Endangered status proposed for Nevada flower at lithium mine

By SCOTT SONNER
Associated Press

RENO, Nev. (AP) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing endangered species listing for a desert wildflower that’s only known to exist on a remote ridge in western Nevada where an Australian company plans a lithium mine at the center of a legal battle. The agency issued a proposed rule Friday to protect Tiehm’s buckwheat under the Endangered Species Act subject to 60 days of public comment. It says the plant is at risk of extinction due to destruction of its habitat from mineral exploration, off-highway vehicle use, livestock grazing, invasive plant species and herbivory. The agency says climate change may further exacerbate the threats.