Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Horseshoe Milkvetch
Hides Out in Colorado
By Tony Frates
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
3
Utah Native Plant Society
Latin America, particularly Brazil, biodiesel) to replace them in hu- small part of our energy. Long-
Bolivia, Argentina, and Colombia, man and domestic livestock diets. term solutions to humanity's fu-
has potential to greatly expand its As a result, biofuels are being ture energy needs must be based
agricultural frontier, but unfortu- touted as an economic boon for the on two strategies: non-polluting
nately this would come at the ex- northern Great Plains farming sec- sources of energy such as solar and
pense of native forests and grass- tor, and they might be in the short- wind, and conservation. We will
lands, including some of the world's term. However, it should be re- have to live in smaller houses and
biodiversity hotspots. A recent re- membered that the sodbusting of drive smaller, more fuel-efficient
port by the United Nations Food and the early 20th Century was also a vehicles. We may have to drive
Agriculture Organization (FAO) in- short-term boom that resulted in a less, and we may have to turn
dicates that biofuel could provide long-term loss due to soil erosion down the thermostat and put on a
economic opportunities in develop- and the cost of reclaiming the land sweater. Native prairie is one of
ing countries if it resulted in an in- to perennial grass. Biofuels may the most endangered ecosystems
crease of small producers. However, seem like a good idea right now, in North America. Numerous
the FAO notes that expansion in but the greenhouse gas emissions, plants and animals depend on this
biofuel production will most likely fertilizer use, waste disposal, and habitat to persist. It is important
result in an increase in local crop food security problems make large- that any legislation promoting bio-
prices and a transfer of income from scale biofuel production unsustain- fuel production also carry provi-
poor urban people to wealthy large- able. Humans already appropriate sions to protect native prairie from
scale farmers. 40% of the earth's biological pro- sodbusting. Whatever role biofu-
Large-scale biofuel production ductivity. Further agricultural dis- els play in our energy future, it is
will likely also have significant turbance is untenable because not worth trading the loss of native
ramifications for the northern Great natural ecosystems provide critical prairie ecosystems for a short-term
Plains of the U.S. and Canada, even support for all life on the planet. economic surge.
though this region does not have Because of these problems, a short
either the climate or irrigation to period of biofuel glory will likely be Further reading:
raise corn, soybeans, or other highly followed by a decline in demand Crutzen, P.J. A.R. Mosier, K.A.
productive biofuel crops. Much of and production as better, non- Smith, and W. Winiwarter. 2007.
this cropland is also considered polluting energy sources come on N2O release from agro-biofuel
highly erodable by the Natural Re- line. Marginal cropland will again production negates global warm-
sources Conservation Service due to become idle and in need of restora- ing reduction by replacing fossil
low annual precipitation and poten- tion. We could be at the beginning fuels. Atmospheric Chemistry and
tial for wind erosion. A great deal of of another round of sodbusting and Physics Discussion 7:11191-11205.
highly erodible land was plowed up loss of one of the country's most www.atmos-chem-phys-
nearly 100 years ago and then aban- precious resources, native prairie. discuss.net.
doned during the dust bowl years It is possible that native grass- Economic Commission for Latin
when the climate became hotter and lands could be used for biofuel pro- America and the Caribbean and
drier. Since then, farmers have con- duction. David Tilman at the Uni- Food and Agriculture Organization
tinued to sodbust native rangeland versity of Minnesota proposes that of the United Nations. 2007. Op-
whenever markets allowed for a biofuels derived from native grass- portunities and risks arising from
profit on dryland crops. These prof- land hay could provide more en- the use of bio-energy for food se-
its were always short-lived however, ergy and greater CO2 reductions curity in Latin America. New York.
because the topsoil was thin, and than corn-based ethanol or soy- Giampietro, M., S. Uligiati, and
wheat markets are cyclical. The bean-derived biodiesel without D. Pimentel. 1997. Feasibility of
Government Accounting Office re- fertilizer or significant changes in large-scale biofuel production.
ports that 25 million acres of grass- food security. His predictions are Bioscience 47:587-600.
land were converted to other uses, based on studies showing that high Government Accounting Office.
primarily cropland, between 1985 diversity grasslands sequester 2007. Farm program payments
and 2003. Conversion continues more energy per acre than grass- are an important factor in land-
unabated across the northern plains lands with one or two species. Fur- owners' decisions to convert grass-
according to the Farm Service thermore, native grasslands store land to cropland. GAO-07-1054.
Agency, with over 100,000 acres of more carbon in the soil than crops Koh, L.P. 2007. Potential habi-
grassland converted to cropland in that require annual tillage. If the tat and biodiversity losses from
North Dakota since 2003, and over technology can be developed to intensified biodiesel feedstock pro-
26,000 acres converted in Montana extract the energy from native hay duction. Conservation Biology
the past three years. we can produce biofuels with little 21:1373-1375.
Increased demand for biofuel loss of native habitat and the ser- Tilman, D., J. Hill, and C. Leh-
crops and the concomitant higher vices it provides. man. 2006. Carbon-negative bio-
prices will spark an increased de- Most ecologists familiar with the fuels from low-input high diversity
mand for wheat and other dryland issue agree that biofuels can never grassland biomass. Science
crops (such as Camelina sativa for be expected to supply more than a 314:1598-1600.
