Endangered Species Law & Policy

The Fish and Wildlife Service issued a final rule (pdf) designating critical habitat for spreading navarretia (Navarretia fossalis), a plant species native to southern California.  The rule designates approximately 6,720 acres of land as critical habitat for the species in five southern California counties: Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura.  In a previous rule issued in 2005, the Service had designated approximately 652 acres as critical habitat for the species.  The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit against the Service in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California challenging the prior rule, and the parties eventually entered into a settlement whereby the Service agreed to revise that rule.

According to the Service (pdf), spreading navarretia is an annual herb that grows between 4 and 6 inches tall.  It is primarily found in vernal pool, alkali grasslands, alkali playas and alkali sinks.