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Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 43 / Monday, March 8, 2021 / Rules and Regulations it would place the species at risk of extinction in the future Service 2018, pp. 4246. To be conservative, our analysis of future conditions did not consider that ongoing efforts to improve population sizes and habitat quality have the potential to further increase the number of resilient populations of Bradshaws lomatium. Many stressors to the species are being addressed through habitat management and population augmentation, but ongoing management is necessary to maintain resilient populations throughout the species range.
In sum, significant impacts at the time of listing such as habitat loss due to land use conversion and woody encroachment that could have resulted in the extirpation of all or parts of populations have been either eliminated or reduced since listing. An assessment of likely future conditions, including the status of known stressors, management trends, and possible impacts of climate change, finds that although populations may decline in abundance, at least 14 to 16 populations across the range of the species are expected to maintain high or moderate resiliency over a timeframe of 25 to 50
years into the future Service 2018, pp.
4246. We, therefore, conclude that the previously recognized impacts to Bradshaws lomatium from present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its habitat or range specifically, habitat development for agriculture or urbanization and invasion of prairie vegetation by various woody plant species Factor A; disease or predation specifically, parasitism by insects and predation by voles Factor C; the inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms Factor D; and other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued existence specifically, genetic isolation, inbreeding depression, and the effects of climate change Factor E do not rise to a level of significance, either individually or in combination, such that the species is in danger of extinction now or likely to become so within the foreseeable future.
Overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes Factor B was not a factor in listing and based on the best available information, we conclude that it does not constitute a threat to Bradshaws lomatium now or in the foreseeable future. The Service recognizes that woody encroachment and nonnative, invasive plant species are stressors with ongoing impacts to Bradshaws lomatium, but finds that current and expected trends in site protection and habitat management are sufficient to
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prevent these stressors from constituting a threat to the species such that it would meet the definition of an endangered species or a threatened species. Thus, after assessing the best available information, we determine that Bradshaws lomatium is not in danger of extinction now or likely to become so in the foreseeable future throughout all of its range.
Status Throughout a Significant Portion of Its Range Under the Act and our implementing regulations, a species may warrant listing if it is in danger of extinction or likely to become so in the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. Having determined that Bradshaws lomatium is not in danger of extinction or likely to become so in the foreseeable future throughout all of its range, we now consider whether it may be in danger of extinction or likely to become so in the foreseeable future in a significant portion of its rangethat is, whether there is any portion of the species range for which both 1 the portion is significant, and 2 the species is in danger of extinction now or likely to become so in the foreseeable future in that portion. Depending on the case, it might be more efficient for us to address the significance question or the status question first. We can choose to address either question first. Regardless of which question we address first, if we reach a negative answer with respect to the first question that we address, we do not need to evaluate the other question for that portion of the species range. In undertaking this analysis for Bradshaws lomatium, we choose to address the status question firstwe consider information pertaining to the geographic distribution of both the species and the threats that the species faces to identify any portions of the range where the species is endangered or threatened. We considered whether the threats to Bradshaws lomatium are geographically concentrated in any portion of the species range at a biologically meaningful scale. We examined the following threats: Habitat loss from land conversion or invasion of prairies by nonnative, invasive, and woody species;
parasitic organisms; predation by voles;
inadequate State or Federal protections;
inbreeding depression; climate change;
and the cumulative effects of these threats.
The threat of habitat loss from land conversion and invasion of prairies by nonnative, invasive, and woody species has decreased in all portions of the range since the time of listing, due to land protection efforts and active habitat
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management. Of the two sites that comprise the sole population of Bradshaws lomatium in southwestern Washington, one is located on a privately owned golf course and contained approximately 10.8 million Bradshaws lomatium plants at the most recent survey. This site currently has high-quality habitat. Current management at the site, as in past years, supports open, wet prairie conditions Service 2018, pp. 29, 57, primarily through mowing. Although no formal protections are in place that would prevent future development, we have no information to indicate that it is likely the site would be developed or that habitat management will change in any way that would substantially impact Bradshaws lomatium. In addition, the areas occupied by Bradshaws lomatium are within wetlands, which may have protections from development under State or Federal law. Based on the current protections of the other Washington site, a preserve owned and managed by the WDNR, the lack of any present threat of destruction or degradation at the privately owned golf course site, and ongoing appropriate management at both sites, we have confidence that habitat at these sites will continue to support Bradshaws lomatium for the foreseeable future. In Oregon, greater than 99 percent of known Bradshaws lomatium plants occur on sites protected through public or NGO ownership, through designation as a right-of-way, or by conservation easements on private lands. Rangewide, 75 percent of the known sites receive active management that benefits the species. Thus, we have found no evidence that the present or threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of habitat Factor A is concentrated within any portion of Bradshaws lomatiums range, or will be within the foreseeable future.
We found no evidence that negative impacts due to parasitic organisms constitute a threat to the viability of Bradshaws lomatium in any part of its range, now or in the foreseeable future.
Predation by voles appears to vary year to year and can substantially reduce aboveground biomass and reproduction of Bradshaws lomatium in years when vole abundance is high.
However, the effect on populations is found to be minimal over time, as long as there is sufficient time for Bradshaws lomatium to regenerate taproot reserves between vole outbreaks Drew 2000, pp.
5455, and no consistent long-term declines attributable to vole predation have been reported Service 2018, p.
20. The best available information does not indicate that predation is
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