Another flower saved in the Northwest

In a win for flower conservation, federal officials have announced they are removing a perennial flower in the Northwest from the Endangered Species List.

The Nelson's checkermallow, a bright pink, tall flower with many petals, has been listed since 1993. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said back then, "most known populations were small and threatened by habitat loss, encroachment by invasive and woody plant species, and roadside management activities."

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“Recovering species is difficult but rewarding work, and we are fortunate to have dedicated partners who collaborated with us and rose to the challenge to save the Nelson’s checkermallow,” said Pacific Regional Director Hugh Morrison, with the Fish and Wildlife Service. “We are thrilled to announce the delisting of a second prairie plant during the 50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. This success story highlights the power of partnerships when it comes to conservation in the Pacific Northwest.”

The flower is now in recovery across the Northwest, thanks to the work of local governments, environmental organizations, and nearby community groups.

It is native to the Willamette Valley and Coast Range of Oregon and the southwestern corner of Washington state.

This is the second flower-save that conservationists can celebrate this year. In July, the Northwest's golden paintbrush flower was also removed from the Endangered Species List. It was first placed on the list in 1997.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife credits a range of organizations who helped conservation efforts for the Nelson's checkermallow: the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, private landowners, Institute for Applied Ecology, The Nature Conservancy, Greenbelt Land Trust, Native Plant Society, Oregon State University, Portland State University’s Rae Selling Berry Seed Bank, county and city governments, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Department of Transportation, Oregon Department of Forestry, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.