Proposed Conservation measures for:
Conservation Agreement for Graham’s and White River beardtongues
Factor: Energy exploration and development
Impacts:
 Direct mortality from surface disturbance
 Indirect disturbance from surface disturbance including increased dust, introduction of
invasives and fragmentation
 Community and habitat disturbance from surface disturbance including soil and
vegetation removal
 Invasion and spread of non-native species, competition with natives
 Increased dust emissions
 Restricted pollinator movement/loss/disturbance from roads and energy emissions
 Habitat loss/fragmentation
Conservation Actions:
 Formation of a conservation team dedicated to conservation of Graham’s and White
River beardtongues which will oversee and ensure implementation of conservation
activities listed in this document. The team will meet annually to review conservation
actions and produce a report for USFWS.
o All parties signatory to this agreement have the option to have one member
assigned to a conservation team to review this agreement, and review and assess
the effectiveness and implementation of the conservation actions in this
agreement. The conservation team will also assist in the development of
monitoring plans outlined in this agreement.
o Conservation team members do not have to be signatory to this agreement. The
conservation team may also include but is not limited to the following additional
memebers: Heritage Program personnel, permittees, botanists, and other
interested parties.
o The conservation team will be organized within 6 months following the signature
of this agreement. Each non-federal property owner committing to this candidate
conservation agreement will be listed as a signatory on the agreement and can
participate on the conservation team.
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Designation of Conservaton Areas: The area outlined in Figure 1 (TBD) and
encompassed by the coordinate vertices in Appendix 1 (TBD) will be designated and
conserved as a conservation area with no new surface disturbance from the date this
agreement is signed (except for restoration as discussed below).
o On federally managed lands: Designated areas in Figure 1 will be conserved on
public lands as conservation areas with no new surface disturbance from the date
this agreement is signed.
o On federal lands: New conservation areas may be designated by the
conservation team and USFWS for no new surface disturbance once surveys are
completed or if new information shows that certain areas are important for the
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species recovery, genetic representation, stability or to preclude listing. As new
areas are incorporated and/or the known population increases previously
designated conservation areas may be released for development only in
consultation with the USFWS and when it still allows for species recovery.
o On non-federal lands: New conservation areas may be recommended by the
conservation team and USFWS for conservation if new information shows that
certain areas are important for the species recovery, genetic representation,
stability or to preclude listing. As new areas are incorporated and the known
population increases on non-federal lands designated conservation areas on nonfederal lands may be released for development by USFWS only in consultation
with the USFWS and when it still allows for species recovery. Landowner
approval will be gained prior to designating any additional land on non-federal
land.
o Future populations and sites selected to be conserved will include a continuous
area and connected populations with no incursions or fragmentation to ensure
maximum connectivity between sites.
Ecological restoration on non-federal lands: Surface disturbance may occur within a
portion of the areas designated for the conservation of Graham’s penstemon and White
River penstemon on non-federal lands if ecological restoration is planned, funded and
demonstrated to be successful on a large scale.
o A large scale (500 acres or more) restoration study must demonstrate successful
restoration of the species, its environment (ie. soils, moisture regime) and its
community components (ie pollinators, other flowering plants) prior to surface
disturbance to designated conservation areas.
o In each of the proposed critical habitat units (for each of the species) reference
areas not less than 45% of the designated and conserved area of occupied habitat
will be set aside in perpetuity with no surface disturbance (ie no mining and
subsequent restoration will occur) to ensure resiliency and redundancy of the
species and serve as core, secure reference populations for restoration purposes.
o A restoration plan will be developed by the conservation team and approved by
the USFWS with success criteria outlined and measured.
o Reference areas as identified in the restoration plan will be placed into a
conservation easement on non-federal lands within 1 year of when a restoration
plan is developed by the conservation team and approved by USFWS.
o Factors of success will include successful recruitment of the species over three
generations and one drought period or 15 years whichever is longer, stable or
increasing population of recruited plants, genetic representation, lack of
inbreeding depression, suitability of substrate characteristics and intactness of
community components including pollinators and other flowering plants including
other oil shale endemics such as Dragon milkvetch (Astragalus lutosus), oilshale
columbine (Aquilegia barnebyi), Barneby’s thistle (Circium barnebyi), oilshale
cryptantha (Crypthantha barnebyi), Graham’s cryptantha (Cryptantha grahamii),
Rollins’ cryptantha (Cryptantha rollinsii), and ephedra buckwheat (Eriogonum
ephedroides). Understanding the mechanisms related to recruitment for the
species and other community components will be important to the restoration
process.
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o Restoration must take place on a separate previously occupied parcel prior to
development of designated conservation areas so that there is no net loss of
occupied habitat.
o Any surface disturbance in designated conservation areas will be approved by
USFWS prior to disturbance.
o The restoration of the conservation area to be developed must be funded in
advance of development.
