Why is the Fish and Wildlife Service delisting Hoovers woolly-star?
A. Surveys since the plant was listed on July 19, 1990, have increased our knowledge of its known distribution and abundance. We now know that it occurs in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Benito and San Luis Obispo counties. There is potential for additional sites to be discovered throughout the range of the Hoover’s woolly-star. The species also appears to be more resilient and less vulnerable to impacts from oil and gas development than the Service had determined at the time of listing. Furthermore, threats from grazing and off-highway vehicles now appear to be less significant than previously thought. The management practices of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), on whose land a significant number of new populations have been found, afford adequate protection to the species. Additionally, Occidental of Elk Hills, Inc. will manage and monitor a 7,075-acre conservation area where Hoover’s woolly-star occurs. The plant is also found on six other preserves and nat
