***Native Plant Conservation Campaign News***
From the Center for Biological Diversity:
More Than 5,000 Acres Protected for Rare Wildflower in Santa Barbara County
LOMPOC, Calif.— The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today protected 5,755 acres as critical habitat for the Vandenberg monkeyflower, a small, yellow wildflower found only in western Santa Barbara County, Calif. The designation will help ensure the survival of this flower, which was protected under the Endangered Species Act in 2014 under the terms of a settlement agreement with the Center for Biological Diversity.
The Vandenberg monkeyflower (Diplacus vandenbergensis) is known to exist in just nine locations, typically in open spaces on sandy soils between shrubs. Most of the designated critical habitat is on public land.
“Protecting the few remaining places where this rare and beautiful monkeyflower lives will give it a real shot at survival and recovery,” said Ileene Anderson, a senior scientist with the Center. “Protecting its habitat is the best way to prevent its extinction.”
(Note: Ileene Anderson is on the Advisory Council of the Native Plant Conservation Campaign.)
