PORTLAND, Ore.— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeking protection for the gray cat’s eye under the Endangered Species Act. This rare plant is found exclusively on dunes found along the Columbia River in central Washington.

Gray cat’s eyes are threatened by habitat loss to dams, agriculture and off-road vehicles. Other threats include invasive species (particularly cheat grass), altered fire regimes, loss of pollinators, altered sand supplies and climate change.

“The web of life that supports the gray cat’s eye and so many other species is coming apart right before our eyes, so we need to act,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “We’ve destroyed this stunning plant’s habitat, and now invasive plants that spread fire and eliminate natural pollinators are taking over. Add climate change to this mix and it’s a recipe for extinction. Protection under the Endangered Species Act is this flower’s only hope.”

The flower was once known to exist in 45 occurrences, but at least 25 of these are gone and most of the remaining are in steep decline. Surveys in 2023 found just three sites harboring viable populations, including on the Hanford Dunes, Wanapum Dunes and Beverly Dunes.

“Gray cat’s eye is a signature perennial plant of central Washington sand dune communities. It has been recognized as a sensitive plant species for nearly 50 years,” said Mark Darrach, an independent scientist and expert on the species. “Over the last two decades the plant’s habitat and associated pollinator populations have collapsed along with much of its associated unique dune plant community. Time grows short to recover this spectacular species.”

The Service has one year to determine if the gray cat’s eye warrants protection as an endangered or threatened species, but the agency often has to be sued to make such determinations.

If the flower is protected under the law, it would force federal agencies like the Bureau of Reclamation and Bureau of Land Management to ensure their actions won’t jeopardize the species’ survival. It would also require development of a recovery plan and bring additional funding for research and conservation.