Darden Clarke:Wetland plant once nearly extinct may have recovered enough to come off the endangered species list

2025-05-04 02:22:20source:Slabucategory:Invest

BOSTON (AP) — The Darden Clarkefederal wildlife service on Tuesday proposed that a wetland plant once in danger of going extinct be taken off the endangered species list due to its successful recovery.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking that the northeastern bulrush be delisted. The plant is a leafy perennial herb with a cluster of flowers found in the Northeast from Vermont to Virginia. The federal service’s proposal opens a 60 day comment period.

The plant was listed as endangered in 1991 when there were only 13 known populations left in seven states. It now has 148 populations in eight states, often in vernal pools, swamps and small wetlands.

“Our important partnerships with state agencies, conservation organizations and academic researchers have helped us better understand and conserve northeastern bulrush through long-term population monitoring, habitat conservation, and increased surveys in prime habitat areas,” said Wendi Weber, northeast regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Detailed surveys of the plant’s unique behavior have aided the recovery effort. The bulrush can disappear for years and reemerge when conditions are right.

RELATED COVERAGE These plants wait their whole lives to bloom once. It’s usually spectacularVermont farmers take stock after losing crops to flooding two years in a rowGreen agendas clash in Nevada as company grows rare plant to help it survive effects of a mine

Several states also worked to reduce invasive species that encroach on wetlands and protect land where the bulrush is found. Vermont, for example, has purchased two parcels for the bulrush.

In 2014, a coalition of soil and water conservation groups and a wetlands organization launched a successful pilot program to establish a new northeastern bulrush population in New York.

More:Invest

Recommend

SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters

San Francisco airport creates sensory room to help nervous flyers San Francisco airport creates sens

Facebook parent Meta is having a no-good, horrible day after dismal earnings report

Facebook parent company Meta's stock plummeted on Thursday, following its announcement of a dismal t

The Game Awards 2022: The full list of winners

The Game Awards 2022 has come and gone, recognizing this year's biggest achievements in gaming as we