Smooth Coneflower Now Classified as Threatened Instead of Endangered

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reclassified the smooth coneflower from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

The Service is also finalizing a rule that tailors protections and allows greater flexibility for management actions that will benefit the plant. The proposal represents a significant recovery milestone for the plant following years of ESA-inspired partnerships across its range in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

Today, 44 distinct populations of smooth coneflower exist in Virginia (15), North Carolina (6), South Carolina (12) and Georgia (11). Sixteen of these 44 populations are considered healthy and occur within protected national forests and nature preserves where threats from habitat modification have been reduced.

The U.S. Forest Service manages smooth coneflower habitat within the Chattahoochee, Sumter, and Washington and Jefferson National Forests, as well as at the Savannah River Site.