It seems like we are always hearing about the latest thing humans have done to damage the environment. But, this is a story about how something good has happened, and we’ve brought some plants back from the brink of extinction.
Years ago, people brought non-native livestock to the Channel Islands.
The sheep and pigs threatened some of the rare plants only found in the islands.
Ken Niessen is a Botanist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He said the situation was so dire that some plant species had to be protected through the Endangered Species Act.
The non-native animals threatened more than a dozen species of plants in the Channel Islands. Experts felt the Channel Islands Bedstraw, and Santa Cruz Island Dudleya were most at risk.
Cat Darst is an Assistant Field Supervisor with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She says removing the non-native animals was key to helping the endangered plant species recover.
She said the sheep and feral pigs were eating, and uprooting the plants.
"By 2000, sheep grazing had ended, and by 2006, all non-native feral pigs were removed from the islands," said Darst. "After that...those two species were able to do incredibly well."
Darst says saving the two Channel Islands plant species from extinction is a great example of how the Endangered Species Act can make a difference.
Environmentalists say it’s nice to be celebrating a win. Tierra Curry is a Senior Scientist with the Center for Biological Diversity.
"It is such good news in the middle of the extinction crisis when plants and animals have recovered," said Curry. "It's so frustrating, because we know that with political will, we can save species."
But, this is one of many such battles, even for the Channel Islands. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Botanist Ken Niessen says there are still many other plants in the islands teetering on the edge of extinction.
"In Channel Islands National Park itself, there are 13 other plants which are federally listed either as endangered or threatened," said Niessen.
But, he said the success with these two plant will free up resources to be used on some of the other at-risk plants.
The two plants haven’t been officially delisted yet. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will go through a public comment process on the proposal from December 1 through January 30, before formally taking the action.
After they are delisted, a monitoring plan will remain in place to insure the plant populations continue their recovery.
