Powdery Mildew Research Activities Involving California State-Listed Plants

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, through its Habitat Conservation Planning Branch Native Plant Program, has issued a scientific, educational, or management permit to Ryan C. Donnelly for research titled Powdery Mildew Research Activities Involving California State-Listed Plants. Under Permit No. 2081(a)-25-014-RP, the project is authorized to investigate powdery mildew fungal relationships within California by collecting, storing, and exporting dried plant material. The research specifically targets plants designated as rare under the Native Plant Protection Act (NPPA) and those designated as endangered, threatened, or candidate species under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) that exhibit signs of powdery mildew. The scope of work includes specific collection protocols designed to protect existing plant populations. For small annual species, the permit allows for the collection of a single whole plant if population numbers permit, while larger perennial species may only be sampled for small amounts of plant tissue or stem material. Once collected, the material will be pressed and dried before being exported to North Carolina State University for taxonomic evaluation, powdery mildew fungal analysis, and long-term storage. This project is exempt under Section 15306, Class 6, as it focuses on basic data collection and research while maintaining strict measures to ensure the adequate protection of state-listed plant populations.