Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Determination of Endangered Status for Lomatium cookii (Cook's Lomatium) and Limnanthes floccosa ssp. grandiflora (Large-Flowered Woolly Meadowfoam) From Southern Oregon

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), determine endangered status for two plants, Lomatium cookii (Cook's lomatium) and Limnanthes floccosa ssp. grandiflora (large-flowered woolly meadowfoam), pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). Both of these plants inhabit seasonally wet habitats known as vernal pools in the Agate Desert, an area north of the city of Medford (Jackson County), Oregon. Lomatium cookii and Limnanthes floccosa ssp. grandiflora are known to occur at about 15 sites each, in the Agate Desert. This is based on the last observation of those sites, which vary year to year, depending on location and survey effort. Lomatium cookii is also known to occur on seasonally wet soils at about 21 sites in Josephine County, Oregon (referred to as the French Flat/Illinois Valley sites) which are immediately west of Jackson County. The continued existence of Lomatium cookii and Limnanthes floccosa ssp. grandiflora is threatened primarily by destruction of their specialized habitat by industrial and residential development, including road and powerline construction and maintenance. Agricultural conversion, certain grazing practices, off-road vehicle use, and competition with non-native plants also contribute to population declines and local extirpations. Lomatium cookii sites in Josephine County are additionally threatened by habitat alteration associated with gold mining and woody species encroachment resulting from fire suppression. This rule implements Federal protection and recovery provisions of the Act to Lomatium cookii and Limnanthes floccosa ssp. grandiflora.