Colorado rare plant conservation initiative

Moderator: David Anderson.Presented at the 8th international congress for wildlife and livelihoods on private and communal lands: livestock, tourism, and spirit, that was held on September 7-12, 2014 in Estes Park, Colorado.The Colorado Rare Plant Conservation Initiative (RPCI) is a diverse partnership of public agencies, private organizations and academic institutions. The overall goal of the RPCI is to conserve Colorado’s most imperiled native plants (122 plant species at significant risk of extinction) and their habitats through collaborative partnerships for the preservation of our natural heritage and the benefit of future generations. This partnership has produced a strategy for Colorado's imperiled plants and their habitats that represents a collective vision for plant conservation in Colorado, emphasizing a proactive approach to ensure the long-term stewardship and viability of Colorado's rarest plants. The strategy identifies six objectives for the next ten years: 1) secure on-the-ground, site-specific habitat protection, 2) minimize the impacts of specific land uses, 3) improve scientific understanding through inventory, research and monitoring, 4) develop and implement a state program and polices, 5) facilitate stewardship through education and outreach, and 6) adopt measures for off-site conservation. The implementation of this strategy is supporting a systematic and meaningful advance in plant conservation in Colorado, with the aim of avoiding the need for federal listings. The efforts of RPCI, including Conservation Action Planning workshops, legislative initiatives, research projects, and the development of Best Management Practices, have already led to significant progress for rare plant conservation in Colorado with respect to policy, on-the-ground action, and awareness of rare plants. The strategy has become a model for collaborative plant conservation, and this approach is now being implemented and expanded to other states and internationally

Recommended best management practices for Gunnison milkvetch (Astragalus anisus): practices developed to reduce the impacts of road maintenance activities to plants of concern

Prepared for: Colorado Department of Transportation and the Colorado Natural Areas Program.May 2014.Includes bibliographical references (pages 9-11).Gunnison milkvetch (Astragalus anisus) is a small plant in the Fabaceae (Pea Family) that is known only from the Gunnison Basin in Gunnison and Saguache counties, Colorado, and is considered to be imperiled at a global and state level (G2G3/S2S3; Colorado Natural Heritage Program 2014). One of the biggest conservation issues for this imperiled plant species is the lack of awareness of its existence and status. Avoiding or minimizing impacts to this species during road maintenance activities will effectively help to conserve its habitat and is unlikely to confer substantial impacts on road maintenance goals and projects. The Best Management Practices (BMPs) included in this document are intended to help increase the awareness of this species for anyone involved in road maintenance activities. The desired outcome of these recommended BMPs is to reduce significantly the impacts of road maintenance activities to the Gunnison milkvetch on federal, state, and/or private land. The BMPs listed here are intended to be iterative, and to evolve over time as additional information about the Gunnison milkvetch becomes available, or as road maintenance technologies develop. The intent of these BMPs is to inform people working along roadside areas regarding the importance of Gunnison milkvetch, one of Colorado's botanical treasures, and to outline some of the ways in which this species can coexist with road maintenance activities. The implementation of these recommendations will help to assure that maintenance activities proceed without unintended harm to these globally imperiled plants

Recommended best management practices for Arkansas Canyon stickleaf (Nuttallia densa): practices developed to reduce the impacts of road maintenance activities to plants of concern

Prepared for: Colorado Department of Transportation and the Colorado Natural Areas Program.May 2014.Includes bibliographical references (pages 9-10).Arkansas Canyon stickleaf (Nuttallia densa) is a small, yellow-flowered, subshrub in the Loasaceae (Blazingstar Family) that is known only from the Upper Arkansas River Basin in Fremont and Chaffee counties, Colorado, and is considered to be imperiled at a global and state level (G2/S2; Colorado Natural Heritage Program 2014). One of the biggest conservation issues for this imperiled plant species is the lack of awareness of its existence and status. Avoiding or minimizing impacts to this species during road maintenance activities will effectively help to conserve its habitat and is unlikely to confer substantial impacts on road maintenance goals and projects. The Best Management Practices (BMPs) included in this document are intended to help increase the awareness of this species for anyone involved in road maintenance activities. The desired outcome of these recommended BMPs is to reduce significantly the impacts of road maintenance activities to the Arkansas Canyon stickleaf on federal, state, and/or private land. The BMPs listed here are intended to be iterative, and to evolve over time as additional information about the Arkansas Canyon stickleaf becomes available, or as road maintenance technologies develop. The intent of these BMPs is to inform people working along roadside areas regarding the importance of Arkansas Canyon stickleaf, one of Colorado's botanical treasures, and to outline some of the ways in which this species can coexist with road maintenance activities. The implementation of these recommendations will help to assure that maintenance activities proceed without unintended harm to the Arkansas Canyon stickleaf