5
Utah Native Plant Society
It is unclear what specimens north/northwest to the Utah bor- candidate species program for
Welsh based his Colorado locality der). She estimates that overall plants has for many years become,
information on in the 2003 flora. there are six occurrences and lamentably, dormant.
On February 24, 2006, Stan Welsh about 3,000 plants but expects Candidate status confers no ac-
determined that three out of four there may be more. Plants were tual legal protection, but by past
specimens sent to him for review by found in blackbrush communities, policy (and because the BLM has an
the herbarium at the University of often growing up through shrubs obligation generally to help ensure
Colorado at Boulder earlier that year but also out in the open. The that their actions do not cause a spe-
were Astragalus equisolensis. The southernmost plants were growing cies to need to be listed under the
three specimens were the same two with Artemisia nova, typically on ESA), the Utah BLM has automati-
Barneby collections taken from rocky convex slopes with reddish cally treated candidate species as
Gateway in 1985 and 1986, and the soils. though they were included within
Neely collection from Gateway in The habitat description and lo- their otherwise separately main-
1986. The fourth specimen was a cality of the plants noted by Lyon tained sensitive species list. Such
1921 George Osterhout collection in 2008 is remarkably consistent species have sometimes been treated
which remains labeled A. despera- with the mid-1980's specimens of almost as if they were formally
tus and which appears to have come Barneby and Neely with an exten- listed.
from the vicinity of Colorado Na- sion of the known habitat both The Horseshoe milkvetch was
tional Monument and Grand Junc- below and above Gateway. (There dropped as a candidate in 2006 for
tion and not specifically the Gateway is some natural confusion in that reasons that are controversial. The
area. ―up river‖ is to the south and last and only survey for the Utah
Under either name the plant was ―down river‖ is to the north of population was in 1991 by Ben
thought to be rare and was ranked Gateway.) It is of interest that Ben Franklin (published in 1992). The
by NatureServe (The nationwide Franklin noted the association of population was then estimated at
umbrella organization of state natu- Artemisia nova growing with the 10,000. Neither a comprehensive
ral heritage programs) as critically Horsehoe milkvetch in Utah in a survey nor monitoring took place
imperiled (T1), as it remains to this 1991 collection. before or after that time. In the
day. Welsh’s confirmation of the Candidate Notice of Review of
Gateway specimens in early 2006 Legal Status of Horseshoe 9/12/06 removing the milkvetch, it
led to renewed efforts to relocate it Milkvetch was indicated that ―there is no re-
in Colorado. In late April 2006, Complicating the picture is the cent information indicating it has
Ellen Mayo, botanist/plant ecologist fact that the Horseshoe milkvetch declined,‖ that ―the Colorado popu-
with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service was a federal candidate species lation is a recent discovery‖ and that
(FWS ) in Grand Junction, photo- from September 27, 1985 until the ―only potential threat of sub-
graphed and collected an Astragalus September 12, 2006, a period of stance is from future energy devel-
south of Gateway which in August of almost 21 years. A candidate is a opment, but that does not threaten
2008 was confirmed by Drs. Stan plant or animal species that the the species through most of its
Welsh and Duane Atwood to be As- FWS has sufficient information to range.‖
tragalus equisolensis. After waiting propose as Threatened or Endan- While it is true that the FWS
for some 20 years in relative obscu- gered under the Endangered Spe- would not have possessed any infor-
rity, the plant had been re-discov- cies Act (ESA). To be considered a mation about the status of the Colo-
ered in Colorado, apparently alive candidate, an extensive amount of rado plants in 2006 and that energy
and well. information and documentation of development might not obliterate
Encouraged by the Mayo find, threats has to be compiled similar the species from every last acre that
botanist Peggy Lyon of the Colorado to a listing proposal or petition it occupies, the timing of removing
Natural Heritage Program took up and published in the Federal Reg- Horseshoe milkvetch from the can-
the search for the Horseshoe milk- ister. didate list was unfortunate. Without
vetch in 2007 and discovered a new The goals and purpose of the any ongoing monitoring/surveying
location east of The Palisade (which candidate species program are efforts, the FWS was relying on 15
is north of Gateway) at 5,150 feet in laudable and include the potential year old information and was only
an open pinyon-juniper blackbrush for cooperative actions and land- assuming that the population in
community on May 20*. In 2008, owner incentives to reverse the Utah had not declined based on an-
Lyon located plants along the west decline of a species and avoid the ecdotal evidence. Even though As-
side of the Dolores River for about need for listing. While individuals tragali are thought to be evolution-
15 miles (south of Gateway and or organizations may provide in- arily capable of seeking out and
put to the FWS on species that adapting to harsh habitats, the on-
might be considered as candidates, going drought in the Uinta Basin has
*see Rare Plant Survey of BLM Lands, ultimately it is solely up to the likely added sudden and significant
Gateway, Colorado at http:// agency to make the recommenda- stresses on the plants and animals in
www.cnhp.colostate.edu/ tion. With respect to candidate the region and this may very well
documents/2007/Gateway%20final% plant species across the U.S., the have included the Horseshoe milk-
20report%20with%20edits.pdf
7
Utah Native Plant Society
has no state laws that offer any 8. Last but not least, a DNA available by sending an e-mail to
relief to actions on state lands. analysis comparing the Utah and unps@unps.org.
