Candidate Conservation | Candidate Notice of Review | 2008
December 2008
The Gerisich mallow, a plant species added
Lee Hughes/Bureau of Land Management
On December 10, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released its 2008 Candidate Notice of Review. Two species have been removed from candidate status, one species has been added, and 11 have a change in priority from the last review in December 2007-- Four species have had their priority increased while seven species have had their priority lowered.
The two species removed from candidate status are the Ogden mountainsnail, a mollusk species found in Utah, and the Florida indigo, a plant species native to tropical regions. The Service removed these species after new scientific information led to changes in taxonomy. As a result, both species have been found to be more widespread than once believed.
This notice also identifies one new candidate species, the Gierisch mallow, a plant species found in Arizona and Utah. For the nine known populations of this plant, the primary threats are ongoing gypsum mining in Arizona and potential impacts from off-road vehicle use in Utah.
There are now 251 species recognized by the Service as candidates for ESA protection.
