Hairy Orcutt Grass (Orcuttia pilosa) Seed Collection and Storage Project
Summary
SCH Number
2019090354
Public Agency
California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Habitat Conservation Planning
(CDFW)
Document Title
Hairy Orcutt Grass (Orcuttia pilosa) Seed Collection and Storage Project
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
9/16/2019
Document Description
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) is issuing a permit to Carol Witham pursuant to Fish and Game Code section 2081 (a) for a project to collect and store seed from hairy Orcutt grass (Orcuttia pilosa), a state-listed endangered species. Seed will be collected from up to 1,200 plants total, not to exceed five percent of any population, and will only be collected from populations larger than 500 plants. Whole, seed-bearing plants will be collected and placed in paper bags and stored at ambient outdoor temperature protected from moisture, rodents, insects, and direct sunlight. Seed will be stored for later use as mitigation, if approved by CDFW. If seed storage needs to be extended beyond temporary storage, the seed-bearing inflorescences will be removed from each plant, and seeds will be dried with silica gel, transferred to airtight containers, and refrigerated at a facility that is approved in writing by CDFW.
Contact Information
Name
Cherilyn Burton
Agency Name
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Agency Name
Carol Witham
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Location
Cities
Sacramento
Counties
Madera, Sacramento
Regions
Northern California, Southern California
Other Information
The Project will take place in Madera County at two potential mitigation sites for hairy Orcutt grass, the Kevorkian site and Curran site. Seed will be temporarily stored at the Permittee's home office in Sacramento, California.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
15307
Reasons for Exemption
The Project will facilitate the recovery and restoration of the California endangered hairy Orcutt grass by collecting and storing seed for later use to establish new and augment existing populations of the species. The permit issued by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for the Project includes measures to ensure that existing populations of hairy Orcutt grass are not impacted.