The numbers of both plants are rapidly decreasing due primarily to rapid urban expansion and population growth in the St. George area where much of the plants' habitat has been destroyed or degraded by the construction of new roads, power lines, and other development. Listing them under the Act will provide not only for their protection but also for their long-term recovery. Found in shallow, sparsely vegetated soil, the Holmgren milk-vetch produces small purple flowers in the spring and pods up to 2 inches long. The Shivwits milk-vetch, by contrast, usually grows 8 to 20 inches tall, with flowering stems that can be up to 40 inches. Consultations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are necessary for private and other landowners only when Federal funding or permits are required for activities that may affect listed species.
Native plants are important for their ecological, economic, and aesthetic values.
Plants play an important role in development of crops that resist disease, insects, and drought. Plants are also used to develop natural pesticides. The Service published the proposal to list the two plants in today's Federal Register . East 1300 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84115. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people.