<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style></head><body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1"><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Please see below and consider signing this letter. If you received this already from Naomi, please accept my apologies.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d">Amy</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1f497d"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Naomi Fraga [mailto:<a href="mailto:nfraga@calbg.org">nfraga@calbg.org</a>] <br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, December 3, 2020 7:54 PM<br><b>Subject:</b> Letter for support for Tiehm's buckwheat</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><div><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Dear Colleagues, </span></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">I am writing to provide an update on <i>Eriogonum tiehmii</i> (Tiehm’s buckwheat), but also to request your support as we continue to pursue protections for this extremely imperiled plant. </span></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">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 <i>Eriogonum tiehmii</i> 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. </span></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">The Endangered Species Act (ESA) is one of the best tools we have to ensure recovery and protection of<i> Eriogonum tiehmii</i>. 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 <i>Eriogonum tiehmii</i> 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. </span></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">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 <i>Eriogonum tiehmii </i>under the federal ESA. </span></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> You can read and review the letter and sign on using this google form </span><a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kdpuguLkKVs8d6-evMs6drg_yTcgm9wnG9ve3T9pgiQ/viewform?edit_requested=true"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1155cc">LINK</span></b></a><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">. </span></b></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">These are certainly challenging times, but the work to conserve biodiversity must continue. I wish you and your family well!</span></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Sincerely, </span></p><p style="margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Naomi</p><div><div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal">_____________________________________________________<br>Naomi S. Fraga, Ph.D. (Director of Conservation Programs)</p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:nfraga@calbg.org" target="_blank">nfraga@calbg.org</a></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">Cell (626) 674-6746</p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">California Botanic Garden (formerly Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden)<br>1500 N. College Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711<br><a href="https://www.calbg.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#1155cc">https://www.calbg.org/</span></a></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>