Notice of Availability of a Draft Recovery Plan for the Virginia Sneezeweed for Review and Comment

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announces the availability for public review of a draft Recovery Plan for the Virginia sneezeweed (Helenium virginicum). The Virginia sneezeweed is a rare herb in the Asteraceae family found in the Shenandoah Valley of western Virginia, with a single possible disjunct population in southern Missouri. The species was listed as threatened in December 1998 due to its restricted range, small number of occurrences, and growing threats from loss and degradation of its sinkhole pond habitat. The objective of the proposed Recovery Plan is to protect Heleniuim virginicum populations and their habitat, thereby enabling the species' removal from the Federal list of endangered and threatened wildlife and plants. To accomplish this, the draft Plan recommends protection and management of extant populations, definitively establishing the distribution of the plant, and strategies for maintaining the genetic diversity of the species. If the Recovery Plan is successfully implemented, full recovery may be possible by 2020. The Service solicits review and comment from the public on this draft Plan.