4 days ago
Feds say this Carolina plant is recovered. Enviros aren't so sure.
The Fish and Wildlife Service identified the dwarf-flowered heartleaf Monday as an Endangered Species Act success story, with a long-awaited — but still-disputed — conclusion that the plant no longer qualifies as threatened.
Four years after proposing to delist the species, the federal agency said that the plant has rebounded well with the help of federal, state and private efforts.
'The majority of sites that have the potential to afford long-term protection to the species have been protected as a result of consultations under [the ESA], which directs Federal agencies to avoid and minimize adverse effects to federally listed species,' the FWS reported.
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The FWS added that that 'most dwarf-flowered heartleaf populations have remained stable or increased in the presence of invasive, exotic species.'
