FWS Removes Cumberland Sandwort From Endangered Species List

The Fish and Wildlife Service is removing the Cumberland sandwort (Arenaria cumberlandensis), a perennial plant of the pink family found in southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee, from the Endangered Species List, it said in a final rule published Aug. 16. An FWS review indicates that “threats to the species identified at the time of listing (i.e., timber harvesting, trampling from recreational uses, and digging for archaeological artifacts) have been reduced to the point that they no longer pose a threat to the species, and the known range and abundance of Cumberland sandwort have increased,” FWS said. “Our review also indicates that potential effects of projected climate change are not expected to cause the species to become endangered in the foreseeable future,” the agency said. The delisting takes effect Sept. 15.