Surveys/Monitoring/BMPs
o Prior to any surface disturbance on federal and non-federal lands in suitable
habitat surveys will be conducted within the area of disturbance and out to 300
feet from the edge of the disturbance to determine species presence, population
and distribution. Surveys will follow standard survey protocol as detailed in the
US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Utah Field Office Guidelines for
Conducting and Reporting Botanical Inventories and Monitoring of Federally
Listed, Proposed and Candidate plants (2011).
o On Federal lands where the species occurs outside of designated conservation
areas, no surface disturbance will occur within 300 feet of plants to maintain
adequate pollinator movements and prevent disturbance from dust.
o On all federal and non-federal lands the conservation team will collect seeds and
/or salvage a portion of plants from areas to be disturbed in order to ensure
genetic representation of the species.
o The BLM and other signatories will develop and implement a monitoring and
adaptive management plan, to be approved by the USFWS. This monitoring plan
will include:
 A weed management plan within and adjacent to designated conservation
areas that includes monitoring and treating invasive species
 A species monitoring plan to determine trends in plant populations across
their ranges and identify significant threats to the species.
 Solicit funding for a peer-reviewed pollinator study to determine
movement patterns, and characteristics of nesting habitat for suitable
pollinators, and characteristics of the native plant community needed to
maintain suitable habitat for pollinators, especially the masarid wasp
(Pseudomasaris vespoides)
Factor: Inadequacy of Existing Regulatory Mechanisms
Impacts:
 Lack of rangewide protection
 Loss of plants/ habitat under Federal ownership
 Loss of plants/habitat under private ownership
 Habitat loss and fragmentation
Conservation Actions:
 The BLM will ensure that ongoing and future Federal actions support or do not preclude
the species conservation. To that end, the BLM shall involve USFWS at their discretion
and the appropriate State agencies in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
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analysis as cooperators or partners for all projects likely to affect the species and its
habitat. All projects located in designated conservation areas and their potential to
impact the species will be reported in the Conservation Team annual report to the
USFWS.
The BLM will retain Graham’s and White River Beardtongues on the BLM Special
Status Species list to ensure that the effects of proposed projects are analyzed for the
species.
If federal land is transferred to the state of Utah, the state agrees to maintain the
designated conservation areas and protections for the two species in the transferred
parcels.
The BLM will incorporate the provisions of this CCA or the latest amendments to this
CCA into its Resource Management Plan, permitting requirements, agency planning
documents and budgets. Within 3 months BLM will incorporate the provisions of this
plan into permits and budgets. Within 1 year BLM will incorporate the provisions of this
agreement into their RMP and/or place designated conservation areas into an ACEC.
The Conservation Team will provide an annual report on the implementation of this
agreement to USFWS and the conservation team. The report will also include monitoring
results and adaptive management recommendations.
All designated conservation areas on non-federal lands will be placed into a conservation
easement, and/or will be subject to county ordinance regulations or similar legal
protection as approved by USFWS within 3 months of signing this CCA.
Conservation areas on private land will only be designated for conservation with
landowner agreement as a signatory to this agreement.
Uintah County will enact an ordinance with associated enforcement protocols and
penalties that protect designated conservation areas from surface disturbance or other
adverse impacts to the species on non-federal and non-state lands within 3 months after
the signing of this CCA.
The State Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) will enact a regulation within
3 months after the signing of this CCA that will protect designated conservation areas
from surface disturbance or other adverse impacts to the species on SITLA lands
BLM will retain all land where Graham’s and White River beardtongues are present
including sites that may become extirpated.
In suitable habitat that has not been designated as a conservation area BLM will ensure
that all leases contain provision to survey for and protect Graham’s and White River
beardtongues by a buffer of 300 feet as well as other conservation measures as described
in the Vernal BLM RMP Appendix L.
Non-federal landowners will report plant losses due to surface disturbance or other
impacts outside of designated conservation areas to the Conservation Team which will in
turn incorporate in an annual report to the USFWS.
The Conservation team will track the loss of plants and habitat on non-federal lands as a
result of surface disturbance and report this amount the USFWS annually.
Factor: Livestock grazing
Impacts:
 Herbivory of all or part of above ground portion of vegetative portion of plant
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Herbivory of all or part of the inflorescence
Trampling of plant and habitat
Change in community composition
Invasive species invasion, spread and competition
Alteration of soil characteristics
Conservation Actions:
 Grazing will only occur during the winter and early spring from Oct 15-Mar 30 in BLM
allotments where the species occur.
 A rest period of at least one full year every third year will occur on BLM allotments in
pastures where the species occur. Alternatively, the sites where the species occur may be
fenced and maintained to exclude grazing by livestock.
 Solicit a peer-reviewed study on how livestock grazing affects species reproduction,
recruitment, plant community, and soil characteristics (for example, an exclosure study)
to better characterize the threat and adjust grazing management.
