Of course, state laws must be enforced adequately for the penalties to be effective. Numerous survey responses suggest that enforcement at the state level is generally inadequate due primarily to a lack of personnel in the field. Because enforcement typically is provided by the state's game and fish wardens, adequate funding of fish and wildlife agencies is critical. Finally, differences abound regarding the protection of threatened and endangered plant species. Thirty-two state acts have some provision designed to protect plant species.
Some state acts cover both plants and animals, while others cover just animals.
Other state acts regulate plants and animals separately. Alaska, for example, protects only vertebrate species and subspecies, while Connecticut protects both plants and animals. In Kentucky, separate provisions protect plants and animals. Even in those states that do afford some protection to plant species, the level of protection is generally less than that for animals species. The Kentucky Rare Plant Recognition Act, for example, requires only that threatened and endangered plant species be listed and that location and population information be kept.