<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoAcetate, li.MsoAcetate, div.MsoAcetate
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:8.0pt;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.BalloonTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Balloon Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Balloon Text";
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
p.msochpdefault, li.msochpdefault, div.msochpdefault
{mso-style-name:msochpdefault;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
span.balloontextchar0
{mso-style-name:balloontextchar;
font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif";}
span.emailstyle19
{mso-style-name:emailstyle19;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
span.emailstyle20
{mso-style-name:emailstyle20;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.emailstyle21
{mso-style-name:emailstyle21;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.emailstyle22
{mso-style-name:emailstyle22;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle25
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
span.EmailStyle26
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Do not use reply to respond. Please send your comments directly to Anne (anne_frances@natureserve.org).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>**************************<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Dear PCA Members,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>The IUCN has requested feedback on the minimum documentation requirements for Red Listing species. The document MSD_SGRLA describes the background on the issue and the requirements as they stand today are listed in Documentation_Requirements_Consultations. NatureServe will prepare a response in our role as the North American Plant Red List Authority. We very much would appreciate any comments or suggestions that you might have, so that we can incorporate them into our response.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>The issue for us directly is that the more requirements there are, the more time consuming and therefore more expensive it is to Red List plants. On the other hand, poorly documented assessments may not stand up to outside scrutiny. Plants are far more numerous than animals in many ecosystems, so the burden of documentation will usually be greater for botanists than zoologists in their Red Listing activities. Assuming that a core feature of any strategy to Red List North American plants will be to base assessments on the existing information in NatureServe’s databases, any documentation requirements that are not already part of NatureServe’s database structure add to the effort. The question becomes, then, how best to balance documentation needs with expediency.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>We are on a short turnaround here, so <b>please send you comments to Anne Frances (<a href="mailto:anne_frances@natureserve.org">anne_frances@natureserve.org</a>) by this Friday (14 October)</b>. If you don’t have time to write comments, feel free to share them with her by phone (703-908-1804). Any thoughts you have time to share will be very helpful to us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Many thanks,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Bruce E. Young, Ph.D.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Director, Species Science<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>NatureServe<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><a href="http://www.natureserve.org/">www.natureserve.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Tel. 703-908-1805<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB> <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> RODRIGUES Andrew <br><b>Subject:</b> Minimum Documentation Requirements Consultation<br><b>Importance:</b> High</span><span lang=EN-GB><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB>Dear Specialist Group Members and Red List Authorities and Focal Points,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB>Following increasing concerns regarding the complexity of Red Listing, please find attached two documents calling for your comments on the present set of minimum documentation standards. This is an opportunity for you to express difficulties you’ve been having with the current minimum documentation standards and suggestions for how the Red Listing process can be simplified. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB>The document “MSD_SGRLA” explains the process that is being adopted for this consultation and the document “Documentation_Requirements_Consultations” details current documentation standards, and it is to this document that comments should be made. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB>I will keep this e-mail short as more information is contained within the documents. Given the importance of this subject you are all urged to make your comments on the said documents and to send them back to me. The deadline is October 14<sup>th</sup> for comments and you will be receiving reminders. If you should have any questions, I will be more than happy to answer them. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB>I look forward to hearing from you,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB><br>Andrew.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Andrew Rodrigues<br>SSC Network Support Officer <br></span><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>SSC Programme</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br></span><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)<br>28 rue Mauverney, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br></span><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Tel. +41 22 999 0129; Fax +41 22 999 0002;</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> <br></span><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><a href="http://www.iucn.org/">www.iucn.org</a></span><span lang=EN-GB><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal> <span lang=EN-GB><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB><a href="http://www.iucn.org/iyf"><span style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=450 height=80 id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CC7D0A.C5C8D500" alt="celebratingForest EN"></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><hr size=3 width="100%" align=center></span></div><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><br>This communication, together with any attachment, may contain confidential information and/or copyright material and is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this communication, you received it by error and you are asked to please delete it and promptly notify us. Any review, copying, use, disclosure or distribution of any part of this communication, unless duly authorized by or on behalf of IUCN, is strictly forbidden.</span><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></body></html>