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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 43 / Monday, March 8, 2021 / Rules and Regulations
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periods of time and have established population trends, which allows us to build on this existing data set and provides a more robust analysis of trend information post-delisting. The plan calls for post-delisting monitoring to follow methods previously used at each site so that reliable long-term trends can be determined based on standardized data collection.
Of the 18 sites, 4 are privately owned, and only 2 of those are without conservation and management agreements. Fourteen of the 18 sites are on Federal, State, municipal, or other conservation ownership with active management plans. The 18 priority sites are just that: The priority sites for monitoring. Additional sites may be monitored as resources allow, and the post-delisting monitoring plan specifically allows for future modification as needed or appropriate.
We have incorporated the commenters recommendation to add expedited site visits and abbreviated data collection at additional sites as time and opportunity allows, which would provide for an occasional check on the status of other Bradshaws lomatium populations, into our final post-delisting monitoring plan.
Through the implementation of the post-delisting monitoring plan, the implementation of the aforementioned MOU, and the continued work of the various native plant work groups and conservation partnerships focused on the recovery of native plants, we conclude that sufficient monitoring is in place to detect any significant changes in the populations of Bradshaws lomatium. If data show that the species is declining, or if one or more factors that have the potential to cause a decline are identified, we may continue monitoring beyond the 6-year period and modify the post-delisting monitoring plan based on an evaluation of the results, or reinitiate listing if necessary.
Section 4g2 of the Act directs the Service to make prompt use of its emergency listing authorities under section 4b7 of the Act to prevent a significant risk to the well-being of any recovered species. While not specifically mentioned in section 4g of the Act, authorities to list species in accordance with the process prescribed in sections 4b5 and 4b6 of the Act may also be used to reinstate species on the List, if warranted.
Determination of Bradshaws Lomatiums Status Section 4 of the Act 16 U.S.C. 1533
and its implementing regulations 50
CFR part 424 set forth the procedures for determining whether a species meets
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the definition of endangered species or threatened species. The Act defines an endangered species as a species that is in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range, and a threatened species as a species that is likely to become an endangered species within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. For a more detailed discussion on the factors considered when determining whether a species meets the definition of an endangered species or a threatened species and our analysis on how we determine the foreseeable future in making these decisions, please see Regulatory and Analytical Framework, above.
Status Throughout All of Its Range After evaluating threats to the species and assessing the cumulative effect of the threats under the Acts section 4a1 factors, we found that the known range of Bradshaws lomatium was considered dramatically reduced when we listed it as an endangered species in 1988; at that time, we estimated that there were 11 small populations that included a total of roughly 25,000 to 30,000 individuals. In addition, the species faced threats from habitat loss due to land conversion for agriculture and urbanization, as well as natural succession to woody species dominance due to loss of historical disturbance regimes. As such, the species was perceived to be upon the brink of extinction. Bradshaws lomatium has been the subject of intensive recovery efforts since it was listed under the Act 30 years ago, and the discovery of new, previously unknown populations;
success in augmentation and habitat restoration and management efforts; and the protection of Bradshaws lomatium populations and habitats on public lands and on private lands through conservation easements and management agreements with NGOs and other parties have led to a significant reduction in threats and improvement in the status of the species since listing.
Recovery goals for delisting Bradshaws lomatium were set at a minimum of 20 populations with a total of 100,000 individual plants distributed across the species historical range.
Under current conditions, 24
populations of Bradshaws lomatium are distributed throughout the species historical range; if we consider only those populations in high or moderate condition and containing at least 200
individuals as contributing to recovery, 17 such populations occur throughout the range of the species see table, above. Considering only those 17

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populations in high or moderate condition and with greater than 200
plants, the most recent counts demonstrate an estimated 485,595
known individuals are distributed throughout the historical range of the species this count does not include the southwestern Washington population to ensure our evaluation was not unduly influenced by this single extremely large population.
Our analysis of current population condition on the basis of plant abundance, habitat quality, management, and protection from development resulted in rankings of 10
populations in high condition overall, 9
populations in moderate condition, and 4 populations in low condition.
Therefore, we are significantly less concerned about small population sizes or limited distribution of the species than we were at the time of listing. The increase in known populations is due in large part to increased survey efforts and incidental discovery of more occupied habitat, leaving open the potential of finding even more populations of Bradshaws lomatium in the future.
Acquisition by conservation NGOs, or enrollment into conservation easement programs, of sites containing Bradshaws lomatium populations has substantially reduced the risk of habitat and population losses due to land use conversion Factor A. In addition, population augmentation or introduction, combined with ongoing active management of woody encroachment and of nonnative, invasive plant infestations, has ameliorated the threat posed by these processes Factor A and increased the resilience of many Bradshaws lomatium populations on protected sites. Other potential threats identified at the time of listing have either never materialized parasitism by other organisms Factor C, negative effects of inbreeding depression Factor E or have been addressed through other means i.e., habitat protections and management, addressing Factor D.
Since listing, we have become aware of the potential for the effects of climate change Factor E to affect organisms and ecosystems, including potentially Bradshaws lomatium. We considered the potential consequences of climate change and evaluated a range of future scenarios, including one with up to a 50
percent reduction in the size of all known populations across the range of the species. Even in the face of such a severe population reduction, the species retained appreciable levels of resiliency, redundancy, and representation such that we do not consider the effects of climate change to pose a threat such that
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