Contorted-pod evening-primrose (Camissonia contorta) COSEWIC assessment and status report: chapter 10

Existing Protection or Other Status Designations

Camissonia contorta is ranked G5 by NatureServe. It is ranked S1 in British Columbia (the only Canadian province/territory where it occurs). It is also ranked S1 in Vermont but that record is based on a taxonomic error (see Global Range). It has not been ranked in the other five jurisdictions where it occurs (Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada and California) (NatureServe 2004).

British Columbia does not have an Endangered Species Act and Camissonia contorta is not protected under the provincial Wildlife Act.

Only one of the Canadian populations (population 7) is protected within national or provincial parks, wildlife areas or ecological reserves. It is the smallest of the known populations and faces imminent threat of encroachment by Cytisus scoparius. Populations 1 and 2 are protected in Capital Regional District Parks. They are covered by a policy of protecting rare, threatened and endangered plants but there no specific legislation or regulations to support this policy, apart from prohibition of motorized vehicles, bicycles and camping. Neither is there any specific policy protecting Camissonia contorta or the critical habitat attributes where it occurs. Both of these populations experience continued impacts from recreational activity. The best habitats for C. contorta in Canada, as well as the largest population, occur on privatland. The total number of individuals on private land is slightly larger than the number on all other sites combined.

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