Spalding's catchfly (Silene spaldingii S.Watson) at the Garden Creek Ranch, Craig Mountain, Idaho. 1993-2018. Draft Report

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The Garden Creek Ranch, a 14,000-acre ranch located on Craig Mountain approximately 30 miles south of Lewiston, has the largest know occurrence of the Threatened plant, Spalding’s catchfly (Silene spaldingii S.Watson), in Idaho [Hill and Gray 2004; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 2007]. Numerous surveys, monitoring projects, and conservation work for Spalding’s catchfly have been conducted at the Ranch over the past 25 years. The majority of this work was done between 1993 and 2002 prior to the availability of Global Positioning System [GPS] units and digital mapping. Altimeters and compasses were used to determine plant locations that were then delineated on topographic maps. Hand-written Rare Plant Observation Forms (RPOFs) were completed for each identified subpopulation. The results of this work were submitted to the Idaho rare plant database, currently known as the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Information System (IFWIS). Subsequent surveys occurring after 2002 utilized GPS and digital mapping to document plant locations. All of this survey/conservation/monitoring work has been well documented in several reports, but has never been summarized in one document that identifies and maps all known Spalding’s catchfly subpopulations at the Ranch and provides a total current plant count for this site. Currently, the IFWIS database for Spalding’s catchfly at the Ranch is incomplete, requires updating and revising. Much of the information in the database does not reflect the detailed map locations, site characteristics, or plant numbers in each subpopulation submitted during the 1993-2002 time period and does not document a major survey occurring in 2001 and 2002. Update information from several conservation and monitoring projects, as well as from subsequent surveys after 2002, needs to be entered, and the current total plant count for the Ranch needs to be documented. Additionally, it is advised that the Cave Gulch Saddle EO 20 that was first documented during 1993-2002 surveys and occurs within a major drainage comprising the Ranch, be incorporated into the Garden Creek Ranch EO 6. A digital map of the locations and extent of all subpopulations is needed to use as a base map for comparison with any future survey, monitoring, and conservation work. This report aims to provide this documentation and accomplish these goals.

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Reference Code: U18HIL03IDUS <br>

Full Citation: Hill, J.L. 2018. Spalding's catchfly (Silene spaldingii S.Watson) at the Garden Creek Ranch, Craig Mountain, Idaho. 1993-2018. Idaho Natural Heritage Program, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Boise, Idaho. Pp. 20, plus appendices. <br>

Location: ELECTRONIC FILE - BOTANY: PLANT SPECIES: {Silene spaldingii} <br>

Keywords: CDC, Conservation Data Center, TNC, The Nature Conservancy, Garden Creek Ranch, Silene spaldingii, rare plant, Canyon grasslands, Cave Gulch Saddle EO 20, Craig Mountain, Garden Creek Ranch EO 6, Silene spaldingii, Snake River, Spalding’s catchfly <br>