Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Proposed Endangered Status for Ambrosia pumila (San Diego Ambrosia) from Southern California

Resumo

We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, propose to list Ambrosia pumila (San Diego ambrosia) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This plant is restricted to San Diego and Riverside Counties, California and Baja California, Mexico, from Colonet to Lake Chapala. Ambrosia pumila is primarily restricted to flat or sloping grasslands, often along valley bottoms or areas adjacent to vernal pools. This species is threatened by the following; destruction, fragmentation, and degradation of habitat by recreational and commercial development; highway construction and maintenance; construction and maintenance activities associated with a utility easement; competition from non-native plants; trampling by horses and humans; off-road vehicle (ORV) use; and inadequate regulatory mechanisms. This proposed rule, if made final, would extend protection under the Act to Ambrosia pumila.