Current work in wildlife, rivers, public lands, and climate

Group Will Continue Pressing Feds Until Plant is Actually Protected
Contact: Dr. Nicole Rosmarino (505) 699-7404

Albuquerque—Nov. 4. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) issued a decision today that the Wright’s marsh thistle, a southwestern wetlands plant, deserves protection (listing) under the Endangered Species Act. The decision came in response to a 2008 petition and two rounds of litigation by WildEarth Guardians. However, the Service avoided listing this plant by citing “higher priority” species. The Southwest Region of the Service, which covers this thistle, has not listed a single species since 2005.

“We applaud the recognition that this imperiled thistle deserves federal protection, but the Service can’t use the excuse that it’s too busy to protect this plant when it hasn’t listed a single species in the southwest for five years,” stated Nicole Rosmarino of WildEarth Guardians.

While the Wright’s marsh thistle historically occurred in both Arizona and New Mexico, it has been eliminated from the former. The plant is now found in just 8 locations in New Mexico and may also occur in Mexico. The Service found that the rare wetland wildflower is declining and may have vanished from large portions of its range. The agency determined that threats to the thistle include loss of its wetlands habitat due to agriculture, urbanization, and water diversion; drought; invasive plants; and inadequate federal and state protections.

“The Wright’s marsh thistle deserves protection for its own sake, but safeguards for this plant will also benefit biodiversity hotspots in the southwest: the wetlands on which the thistle depends,” stated Rosmarino.

The thistle is one of a suite of species that WildEarth Guardians petitioned for protection in October 2008 through its “Western Ark” initiative, which covered portions of 18 U.S. states. Guardians has had to sue the Service for petition decisions at every step of the way: the group sued for the initial thistle petition finding, which was issued on September 10, 2009 and sued again for today’s final petition finding. Other members of the Western Ark project that have been placed in the waiting line for protection are the Jemez Mountains salamander, Sprague’s pipit, and New Mexico meadow jumping mouse.

Over half of the locations in which the thistle is found in New Mexico are in the Sacramento Mountains. The Sacramento Mountains are a stronghold for a suite of endangered species, including the New Mexico meadow jumping mouse and the Mexican spotted owl. This mountain range also hosts imperiled species found nowhere else in the world, including the Sacramento Mountains checkerspot butterfly, the Sacramento Mountains thistle, and the Sacramento Prickly Poppy. Located in Otero County and threatened by extractive industries, rampant overgrazing, and water diversion, these species also face concerted efforts by the county and private interests to obstruct or strip away federal protection.

For more information, contact Nicole Rosmarino at nrosmarino@wildearthguardians.org or 505-699-7404.