EDF Issues Report Card On Status Of Texas Endangered Species

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) released a report today showing that two-thirds of the wildflowers and other plants categorized by the federal government as endangered in Texas are declining, despite protection under the federal Endangered Species Act. The federal government lacks enough information to assess the status of 26% of the endangered plant species in Texas. Only seven percent of the listed plants in Texas are judged to be improving or stable. EDF relied on data produced by the US Fish & Wildlife Service to prepare its report.

The data shows endangered plants are faring much more poorly in Texas than the national average for endangered plant species. Nationally, 30% of all listed plant species are declining and 30% are improving or stable. For another 40% of the species, their status is unknown.

Many endangered animals, such as the golden-cheeked warbler, black-capped vireo, red-cockaded woodpecker, and the ocelot also continue to decline in Texas, due primarily to habitat loss. Nineteen percent of the listed endangered animals in Texas are declining, while 35% are considered to be improving or stable.

“The continued decline of endangered wildflower and native plant species indicated by these statistics represent a threat to the rich natural heritage of Texas,” said Robert G. Breunig, executive director of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin. “The vast majority of the federally-listed endangered plants in Texas occur nowhere else in the United States. Their loss would not only be significant for Texas, but for our nation.”

The Endangered Species Act provides less protection for endangered plants on private land than it does for endangered animals. The Act’s prohibition against harming listed species does not apply to the activities of private landowners on their land, unless a federal permit is required for the activity.

EDF called for the use of incentives and education to encourage landowners to protect endangered plants. “It is essential that a menu of options, including tax credits, direct payments, cost-sharing agreements, and other incentives be available to landowners,” said Melinda E. Taylor, senior attorney for EDF. “In Texas, where more than 97% of the land is privately-owned, tools that promote voluntary conservation of endangered plants are critically needed. It’s time for the federal and state government to work with landowners to protect the gene pool for posterity.”