FRESNO, Calif. (AP) A native California plant that has been
federally protected for 13 years has recovered, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service said Tuesday in removing it from the endangered
species list.
The decision to remove Hoover's woolly-star from a list of
threatened species comes after the discovery of new populations in
three counties, the service said.
The plant was previously known to exist at only 19 sites in San
Luis Obispo, Kern, Fresno and Santa Barbara counties. Biologists
have recently found new populations in Kings, Los Angeles and San
Benito counties, the service said.
The plant is mainly found on land controlled by the U.S. Bureau
of Land Management, which will designate Hoover's woolly-star as a
``sensitive species'' to provide for continued protection and
monitoring.
Hoover's woolly-star is an annual herb with gray fuzzy stems and
tiny white or pale blue flowers. The plant can grow up to 8 inches
tall and is found at elevations of between 300 and 3,000 feet.
It was originally listed as threatened under the Endangered
Species Act in 1990.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)