Feds propose designation to protect rare flower habitat at proposed mine site

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed a rule Wednesday to protect 910 acres of critical habitat for a rare Nevada flower under threat by a proposed lithium mine on its only known habitat.

Tiehm’s buckwheat’s entire global population grows on about 10 acres of land in western Nevada’s Silver Peak Range. Under the proposed rule, the agency would list a much larger swath of land in Esmeralda County as critical habitat to support plant reproduction.

“Designating critical habitat for Tiehm’s buckwheat is key to the plant’s persistence and recovery because it occupies such a small range and requires such specific habitat conditions to survive,” Marc Jacksonfield supervisor for FWS in Reno, said in a statement. “This designation will help us work more effectively with our partners to support current and future land uses that promote conservation and recovery of Tiehm’s buckwheat.”

Thousands of Tiehm’s buckwheat – which are found nowhere else in the world – were destroyed last summer by ground squirrels gnawing on the roots for water, according to the agency. That incident reduced the flower’s population by at least 50% and as much as 64%.

Read more: https://www.nevadacurrent.com/blog/feds-propose-designation-to-protect-rare-flower-habitat-at-proposed-mine-site/


(Photo courtesy of Center for Biological Diversity)