez Perce lands).
The plant prefers open moist grasslands but may also be found in sagebrush sagebrush
The western United States’ sagebrush country encompasses over 175 million acres of public and private lands. The sagebrush landscape provides many benefits to our rural economies and communities, and it serves as crucial habitat for a diversity of wildlife, including the iconic greater sage-grouse and over 350 other species.
Learn more about sagebrush -steppe habitats, as well as pine forests. Spaldings catchfly grasslands are comprised of Idaho fescue, bluebunch wheatgrass, and, in Montana, rough fescue. A long-lived perennial herb, it is a member of the carnation, or pink, family. It has small greenish-white flowers, lance-shaped leaves, and ranges from 8 to 24 inches in height. The plant is distinguished by its very sticky foliage and flower petals, hence the name "catchfly."
For further information, please contact Susan Burch, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Idaho Fish and Wildlife Office, 208-378-5243.