Recommended best management practices for Rollins' twinpod (Physaria rollinsii): practices developed to reduce the impacts of road maintenance activities to plants of concern

Rollins' twinpod (Physaria rollinsii) is a small plant in the Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) that is known only from west central Colorado in Gunnison and Mesa counties, Colorado, and is considered to be critically imperiled at a global and state level (G1/S1; Colorado Natural Heritage Program 2014). One of the biggest conservation issues for: this imperiled plant species is the lack of awareness of its existence and status. Avoiding or minimizing impacts to this species during road maintenance activities will effectively help to conserve its habitat and is unlikely to confer substantial impacts on road maintenance goals and projects. The Best Management Practices (BMPs) included in this document are intended to help increase the awareness of this species for: anyone involved in road maintenance activities. The desired outcome of these recommended BMPs is to reduce significantly the impacts of road maintenance activities to the Rollins' twinpod on federal, state, and/or private land. The BMPs listed here are intended to be iterative, and to evolve over time as additional information about the Rollins' twinpod becomes available, or as road maintenance technologies develop. The intent of these BMPs is to inform people working along roadside areas regarding the importance of Rollins' twinpod, one of Colorado's botanical treasures, and to outline some of the ways in which this species can coexist with road maintenance activities. The implementation of these recommendations will help to assure that maintenance activities proceed without unintended harm to these globally imperiled plants.May 2014.Prepared for: Colorado Department of Transportation and the Colorado Natural Areas Program.Rollins' twinpod (Physaria rollinsii) is a small plant in the Brassicaceae (Mustard Family) that is known only from west central Colorado in Gunnison and Mesa counties, Colorado, and is considered to be critically imperiled at a global and state level (G1/S1; Colorado Natural Heritage Program 2014). One of the biggest conservation issues for this imperiled plant species is the lack of awareness of its existence and status. Avoiding or minimizing impacts to this species during road maintenance activities will effectively help to conserve its habitat and is unlikely to confer substantial impacts on road maintenance goals and projects. The Best Management Practices (BMPs) included in this document are intended to help increase the awareness of this species for anyone involved in road maintenance activities. The desired outcome of these recommended BMPs is to reduce significantly the impacts of road maintenance activities to the Rollins' twinpod on federal, state, and/or private land. The BMPs listed here are intended to be iterative, and to evolve over time as additional information about the Rollins' twinpod becomes available, or as road maintenance technologies develop. The intent of these BMPs is to inform people working along roadside areas regarding the importance of Rollins’ twinpod, one of Colorado's botanical treasures, and to outline some of the ways in which this species can coexist with road maintenance activities. The implementation of these recommendations will help to assure that maintenance activities proceed without unintended harm to these globally imperiled plants

Recommended best management practices for Brandegee wild buckwheat (Eriogonum brandegeei): practices developed to reduce the impacts of road maintenance activities to plants of concern

Prepared for: Colorado Department of Transportation and the Colorado Natural Areas Program.June 2014.Includes bibliographical references (pages 9-10).Brandegee wild buckwheat (Eriogonum brandegeei) is a mat-forming plant in the Polygonaceae (Buckwheat Family) that is known only from the Arkansas Valley in Fremont and Chaffee counties, Colorado, and is considered to be imperiled at a global and state level (G1G2/S1S2; Colorado Natural Heritage Program 2014). One of the biggest conservation issues for this imperiled plant species is the lack of awareness of its existence and status. Avoiding or minimizing impacts to this species during road maintenance activities will effectively help to conserve its habitat and is unlikely to confer substantial impacts on road maintenance goals and projects. The Best Management Practices (BMPs) included in this document are intended to help increase the awareness of this species for anyone involved in road maintenance activities. The desired outcome of these recommended BMPs is to reduce significantly the impacts of road maintenance activities to the Brandegee wild buckwheat on federal, state, and/or private land. The BMPs listed here are intended to be iterative, and to evolve over time as additional information about the Brandegee wild buckwheat becomes available, or as road maintenance technologies develop. The intent of these BMPs is to inform people working along roadside areas regarding the importance of Brandegee wild buckwheat, one of Colorado's botanical treasures, and to outline some of the ways in which this species can coexist with road maintenance activities. The implementation of these recommendations will help to assure that maintenance activities proceed without unintended harm to these globally imperiled plants

Recommended best management practices for Rabbit Ears gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata ssp. weberi): practices developed to reduce the impacts of road maintenance activities to plants of concern

