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<span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" class="ContentPasted0">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, July 25, 2023
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<span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" class="ContentPasted0">The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently evaluated the need to protect the Venus flytrap as an endangered or threatened species. Based on a review
of the best available science, it was determined that the carnivorous plant is not facing an imminent threat of extinction now or in the foreseeable future and therefore does not warrant listing under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). While the Venus flytrap
occupies a narrow geographic range – growing wild only in North and South Carolina – the species is predicted to remain stable, because protection and active management is expected to remain unchanged. Venus flytrap still remains a state threatened species
in North Carolina and all populations are protected, making it a felony to poach them.<o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" class="ContentPasted0">Land protection, management with prescribed fire, voluntary conservation partnerships, and working with private landowners to help them manage their
land are just a few conservation tools employed to ensure the success for the Venus flytrap. Biologists with the Service’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program are working with private landowners to restore habitat.<o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" class="ContentPasted0">The Species Status Assessment informed the Service’s 12-month finding on the petition to list Venus flytrap under the ESA and can be found online
at https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/DownloadFile/228182. Supporting information for the decision will be available on July 25, 2023 at the https://www.regulations.gov under the following docket number: FWS-R4-ES-2023-0041.<o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(34, 34, 34);" class="ContentPasted0">Thank you for your continuing partnership in conservation.<o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 9.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; color: black;" class="ContentPasted0">Link to article: https://tinyurl.com/mu4j6ch3</span><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p class="ContentPasted0"> </o:p></span></p>
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