Patrick Donnelly/Center for Biological Diversity / AP
This June 1, 2019, photo provided by the Center for Biological Diversity shows the rare desert wildflower Tiehm’s buckwheat in the Silver Peak Range about 120 miles southeast of Reno.
Published Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020 | 2 a.m.
Updated Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020 | 11:05 a.m.
A rare Nevada wildflower that conservation groups fear is threatened by a proposed open-pit lithium mine is safe for now, thanks to an agreement reached by the Center for Biological diversity and Ioneer USA Corp, an Australian-based mining company.
The world’s only known population Tiehm’s buckwheat is only found in a small segment of the Silver Peak Range in Esmeralda County, said Patrick Donnelly, the center’s director. There is an estimated 20,000 to 43,000 individual plants found in specific soil conditions across 21 acres, making the plant an “endemic species.”
“That’s what makes this place so special biologically,” he said. “It’s an important piece of the ecosystem.”
Bradley Crowell, director of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said in October the flower hadn’t faced significant threats in the past because of its remote location, but that’s changed with new interest in lithium deposits in the area. Lithium is a key component in the manufacturing of batteries for electric cars such as the ones made at Tesla’s battery factory east of Reno.
The center initially filed an emergency petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in October to list the plant as an endangered species, fearing the mine would decimate the buckwheat’s existence. Weeks later, the center filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court in Las Vegas accusing the BLM of bypassing its own regulations that require an environmental review for every new land disturbance when Ioneer began drilling, test pits, road construction and other exploration of the site.
Donnelly said that while the center doesn’t necessarily oppose lithium mining in the area, noting lithium’s important role in powering electric cars and storing solar energy, they want to ensure the company practices the mitigation hierarchy. Mitigation hierarchy would prioritize things like avoidance and minimization to achieve little to no impact on an area’s biodiversity.
Ioneer says it kept at least 200 feet of separation between its activities and the buckwheat, with three exceptions, where it came within 50 feet and placed appropriate protective measures to ensure the plan was not disturbed, according to last month’s court filings.
Still, the company agreed to cease any further exploratory activities and the BLM terminated its formal exploration permits and the BLM has terminated all formal exploration notices. The center also agreed that it would withdraw from the lawsuit.
The company now has to alert the center the next time it seeks further permit approval, according to the new agreement. It also agreed to only use hand-held equipment for reclamation activities within 30 feet of the plant.
BLM officials say they will closely inspect the company’s activity to ensure it follows the agreement.
Donnelly said the agreement was a “small victory” but an important one, as the plant could have been “doomed.”
“Tiehm’s buckwheat is a unique Nevada treasure, but it’s also just one of many species threatened by the Trump administration’s disturbing push to give away our public lands to mining companies,” he said.
The state is also undertaking a comprehensive review of the plant to determine if it needs enhanced protections under state law. Donnelly hopes the center’s efforts will further pressure the state into granting the buckwheat more protections.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