 Incorporate the following terms and conditions into grazing and crossing permits to avoid
trailing, mineral licks, and water sources in critical habitat on BLM land :
a. Locate water sources and mineral supplements at least 0.5 miles (805 m/ 2,641 ft)
away from habitat to protect the habitat and plant pollinators. These structures or
materials will be placed so that livestock are drawn away from occurrences and
trailing is avoided through occurrences en-route.
b. Prohibit trailing of livestock within the habitat. Utilize effective measures to direct
trailing outside of habitat.
c. Adjust livestock use for occupied habitat after major disturbances to provide adequate
rest from grazing. (major disturbances include fire, post-fire activities or other soil
disturbing activities).
d. The length of rest will be determined by species response as measured by rangewide
monitoring in accordance with the monitoring plan. If rangewide monitoring shows
species health is declining or not recovering then the pasture will be rested until
populations recover and plants are healthy (ie. exhibit good turgor pressure, maintain
average height, number of leaves, produce inflorescences, etc.).
 Within 1 year the Conservation Team will develop, fund and implement a weed
management plan to be approved by USFWS in designated conservation areas which
includes repeated annual surveys to detect invasions and treat invasive species as soon as
detected (this can be part of the rangewide monitoring plan if appropriate).
Factor: Road construction and maintenance
Impacts:
 Direct mortality from surface disturbance
 Invasive species invasion, spread and competition
 Increased dust emissions
 Restricted pollinator movement from roads
 Habitat loss/fragmentation
Conservation Actions:
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Outside of designated conservation areas new road construction and maintenance will be
planned to avoid sites and populations by 600 feet to ensure adequate uninterrupted
pollinator movement.
Where road construction or maintenance cannot avoid sites or populations the road will
be planned to reduce fragmentation.
Where roads are to be constructed in occupied habitat seed from plants to be destroyed
will be collected and deposited with the appropriate CPC sponsored institution (Red
Butte Garden).
If road construction or maintenance will disturb more than 10% of plants in a site or more
than one site then the organization responsible for construction will coordinate with the
USFWS on the project.
Within one year develop and implement a dust management and suppression plan in all
areas with exposed soils (roads, trails, well pads, surface mined areas, etc) that include
the timing and type of suppression activity to be used.
Within 1 year the Conservation Team will develop, fund and implement a weed
management plan to be approved by USFWS in designated conservation areas which
includes repeated annual surveys to detect invasions and treatment of invasive species as
soon as detected (also under energy exploration and development and livestock grazing).
Factor: Invasive weeds
Impacts:
 Invasion and establishment
 Competition
 Community alteration
Conservation Actions:
 Within 1 year the Conservation team will develop, fund and implement a weed
management plan approved by the USFWS in conservation areas which includes repeated
annual targeted surveys to detect invasions and treatment of invasive species as soon as
detected. This plan can be incorporated as part of a range-wide monitoring plan.
 The weed management plan will identify treatment options for each known invasive
species in the habitat of the species, with the goal of selecting the most appropriate option
that controls weeds and minimizes adverse effects to Graham’s or White River
beardtongues and their native plant community.
 The Conservation Team will develop and implement a monitoring protocol in the weed
management plan to determine the effectiveness of their actions.
 The Conservation Team will review and update the weed management plan annually
based on surveys and monitoring and other information and create an annual schedule of
work targeting priority areas.
 The weed management plan will develop and adopt best management practices for
preventing the spread of invasive and/or exotic plants within the designated conservation
areas on federal and non-federal lands.
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The Conservation Team will provide an annual report as part of the range-wide
monitoring report to the USFWS on the activities and accomplishments in controlling
invasive weeds.
Factor: Small population size
Impacts:
 Stochastic events
 Inbreeding depression
 Lower sexual reproduction
 Loss of genetic diversity
Conservation Actions:
 Develop and implement a rangewide monitoring plan approved by USFWS to determine
trends in plant populations across the range of the species’. The plan should include
continued monitoring at the current sites established by Red Butte Gradens.
 Collect seed over multiple years in all areas where the species’ are present in accordance
with USFWS and CPC guidelines for placement in storage at Red Butte Garden and the
National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation. A seed collection plan will be
developed and implemented with approval from USFWS.
 Also see land conservation measures in Energy Exploration and Development section.
Factor: Climate change
Impacts:
 Mortality caused by drought
 Stress, lack of reproduction and recruitment and mortality caused by shifting rainfall
patterns
 Habitat degradation
Conservation Actions:
 As part of demographic monitoring of the species’ include a component to study the
relationship between precipitation patterns and species’ growth, reproduction and
recruitment and mortality. This may be accomplished by establishing weather
monitoring equipment at existing long-term demographic sites currently monitored by
Red Butte Gardens.
 Over the life of this plan identify and designate for conservation suitable habitat that is
located on cooler, wetter slopes at higher elevations to ensure availability of future
habitat.
Factor: Wildfire
Impacts:
 Mortality
 Community composition alteration
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Post-fire response ground disturbance
Increased invasion and competition from invasive species
Conservation Actions:
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Any wildfire planning, response and post-wildfire actions on federal and non-federal
lands in occupied habitat will include input form USFWS.
Factor: Off-Road Vehicles
Impacts:
 Direct mortality
 Increased dust load
 Fragmentation of habitat
Conservation Actions:
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On federal lands existing roads in designated conservation areas will be considered for
closure, limited use or re-routing as appropriate to gain compliance and protect
designated conservation areas.
On non-federal lands where OHV use occurs, landowners and managers will re-route
OHV use away from designated conservation areas.