Swale paintbrush flower in New Mexico to get protections as state aims to save rare plants

Federal regulators proposed protections for an imperiled New Mexico plant in the New Mexico’s southwest bootheel region as the State sought stricter rules to prevent the extinction of its rarest plants.

The swale paintbrush grows to about 19 inches tall, sprouting yellow-reddish flowers leading to its nickname, the Indian paintbrush.

The plant is known to only exist at two sites in rural Hidalgo County. It was documented to have grown at one time in 11 other sites in the Sierra Madre Occidental Mountain region in Mexican states Chihuahua and Durango, last confirmed in that country in 1985.

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It’s native to grasslands and is hemi-parasitic, meaning it relies on root systems of other grass species to survive, while also producing nectar to support pollinating animals.

“Given the species' overall rarity, little is known about the habitat requirements for swale paintbrush,” read the proposal.

The listing proposal under the Endangered Species Act was proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on June 7, opening a 60-day public comment period, the result of a species status assessment completed by the Service.

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Factors in the proposal were the species’ small population, and habitat loss caused by wildfires, drought, grazing and climate change, read an announcement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Overall, swale paintbrush has limited viability due to its limited resiliency, lack of redundancy, and limited representation at the species level,” the proposal read. “The species currently occurs at a single site at the northern periphery of its known historical range, and is vulnerable to the impacts of catastrophic events.

“Accordingly, we find that the swale paintbrush is presently in danger of extinction throughout all of its range based on small population size and the species' risk from a number of contemporary threats.”

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Regional Director Amy Lueders with the Service said the agency planned to work closely with local landowners to protect the species from extinction.

“Partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies, private landowners, and conservation groups are critical to conserving imperiled species,” she said. “We look forward to receiving public comments on the proposal to list the swale paintbrush.”

Michael Robinson, conservation advocate for the Center for Biological Diversity in Silver City said recovering and reintroducing the swale paintbrush into the wild of southern New Mexico would help restore the landscape of the southwest.

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“This is great news for these graceful, stately plants and for everyone who cares about the natural world,” Robinson said.

“The Endangered Species Act has prevented the extinction of so many other plant and animal species. In this instance, the law will help save a unique flower that’s part of what makes the Southwest not only botanically interesting but also beautiful.”

The proposal to list the swale paintbrush came as New Mexico’s Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) announced it was enacting stricter rules governing impacts to rare plants throughout the state.

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In a May 31 announcement, EMNRD said it was amending its Rare Plant Removal Rule to prevent the “take” or destruction of rare plants.

Previously, the rule also barred people from removing the plans with the “intent to possess, transport, export, sell, or offer for sale,” but the amendment expanded the definition of take to include “destroy/remove/harm.”

The rule also authorized the New Mexico Forestry Division to ban to the take of listed plants, except for scientific purposes including propagation or transplanting plants to increase survival.

An “incidental take” permitting system was also created by the amendment to allow but regulate removal when unavoidable, and exceptions were included to allow Indigenous communities to use rare plants for spiritual purposes.

New Mexico State Botanist Erika Rowe said increasing protections for New Mexico’s rare plants will broadly help protect wildlife throughout the state.

“We always welcome the chance to provide increased protections to at-risk species,” Rowe said. “All plants and animals fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. If you start losing one or two pieces, the puzzle won't function like it used to.”

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: New Mexico flower to get protections as state aims to save rare plants