The Endangered Species Act turns 50 years old this year, and here in the Northwest, there’s an extra reason to celebrate. Prairies in Washington and Oregon are once again colored with the bright flowers of the once highly endangered golden paintbrush. Today, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized a rule to delist the plant from the Endangered Species Act due to its recovery.
When listed as threatened in 1997, there were only 10 populations of golden paintbrush in the Pacific Northwest, consisting of fewer than 20,000 plants. Thanks to the efforts of diverse conservation partners, the species has now rebounded to over 325,000 plants at 48 locations from the Puget Trough of southwestern British Columbia and western Washington, and south into the Willamette Valley.
Benton County and the City of Eugene have been contributing members to the partnership with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that has successfully brought golden paintbrush back from the brink. Other members include Corvallis nonprofit The Greenbelt Land Trust and government agencies like the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“It takes a village to bring a species back from the brink, and the recovery of this plant would not have been possible without the amazing dedication of so many partners out on the prairie,” said Hugh Morrison, the Service’s Pacific Regional Director. “It feels fitting that we can celebrate the recovery golden paintbrush during the golden anniversary of the Endangered Species Act.”
Golden paintbrush was listed as threatened under the ESA due to habitat loss, fire suppression and prairie conversion for agricultural uses and urban development. However, there has been a reduction in these threats, as well as increased resiliency in multiple populations throughout its range. Reintroductions and habitat restoration have helped it bounce back, and ongoing prairie management by committed partners will maintain its recovery.
Oregon and Washington have had more than our share of ESA successes over the past few years. Recent species delisted due to recovery in the Pacific Northwest include Foskett speckled dace (2019), Borax Lake chub (2020), Bradshaw’s lomatium (2021), and water howellia (2021). Nelson’s checker-mallow, another prairie plant of the Pacific Northwest, was proposed for delisting in May 2022.
To date, more than 50 species have been delisted from the ESA due to recovery and more than 60 species that have been downlisted from endangered to threatened.
During a five-year monitoring period following the plant’s delisting, Service biologists will keep a close eye on plant populations to make sure that the species remains secure from the risk of extinction. “Our monitoring of this species is designed to help us detect if additional efforts or management actions are needed,” said Service biologist Erin Gray.
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