Management of a federally listed plant species in the highway right of way

Problem Statement There are 10 species of plants in Washington State that are listed as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act. One species, showy stickseed Hackelia venusta, occurs within the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) right-of-way of SR 2, in Tumwater Canyon, along with four other rare plant species. Tumwater Canyon is located in the Wenatchee National Forest (WNF), and a portion of the canyon has been designated the Tumwater Botanical Area, which is managed as a Special Interest Area. The potential for conflicts between the management of rare plants and public transportation has long been recognized for this section of the canyon. Project Objective The objective of this project was to move the management of this species beyond a project-by-project basis, by developing a management plan to cover necessary highway maintenance activities.