Fish and Wildlife Service

Description

This announcement is the full announcement. The Pagosa skyrocket (Ipomopsis polyantha) is a rare plant, endemic to Mancos Shale soils, and found only in and around Pagosa Springs in Archuleta County, Colorado. Plants are between 1 and 2 feet tall, with deeply divided leaves, and have showy white flowers flecked with purple dots. The plant is a biennial, surviving for one to many years as a rosette before flowering and dying. The plant is currently known from only three populations (most within 4 square miles) and predominantly on private lands Plants not on private lands are found mostly on highway right-of-ways. Residential development within Pagosa skyrocket habitat is inevitable and imminent. Further progress on conservation efforts for Pagosa skyrocket is needed immediately. Because over 75% of the known sites are currently on private land, conservation opportunities are limited by the public’s lack of knowledge of the species, and by a general lack of outreach to private landowners with the species’ on their property. To initiate conservation efforts for the species, we propose to fund here the development of a monitoring protocol, implementation of the protocol for two years, public outreach efforts, prioritization of conservation on private land parcels, and survey efforts. Because of the public outreach component, those within the local commuting area of Pagosa Springs are preferred.

Who can apply

• Others

Contact

Andrea Meyer <br/>Grants Management Specialist <br/>303-236-5412
andrea_meyer@fws.gov