We may never know how or why Colorado plants should be con- Photographs by Ellen Mayo and
the Horseshoe milkvetch came to ducted and also at least partially Peggy Lyon are used by permission and
remain their respective property.
exist in two separate, very isolated paid for by industry (how closely Special thanks to the numerous indi-
areas some 115 air miles apart. related are the Utah and Colorado viduals who provided technical assis-
But there is action that needs to be populations?). tance and general information, and par-
taken and information that needs ticularly to Ellen Mayo, Peggy Lyon and
to be obtained to ensure that these Author's end notes: Ben Franklin.
rare and unique plants and the Space constraints prohibit the in- The comments, opinions and errors
ecosystems that support them con- clusion of numerous references upon in this article should solely be attributed
tinue to survive. These actions at a which this article was based; these are to its author.
minimum include:
1. The Utah BLM State Office
needs to add the species to its sen- Further Weakening of the Endangered Species Act
sitive species list as soon as possi-
ble and should consider new pro- On 11 August, 2008, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced
cedures to avoid having to add administrative changes in how the federal government will respond to po-
back a species that suffers an ESA tential conflicts between development projects and endangered species.
status change (that is, removal or For the past 35 years, Section 7 of the act has established the ground
de-listing should result in an auto- rules by which federal agencies are regulated by the US Fish and Wildlife
matic addition to the BLM sensi- Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Under
tive species list until such time as a Section 7, federal agencies proposing projects that might impact listed spe-
separate review is made on the cies on public or private lands are required to consult with scientists from
merits); USFWS and NMFS. Nearly 90% of consultations are ―informal‖ in which
2. The FWS should in due agencies and USFWS/NMFS typically find few impacts from a proposal or
course re-consider placing the spe- agree on minor modifications. Where conflicts are more significant,
cies back on the candidate list ―formal‖ consultations take place, in which USFWS/NMFS scientists de-
since significant information about velop comprehensive Biological Assessments of the proposal, its probable
the Colorado occurrences is now effects on listed species, and potential alternatives.
known, and there are real and ex- The new rules announced by the government now make the initiation of
isting threats particularly to the consultation voluntary on the part of the proponent agency. Federal agen-
Utah population but also to the cies can thus decide for themselves that their projects have no effect or only
Colorado locations that may still marginal impacts (cumulative effects need not be taken into account) with-
indicate that this is a threatened out input or oversight from professional biologists without a stake in the
species; outcome. Should consultation be sought by a proponent, USFWS and
3. A comprehensive survey of NFMS now have only 60 days to respond. If the deadline is missed, the
the Utah population should be project is automatically approved (not unlike the claim of a national pizza
conducted on a priority basis, and chain a few years ago that if not delivered in 30 minutes your pizza was
at least partially paid for by indus- free).
try (and should occur over a period The new rules are subject to a 30 day comment period before they will be
of more than just a single year); finalized in mid-September. (As of press time, however, there is no formal
4. Permanent monitoring plots announcement of the rule change on the USFWS Endangered Species pro-
should be established in Utah and gram website, and no contact information is provided to direct comments.)
Colorado; According to the government, these new changes do not require approval
5. Pollination studies need to by Congress. From 1995-2006, similar changes were proposed in legisla-
be conducted, particularly at the tion introduced by former California Congressman Richard Pombo, but
Utah site, which industry should routinely defeated.
help pay for; In 2003 the government developed similar rules allowing agencies to
6. Further surveys by both the approve new pesticides and projects to reduce the risk of wildfire without
Colorado and Utah natural heri- requiring consultation with government scientists about possible impacts
tage programs including searching to Threatened or Endangered species. The pesticide rule was later found to
the Dolores River drainage be- be illegal and overturned, while litigation is on-going on whether wildfire
tween the UT-CO border and prevention rules can circumvent the Endangered Species Act.
Fisher Towers need to be encour- As with all administrative rules, the proposed changes can be overturned
aged (perhaps the species occurs as easily as they are implemented (they lack the same weight as law). With
in Grand County, Utah?); a new administration taking power in January 2009, these rule changes
7. A soil analysis of the Utah may not survive. In the meantime, it is up to diligent citizens to watch how
and Colorado sites needs to be agencies meet their obligations under the Endangered Species Act and to
conducted (do the plants grow on demand that scientific rigor and objectivity be restored to their rightful
the same or different geologic for- place in the execution of government. - W. Fertig
mations?);
9
Utah Native Plant Society
10
Sego Lily September 2008 31 (5)
Want to see the Sego Lily in color? Or read late breaking UNPS news and find links to other
botanical websites? Or buy wildflower posters, cds, and other neat stuff at the UNPS store? Go
to unps.org!
12