Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Reclassification of Acmispon dendroideus var. traskiae (=Lotus d. subsp. traskiae) and Castilleja grisea as Threatened Throughout Their Ranges

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service), are reclassifying Acmispon dendroideus var. traskiae (San Clemente Island lotus) and Castilleja grisea (San Clemente Island paintbrush) from endangered to threatened. The endangered designation no longer correctly reflects the status of these plants due to substantial improvement in their status. This action is based on a review of the best available scientific and commercial data, which indicate that the ongoing threats are not of sufficient imminence, intensity, or magnitude to indicate that A. d. var. traskiae and C. grisea are presently in danger of extinction across their ranges. While both taxa will continue to be impacted by military training activities and land use, erosion, nonnative plants, and fire, the significant increase in abundance (number of occurrences) of both taxa reduces the severity and magnitude of threats and the likelihood that any one event would affect all occurrences of either taxon. Additionally, the Department of the Navy (Navy) is implementing conservation actions through their Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan and has successfully reduced threats impacting both taxa and their habitat.