Rare and Endangered Plants

Rare and Endangered Plants Program

New Mexico has the fourth-highest plant diversity of any U.S. state, with more than 235 rare and endangered plant species and 109 species that occur nowhere else in the world.

The Forestry Division has statutory responsibility for the State Endangered Plant Species List. Section 75-6-1 NMSA 1978 directs the Division to establish a program to promote conservation of listed endangered plant species, research, inventory, monitor, educate, maintain habitat of these species and further investigate all plant species in the state for the purpose of establishing a list of endangered plant species (NMAC). The Forestry Division gathers information relating to population abundance, distribution, habitat requirements, threats, limiting factors, and other biological and ecological data to determine the status of an endangered species, to develop conservation measures necessary for the species’ survival. The Endangered Plant Program is primarily federally funded through Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act for endangered plant research and management. Current and past project funding includes:

• Status surveys and reports on sensitive, proposed, candidate and listed species
• Writing recovery plans
• Writing 5-year reviews
• Coordinating and carrying-out recovery actions
• Long term population trend monitoring of endangered plants
• Resolving taxonomic questions
• Researching habitat requirements and population demographics
• Educational projects

Useful Links for Rare Plant Information: