LAS VEGAS— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeking to protect the Red Rock sunflower under the Endangered Species Act. These rare wildflowers are found only around three desert springs in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area outside Las Vegas.

“These charmingly lopsided sunflowers are already incredibly rare, and without federal protection they could vanish from the face of the Earth,” said Megan Ortiz, a staff attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. “It’s lucky that the Red Rock sunflower grows on public lands safe from development, but they’re not protected from visitors. We need fast action to make sure this beautiful species doesn’t disappear on our watch. This is what the Endangered Species Act was created for, to give plants and animals a fighting chance.”

Red Rock Canyon attracts up to 3 million visitors each year, and the Red Rock sunflower grows in one of the reserve’s busiest areas. Fewer than 1,000 of the plants remain.

Heavy visitor traffic has led to the creation of numerous unofficial hiking trails that cut through the sunflower’s habitat, compacting soil and potentially preventing seedlings from growing. Horses and hikers have also unintentionally introduced dozens of invasive plant species to the area.

Other threats to this species’ survival include climate change and excessive groundwater pumping, both of which could eliminate the small patches of suitable habitat the sunflower relies on. Wild burros and an increasing number of wildfires may also pose threats to the species.

“As an official conservation partner of Red Rock Canyon NCA, we at Save Red Rock are honored to partner with the Center for Biological Diversity in their efforts to protect the Red Rock Sunflower,” said Michelle St. Angelo, executive director at Save Red Rock. “This endemic species, rare and delicate as it is, needs an army of advocates and stewards to ensure its long-term survival.”