The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announces availability of the Final Recovery Plan for the star cactus (Astrophytum asterias). The species was listed as endangered in 1993 under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and was listed by the State of Texas in 1997.
The Recovery Plan provides objectives and actions needed to downlist the species to threatened status. Recovery actions designed to achieve these objectives include searching for additional populations, establishing additional populations of star cactus by reintroduction within the historical range of the plant, protecting existing populations and habitat, continuing to obtain information needed to address conservation issues, seeking collaborative conservation measures with Mexico, and providing information and coordinating recovery efforts with Federal, State, County, private organizations, and most importantly, the public.
The Service uses a priority system for listed species which range from one to 18, with one being the highest recovery priority. The star cactus has a recovery priority of two. This recovery designation indicates that star cactus is a species with a high degree of threat yet with high recovery potential.
The star cactus is only known from one population (two-subpopulations) located on private land in Starr County. The threats facing the species include, collection for the cactus trade, habitat modification through range management practices including root-plowing and other mechanical or chemical brush clearing followed by introduction of exotic invasive grasses for cattle fodder, oil and gas exploration, and increased urbanization and roadway construction.
Persons wishing to obtain a copy of the Final Recovery Plan can obtain a copy from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Corpus Christi Ecological Services Field Office, c/o TAMUCC, 6300 Ocean Drive, Box 338, Corpus Christi, Texas, 78412. Recovery plans can also be downloaded from the FWS website: ./http://endangered.fws.gov">.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses nearly 540 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
