"The Fish and Wildlife Service today [Monday] proposed Endangered Species Act protections for the prostrate milkweed, a plant found in Texas that’s been awaiting action for quite some time.

The agency’s proposal to list the plant as endangered and designate about 691 acres as critical habitat comes nearly 15 years after an environmental group now called WildEarth Guardians filed a listing petition. In 2009, the FWS determined a status review was needed.

All known prostrate milkweed populations are located within 9 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, and they face several kinds of threats.

“Oil and gas exploration and wind energy development are occurring at a rapid pace in Starr and Zapata Counties,” the FWS said. “Seismic exploration and the construction of roads and caliche pads for oil and gas wells and wind turbines can destroy plants and their habitats within the construction footprint.”"

Michael Doyle reports for E&E News February 14, 2022. [2]