DENVER � The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is removing the Colorado hookless cactus from the federal List of Endangered and Threatened Plants due to recovery. This decision is based on the best available scientific and commercial information and reflects ongoing conservation efforts and improved scientific data on the species.
The Service recognizes the collaborative efforts of its recovery partners, including the Bureau of Land Management, the Colorado Natural Heritage Program, and the Denver Botanic Gardens. Their ongoing efforts to monitor and conserve the cactus have played a key role in the species' recovery. The Service will continue collaborating with partners to monitor the species to ensure long-term stability.
The Colorado hookless cactus, federally listed as a threatened species in 1979, is endemic to the Colorado and Gunnison River basins and their tributary canyons in western Colorado. The species thrives in semi-arid, high-elevation desert environments and can be identified by its distinctive pink flowers, which bloom in late April and early May. The Service determines that threats to the species have been eliminated or sufficiently reduced to the point that the species no longer meets the definition of a threatened or endangered species under the Act. Additionally, recent scientific data indicate the species is more abundant than previously known at the time of listing.