Prepared for: Colorado Department of Transportation and the Colorado Natural Areas Program.May 2014.Includes bibliographical references (pages 10-11).Rabbit Ears gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata ssp. weberi) is a tall herbaceous plant in the Polemoniaceae (Phlox Family) that is known from north central Colorado in Grand, Jackson, and Routt counties, and is also found in northern Idaho and south central Wyoming. This subspecies is considered to be imperiled at a global and state level (G5T2, S2; Colorado Natural Heritage Program 2014). One of the biggest conservation issues for this imperiled plant species is the lack of awareness of its existence and status. Avoiding or minimizing impacts to this species during road maintenance activities will effectively help to conserve its habitat and is unlikely to confer substantial impacts on road maintenance goals and projects. The Best Management Practices (BMPs) included in this document are intended to help increase the awareness of this species for anyone involved in road maintenance activities. The desired outcome of these recommended BMPs is to reduce significantly the impacts of road maintenance activities to the Rabbit Ears gilia on federal, state, and/or private land. The BMPs listed here are intended to be iterative, and to evolve over time as additional information about the Rabbit Ears gilia becomes available, or as road maintenance technologies develop. The intent of these BMPs is to inform people working along roadside areas regarding the importance of Rabbit Ears gilia, one of Colorado's botanical treasures, and to outline some of the ways in which this species can coexist with road maintenance activities. The implementation of these recommendations will help to assure that maintenance activities proceed without unintended harm to the Rabbit Ears gilia

Recommended best management practices for Grand Mesa penstemon (Penstemon mensarum): practices developed to reduce the impacts of road maintenance activities to plants of concern

Prepared for: Colorado Department of Transportation and the Colorado Natural Areas Program.May 2014.Includes bibliographical references (page 9).Grand Mesa penstemon (Penstemon mensarum) is a tall, dark-blue-flowered plant in the Scrophulariaceae (Figwort Family) that is known only from the vicinity of Grand Mesa in Gunnison, Delta, Mesa, and Pitkin counties, Colorado. This distinctive species is not known from anywhere else in the world, and is considered to be imperiled at a global and state level (G2/S2; Colorado Natural Heritage Program 2014). One of the biggest conservation issues for this imperiled plant species is the lack of awareness of its existence and status. Avoiding or minimizing impacts to this species during road maintenance activities will effectively help to conserve its habitat and is unlikely to confer substantial impacts on road maintenance goals and projects. The Best Management Practices (BMPs) included in this document are intended to help increase the awareness of this species for anyone involved in road maintenance activities. The desired outcome of these recommended BMPs is to reduce significantly the impacts of road maintenance activities to the Grand Mesa penstemon on federal, state, and/or private land. The BMPs listed here are intended to be iterative, and to evolve over time as additional information about the Grand Mesa penstemon becomes available, or as road maintenance technologies develop. The intent of these BMPs is to inform people working along roadside areas regarding the importance of Grand Mesa penstemon, one of Colorado's botanical treasures, and to outline some of the ways in which this species can coexist with road maintenance activities. The implementation of these recommendations will help to assure that maintenance activities proceed without unintended harm to the Grand Mesa penstemon

Recommended best management practices for managing noxious weeds on sites with rare plants

May 2016.Includes bibliographical references (pages 12-13).This document provides natural resource professionals, land managers, and land use decision makers with guidelines and a set of questions to consider surrounding decisions related to noxious weed management in the vicinity of rare plants. These guidelines will help establish and refine a species-specific best management practices (BMPs) that can be customized for each unique project area

Front Range Eco-regional Partnership Invasive Plant Species Strategic Plan: June 29, 2007

Includes bibliographical references (pages 56-60).The purpose of this project is to develop a Strategic Plan for the control of invasive plant species on military installations along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Wyoming. The project rolls up goals and objectives from individual installation invasive species control plans and prioritizes control efforts by species and specific infestations in the context of protecting significant natural resources. The primary goal of this strategy is to identify the most critical 10-15 weed infestations in need of control at the Front Range military installations and to facilitate developing a regional strategy to encourage an efficient approach to natural resource and noxious weed management involving sharing knowledge, tools, and expertise across the Front Range region. The strategic plan is coordinated with the counties and states where the installations occur. For the purposes of this report, we focus primarily on invasive plant species that are legally designated "noxious weeds". "Noxious weeds" are non-native plant species which have been designated for mandatory control by local, state, or federal government because of the harm that they are capable of inflicting upon the resources and values of society (Lane 2001). We also provide information about other non-native plants found on the installations as available

Middle Park Conservation Action Plan 2011 update

Workshop dates: June 26, 2008 and July 6. 2010; report date: August 25, 2011.Sponsored by the Colorado Rare Plant Conservation Initiative; Panajabi, S.; B. Neely.Sponsored by the Colorado Rare Plant Conservation Initiative