A botanist hired by a company planning to lithium near the Silver Peak Range of Western Nevada believes a rare desert wildflower at the site could jeopardize the project and should be protected under the Endangered Species Act.
The unusually candid disclosure is included in more than 500 pages of emails obtained by conservationists and reviewed by The Associated Press regarding Ioneer Limited’s plans to build the mine near the only population of Tiehm's buckwheat known to exist on earth. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently agreed to conduct a full-year review of the plant's status.
