[Ccb_faculty] FW: Letter for support for Tiehm's buckwheat

[Amy Litt]

Please see below and consider signing this letter.  If you received this
already from Naomi, please accept my apologies.

Amy



*From:* Naomi Fraga [mailto:nfraga at calbg.org]
*Sent:* Thursday, December 3, 2020 7:54 PM
*Subject:* Letter for support for Tiehm's buckwheat



Dear Colleagues,



I am writing to provide an update on *Eriogonum tiehmii* (Tiehm’s
buckwheat), but also to request your support as we continue to pursue
protections for this extremely imperiled plant.



You may have heard the news this summer that the only known global
population of Tiehm’s buckwheat experienced significant impacts from an
unknown source. It is estimated that over 50% of the global population was
destroyed or damaged in an incredible and unprecedented event. The cause of
the damage is still under investigation. While there are competing
hypotheses, I am sad to report that the damage could be anthropogenic in
nature. This significant loss shows how incredibly vulnerable *Eriogonum
tiehmii* is to disturbance, and only amplifies the existential threats the
buckwheat faces from the Rhyolite Ridge Mine proposal. Complete habitat
protection, monitoring, restoration, and recovery efforts are needed to
ensure that we don’t lose this irreplaceable species to extinction.



The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is one of the best tools we have to ensure
recovery and protection of* Eriogonum tiehmii*. In all my years working in
rare plant conservation, this has been the most striking and obvious
example of where ESA listing is needed immediately and urgently to protect
a rare species.  With a new federal administration coming on board we have
the opportunity to bring this issue to the forefront. Please join me in
requesting that the Biden Administration review this issue and request the
following: 1) That *Eriogonum tiehmii* be immediately listed under the ESA
using the temporary emergency listing provision; 2) Direct the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service to complete its 12-month review of the species within
30 days and make the emergency endangered species protections permanent; 3)
Direct the Bureau of Land Management to immediately take corrective
measures to address the ongoing destruction of the species, including
fencing, security, habitat restoration, and other recovery actions.



Many of you graciously signed our last letter to support the state listing
of Tiehm’s buckwheat, thank you!  Please join me in signing this letter to
advance recovery of an imperiled plant and to demonstrate wide support of
the scientific and conservation community for the full protection of *Eriogonum
tiehmii *under the federal ESA.



 You can read and review the letter and sign on using this google form
*LINK*
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kdpuguLkKVs8d6-evMs6drg_yTcgm9wnG9ve3T9pgiQ/viewform?edit_requested=true>
*. *



These are certainly challenging times, but the work to conserve
biodiversity must continue.  I wish you and your family well!



Sincerely,



Naomi

_____________________________________________________
Naomi S. Fraga, Ph.D. (Director of Conservation Programs)

nfraga at calbg.org

Cell (626) 674-6746

California Botanic Garden (formerly Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden)
1500 N. College Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711
https://www.calbg.org/
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.ucr.edu/pipermail/ccb_faculty/attachments/20201207/f4f9d1c2/attachment.html>