Chorro Creek Bog Thistle (Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense) Seed Dispersal Study
Summary
SCH Number
2025040618
Public Agency
California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Habitat Conservation Planning
(CDFW)
Document Title
Chorro Creek Bog Thistle (Cirsium fontinale var. obispoense) Seed Dispersal Study
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
4/11/2025
Document Description
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is issuing a California Endangered Species Act permit pursuant to Fish and Game Code section 2081(a) to Dr. Nishanta Rajakaruna (Permit No. 2081(a)-25-007-RP) for a project to evaluate wind-based seed dispersal distance and patterns of Chorro Creek bog thistle by deploying seed traps along transects radiating from the existing Chorro Creek bog thistle colony at Laguna Lake Natural Reserve Park, as well as within a nearby seep from which the taxon was recently extirpated. Project activities are expected to take place between April and December of 2025. Customized seed traps will be installed in the ground along six radial transects extending from the edge of the existing Chorro Creek bog thistle colony. Trap placements will occur at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, and 16 meters from the colony source. An additional six seed traps will be set in a nearby fenced seep where Chorro Creek bog thistle was recently extirpated to monitor potential seed movement into currently unoccupied habitat. Traps will remain open for a period of 14 days each month from April to December 2025. At the end of the 14 day period, seed will be collected from the traps, the traps will be closed for approximately 14 days, and seed will be transported to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo to be counted and temporarily stored in a paper bag within a climate-controlled room. All seeds will be returned to within one meter of the seed trap they were collected from in December of 2025. Seed trap data will be used to estimate average dispersal distances and the probability of seed movement across various distances. Results will inform the development of dispersal models and help assess the potential for recolonization. Findings will be incorporated into species distribution models to project future distribution of the species under various climate change scenarios.
Contact Information
Name
Joanne Heraty
Agency Name
California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Habitat Conservation Planning Branch
Job Title
Senior Environmental Scientist- Specialist
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Address
Phone
Name
Dr. Nishanta Rajakaruna
Agency Name
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Job Title
Professor
Contact Types
Parties Undertaking Project
Phone
Email
Location
Cities
San Luis Obispo
Counties
San Luis Obispo
Regions
Countywide
Other Location Info
The Project will take place in San Luis Obispo County at Laguna Lake Natural Reserve (California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) Element Occurrence (EO) 2; 35.26733, -120.68383). Seed will be temporarily stored at the Permittee’s laboratory facilities at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (35.30210, -120.65935).
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 15306, Class 6
Reasons for Exemption
The Project will support the recovery of the state and federally endangered Chorro Creek bog thistle by evaluating its seed dispersal mechanisms to inform future conservation actions. The permit issued by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for the Project includes measures to ensure that existing populations of Chorro Creek bog thistle are adequately protected.
County Clerk
San Luis Obispo
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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