[MPWG] NEWS: Hidden in Plain Sight: U.S. Plants Need Additional Protection, New Report Finds

[MoonBranch Botanicals]

While I applaud the spirit of this study and wholeheartedly agree with its findings, I can't help but wonder why these findings should be "news" to anyone. It is a shame that a Nation with so many gifted and educated Federal and State agency staff, financial resources, and world-class institutions of higher learning has not realized the status quo, mono-disciplinary state of affairs and resulting lack of holistic vision that has been the norm in our environmental/conservation policy development and implementation.

Now, how about bringing Federal/State agencies like Department(s) of Commerce, Transportation, Forest Resources, Cultural Resources, and Revenue, etc. along for the ride and to the table? 

Good Luck!
Robin  

-----Original Message-----
>From: Olivia Kwong <plant at plantconservation.org>
>Sent: Apr 4, 2008 10:11 AM
>To: native-plants at lists.plantconservation.org, rwg at lists.plantconservation.org, mpwg at lists.plantconservation.org, apwg at lists.plantconservation.org
>Subject: [MPWG] NEWS: Hidden in Plain Sight: U.S. Plants Need Additional Protection, New Report Finds
>
>http://www.natureserve.org/publications/hidden_plain_sight.jsp
>
>NATURESERVE PRESS RELEASE
>Contact: Rob Riordan, NatureServe / 703-908-1831
>e-mail: rob_riordan at natureserve.org
>
>April 4, 2008
>For Immediate Release
>
>U.S. Plants Need Additional Protection, New Report Finds
>Few State Wildlife Action Plans Address Needs of Threatened Flora
>
>Arlington, Virginia -- A thorough study of how plants are treated in state 
>wildlife action plans finds that, while the plans represent a major step 
>forward for conservation planning, most of the action plans did not 
>attempt to address the conservation needs of plants.
>
>The analysis, contained in a new report titled Hidden in Plain Sight: the 
>Role of Plants in State Wildlife Action Plans, was carried out by 
>NatureServe, a non-profit conservation group that provides science to 
>inform effective conservation action.
>
>Completed in 2005 by all U.S. states and territories, wildlife action 
>plans are designed to guide wildlife conservation efforts and prevent 
>wildlife from becoming endangered. Developed based on the best available 
>scientific information and with broad public engagement, these plans are 
>increasingly important in a wide variety of conservation and planning 
>efforts.
>
>Because the federal guidelines governing development of these plans 
>specifically excluded plants from the definition of "wildlife" and did not 
>provide funding to study them, few states were able to consider rare or 
>endangered plants in their planning process. However, plants are essential 
>to the functioning of healthy ecosystems, and represent more than half 
>(56%) of species federally listed as threatened or endangered.
>
>"State wildlife action plans represent a tremendous opportunity for 
>strategically advancing conservation in America," said Bruce Stein, chief 
>scientist for NatureServe and a co-author of the study. "Now is the time 
>to complement the attention they have brought to wild animals with 
>additional focus on the needs of our nation's imperiled plants."
>
>The study found that only a modest number of wildlife action plans 
>explicitly considered plant species of conservation concern. Just eight of 
>56 plans (14%) took the most direct approach of including plants on their 
>list of "species of greatest conservation need," while only six plans 
>(11%) considered plant species of concern in their methods for setting 
>habitat priorities. Twelve plans (21%) included plant species of concern 
>in their approaches for defining geographic focal areas, generally relying 
>on plant data maintained by state natural heritage programs. The study 
>found that wildlife action plans for Georgia, Missouri, Nebraska, and 
>Oregon were especially effective at addressing the needs of wild plant 
>species.
>
>The study makes several recommendations for better conserving the nation.s 
>plant life:
>- Promote wildlife action plan implementation strategies that would also 
>benefit plant species of concern.
>- Avoid implementation actions that could be detrimental to sensitive 
>plant species.
>- Add plant-specific components to existing wildlife action plans where 
>possible.
>- Develop state-level plant conservation strategies to complement wildlife 
>action plans where necessary.
>- Ensure that plants are fully represented in major new conservation 
>funding opportunities, including those related to climate change 
>adaptation.
>
>Hidden in Plain Sight was authored by Dr. Bruce A. Stein and NatureServe 
>botanist Kelly Gravuer, and was supported by the Doris Duke Charitable 
>Foundation. The report can be accessed at 
>http://www.natureserve.org/publications/library.jsp#nspubs.
>
>###
>
>NatureServe is a non-profit conservation group dedicated to providing the 
>scientific basis for effective conservation action. Representing a network 
>of 80 natural heritage programs and conservation data centers in the 
>United States, Canada, and Latin America, NatureServe is a leading source 
>for detailed
>
>
>
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Robin Alton Suggs
MoonBranch Botanicals
5294 Yellow Creek Road
Robbinsville, North Carolina 28771 
USA

Telephone: 828.479.2788
moonbranch at earthlink.net
www.moonbranch.com

Member:
American Herbalist Guild
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project; Farm Partner
Co-op America 
Green Products Alliance 
National Network of Forest Practitioners
North Carolina Consortium on Natural Medicines 
North Carolina Goodness Grows/NCDA&CS 
North Carolina Natural Products Association
Southwestern North Carolina RC&D Council
United Plant Savers 

"We have no choice but to respect that which sustains us."