Identification of conservation priorities for and threats to Palouse grassland and canyon grassland remnants in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon

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This report summarizes the results of Phase I of a project designed to assess threats to Palouse Grassland and Canyon Grassland communities and associated sensitive plant taxa and to increase the number of high-quality occurrences of these elements that are protected through private conservation agreements. Data on element occurrences of plant communities and rare or endemic plant taxa associated with Palouse Grassland or Canyon Grassland of Washington, Oregon, or Idaho were obtained from the Idaho Fish and Game Conservation Data Center, the Washington Department of Natural Resources Natural Heritage Program, and the Oregon Division of State Lands/Oregon Nature Conservancy Natural Heritage Program. A total of 308 of these elements occurred on sites that currently are not protected. These sites were ranked in terms of size, proximity to other occurrences of Palouse or Canyon Grassland elements, number of elements at the site, and quality of occurrence. Twenty sites were identified as conservation priorities that are currently unprotected. In addition, baseline monitoring at five sites, reconnaissance visits to eights sites, and comparisons with data obtained at three sites a minimum of 35 years ago indicated that exotic species are a widespread threat to Palouse and Canyon Grassland communities.

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ELECTRONIC FILE - Ecology

SWAP (2/19/2016) citation:
Weddell BJ, Lichthardt JJ. 1998. Identification of conservation priorities for and threats to Palouse grassland and canyon grassland remnants in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. Boise (ID): US Bureau of Land Management, Idaho State Office. Tech. Bull. 98-13. [accessed 2016 Feb 18]. http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/129091.

Additional information (but not necessary with the BLM cover atop with report number): Authors were working for the Palouse Land Trust. Report was for the Bureau of Land Management, Cottonwood District, Cottonwood, ID. Order no.: 1422D065P980006 (challenge cost-share project between the BLM, Cottonwood Resource Area, Cottonwood, ID, and the Palouse Land Trust, Moscow, ID)