Germination studies have determined that cold stratification promotes germination, suggesting that seeds germinate in spring. Germination rates of 60 to 86 percent have been achieved with 30 days to 8 weeks of cold stratification (USFWS 2007). A seedling recruitment study has shown that seedling survival is very sporadic, and significant recruitment occurs in 3 out of 13 years (USFWS 2007).

Ongoing studies are evaluating the effects of invasive nonnative plants and prescribed fires (Lesica 1999; Menke 2003; USFWS 2007). Demography studies have been conducted at the Dancing Prairie Preserve and at the Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge in 2003 (USFWS 2007). Effects of prolonged dormancy on fitness of individual plants were studied in Montana (Lesica and Crone 2007).

This regional endemic is restricted to remnants of the prairie grasslands of eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, northern Idaho, and western Montana (barely extending into British Columbia, Canada). It is currently known from 35-40 extant occurrences in Washington, 12-14 in Oregon, about 10 in Idaho, and 8-9 in Montana. However, the vast majority of these sites have fewer than 50 individual plants, and about 90% of the estimated 11,000 total individuals are concentrated on a single site in Montana. Range-wide, a significant amount of habitat has been lost to conversion to agriculture, restricting most remaining occurrences to small, isolated fragments of native vegetation, where they are vulnerable to degradation. Genetic isolation may also be of concern.

Threats identified in the 2007 Recovery Plan include: Habitat loss and degradation due to urban and agricultural development and livestock grazing Invasions by aggressive, nonnative plants Changes in fire frequency and timing Livestock grazing an

There are approximately 24,500 individuals known from 110 occurrences; however, this count is approximate because the prolonged dormancy of this species makes population estimating and monitoring difficult. Of the 99 populations, 35 in the Channeled Scablands, 11 in the Intermontane Valleys, and 17 in the Palouse Grasslands, 14 in the Blue Mountain Basins, 22 in the Canyon Grasslands. Approximately 75 percent of all plants occur within 7 large populations (USFWS 2007).

Ongoing studies are evaluating the effects of invasive nonnative plants and prescribed fires (Lesica 1999; Menke 2003; USFWS 2007). Demography studies have been conducted at the Dancing Prairie Preserve and at the Lost Trail National Wildlife Refuge in 2003 (USFWS 2007). Effects of prolonged dormancy on fitness of individual plants were studied in Montana (Lesica and Crone 2007). Germination studies have determined that cold stratification promotes germination, suggesting that seeds germinate in spring. Germination rates of 60 to 86 percent have been achieved with 30 days to 8 weeks of cold stratification (USFWS 2007). A seedling recruitment study has shown that seedling survival is very sporadic, and significant recruitment occurs in 3 out of 13 years (USFWS 2007). Genetic studies were completed in the early 1990s to evaluate genetic diversity within and across populations.(Baldwin and Brunsfeld 1995)

Protection and management of key conservation areas - larger tracts with high quality habitat to support at least 500 individuals and sufficient pollinators - forms the foundation of the recovery strategy. Potential key conservation areas are identified in the Recovery Plan for each physiographic region (USFS 2007). Ongoing surveys for new populations and long-term monitoring of known populations on state and federal lands and lands owned by The Nature Conservancy (USFS 2007). Control and monitoring of invasive species and research on the effects of herbicide, fire, and biocontrols on controlling several invasive species including yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis), sulfur cinquefoil (Potentilla recta), Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense), diffuse knapweed (Centaurea disffusa), and spotted knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) (USFS 2007). Management plans have been prepared for several sites and plans for other sites are currently being drafted (USFS 2007). A prescribed burning plan has been developed at The Nature Conservancys Dancing Prairie Preserve in Montana (USFS 2007). Seeds from five large populations have been collected and stored in a seed bank (USFWS 2007). Additional collections are planned in 2008. Land exchanges and acquisitions to preserve tracts of Spaldings catchfly habitat (USFWS 2007).

The following management needs are identified in the 2007 Recovery Plan: Determine population viabilities for Silene spaldingii populations. Utilize existing key conservation areas and identify new key conservation areas with good habitat where new populations should be developed or where existing populations could be supplemented. Determine the best techniques for creating new populations or supplementing existing populations of Silene spaldingii. Conduct research essential to controlling and managing invasive nonnative plants within Silene spaldingii habitat. Conduct research essential to managing livestock, wildlife, and insect herbivory at Silene spaldingii populations. Conduct research to better determine the effects of fire on Silene spaldingii and identify when and where prescribed fire should occur, particularly outside of Montana.

Seeds have been collected and banked from five large populations but none of the smaller populations. Future seed collections should focus on all populations not identified as key conservation areas and coordinated so as to capture as much of the genetic variability as possible.