Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Threatened Status for Chlorogalum purpureum (Purple Amole), a Plant From the South Coast Ranges of California

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, determine threatened status pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act), for the California plant, Chlorogalum purpureum (purple amole). This species comprises two varieties, C. p. var. purpureum and C. p. var. reductum. Chlorogalum purpureum var. purpureum is known only from the south coast ranges in Monterey County, on lands managed by the Department of the Army at Fort Hunter Liggett. It is threatened by loss and alteration of habitat, direct loss of plants from construction and use of military training facilities and from military field training activities, displacement by nonnative annual grasses, and potentially by alteration of fire cycles due to military training. Livestock grazing is a potential threat, as grazing may be reinstated in occupied habitat in the future. The other variety, C. p. var. reductum, is known only from two sites in the La Panza region of the coast ranges in San Luis Obispo County, on U.S. Forest Service and private lands. It is threatened by illegal vehicle trespass into the population on Forest Service land, road maintenance, displacement by nonnative annual grasses, and by livestock grazing depending upon the intensity of grazing use within the population area. This final rule implements the Federal protection and recovery provisions afforded by the Act. Although this rule lists Chlorogalum purpureum at the species level, each variety should be treated as a separate taxonomic unit for the purposes of applying the section 7 jeopardy standard and identifying recovery units, if applicable.