LAS VEGAS— The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today seeking Endangered Species Act protections for the Tecopa bird’s beak, a rare desert wetland wildflower that grows in Nevada and California.

The plant, which lives in three populations in groundwater-fed alkali wetlands, faces the threat of extinction because of groundwater pumping for agriculture and exurban sprawl, mining, energy production, cattle grazing, off-highway vehicles and climate change.

“As a groundwater-dependent species in the nation’s driest state, the Tecopa bird’s beak is uniquely vulnerable to extinction and needs to be protected,” said Patrick Donnelly, Great Basin director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “The Fish and Wildlife Service has delayed long enough. We’re suing to make sure that these special little plants get the protections they need before it’s too late.”

Today’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas, says the Fish and Wildlife Service violated the Act by delaying its decision on whether to list the wildflower. In October 2024, in response to a petition from the Center, the agency said the species may quality for protection, kicking off a yearlong review.

Tecopa bird’s beaks grow in Fish Lake Valley, Nevada, where they face threats from decades of overexploitation of the aquifer for alfalfa and groundwater pumping for the Rhyolite Ridge Mine, among other threats.

They also grow in two populations in the Amargosa River Basin. In Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada, the flowers are threatened by groundwater pumping for agriculture and mining. Near Tecopa, California, the species faces threats because of long-term groundwater declines from pumping for residential sprawl in nearby Pahrump, Nevada.

Botanist Peri Lee Pipkin conducted original research and surveys for the species as a part of her master’s degree at Claremont Graduate University. She coauthored the petition, greatly expanded knowledge about the Tecopa bird’s beak and joined today’s lawsuit to protect the plants.

“Tecopa bird’s beaks are a vital part of the alkali wetland ecosystem and without urgent protections they could go extinct,” said Pipkin. “Biodiversity is what makes life on Earth possible and every extinction pushes all of us closer to the brink of collapse. The Endangered Species Act is our best tool to stop the extinction crisis, and I’m glad to join this lawsuit to protect these beautiful wildflowers.”