Meadowfoam shelters endangered fairy shrimp

By TAM MOORE
For the Capital Press

MEDFORD, Ore. -- Private landowners have little to fear from a pending federal habitat designation for two rare plants growing in Southern Oregon, according to a government botanist.

Sam Friedman, a regional U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service botanist, heads up the effort to meet a court-ordered July 15 deadline for starting "critical habitat" descriptions for large-flowered wooly meadowfoam and another seasonal plant popularly known as Cook's desert parsley. The meadowfoam grows on the edge of vernal pools near White City, a Medford suburb, also known as habitat for the endangered fairy shrimp.

Last week he conducted a pair of informational meetings in Jackson and Josephine counties.

"Grazing's not an issue," with the plants, Friedman said, because of research done on fairy shrimp life cycles. Periodically cropping vegetation is linked with survival of the shrimp populations, which go dormant in mud as seasonal ponds dry up.

The desert parsley exists in similar habitat in Jackson County, and in a collection of seasonal wet meadows in and around the town of Cave Junction in Josephine County. Both plants were formally put on the endangered species list in 2002, and since then federal officials and The Nature Conservancy have worked toward increasing the number of remaining plants.

That effort is aided by Oregon Department of Agriculture and Oregon State University, which teamed up to raise desert parsley from seed. Seedlings were transplanted to sites in both counties, but Friedman said it's too early to know if plant populations have increased since the initial planting.

There are 21 known desert parsley colonies in Josephine County, including some plants on 111 acres of private land. Friedman said when the habitat designation is complete -- that will take about one year -- management limitations will apply to federal lands.

Private landowners have the option of making so-called "safe harbor" agreements with FWS. For those who don't, a private land management review would only occur if a federal permit, such as a fill-and-removal permit sought under the Clean Water Act, involved land with a colony of meadowfoam or desert parsley.

Freelance writer Tam Moore is based in Medford, Ore. E-mail: moore.tam@gmail.com.