Endangered Species Law & Policy

On October 3, 2013, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) published a proposed rule (pdf) to list the Florida Brickell-bush (Brickellia mosieri) and Carter’s Small-flowered Flax (Linum carteri var carteri) as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

According to the Service, the flower species’ habitat in the pine rockland community of Miami-Dade County has been drastically reduced due to residential and commercial development and agriculture. Moreover, there is a potential for high levels of nutrients from agricultural and urban areas to seep into the pine rockland, thereby changing the vegetation composition and structure of the soil, and resulting in harm to the species.

In addition to the proposed rule to list the two species, the Service also published a proposed rule (pdf) to designate critical habitat for the two species in Miami-Dade County. In total, the Service proposed to designate over 2,600 acres for the Florida Brickell-bush and over 2,600 acres for the Carter’s Small-flowered Flax.

According to the notice in the Federal Register, comments on any of the proposed rules must be submitted by December 2, 2013.