Protection sought for Carson Valley monkeyflower under the Endangered Species Act

The Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Monday to protect a rare plant called the Carson Valley monkeyflower under the Endangered Species Act.

Carson Valley monkeyflowers face extinction due to a variety of threats, including urban sprawl and road construction, off-highway vehicles, invasive species, wildfire and wildfire prevention activities, utility corridor development, and climate change. Research shows they face more threats than any other rare plant in Nevada, according to the Center.

“The Carson Valley monkeyflower may be small, but it’s an important part of the unique biodiversity of northern Nevada,” said Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the Center. “As the Carson City metropolitan area keeps booming, we need to make sure the plants and animals that make this place so remarkable aren’t lost in the shuffle.”

A small, annual wildflower with delicate yellow blossoms, the monkeyflower grows on granitic soils in sagebrush habitat, primarily within Carson City and Douglas County, Nevada. Small populations are also found in Washoe County, Nevada, and Alpine County, California. First described as a distinct species in 2012, it tends to prefer open, sandy flats — a habitat that’s highly vulnerable to destruction.

Carson City and Douglas County have undergone rapid development in recent decades with the extensive construction of new highways, commercial centers, and residential subdivisions. A 2018 status report prepared by the Nevada Division of Natural Heritage found that 42 percent of the monkeyflower’s habitat had already been lost to residential and industrial sprawl and agriculture.

“This special little flower is a critical piece of the biodiversity that gives us clean air and water and puts food on our plates,” said Donnelly. “When we act to save the Carson Valley monkeyflower, we’re also acting to save ourselves.”