A rare desert wildflower inches toward the protection that could save its wetlands

The Tecopa bird's beak is a small wildflower that grows only in desert wetlands in Nevada and California — places that can vanish if too much groundwater is pumped for farms, mines and energy projects. This month, the Center for Biological Diversity and the US Fish and Wildlife Service reached a legal agreement that sets a firm date — 13 September 2028 — for a final decision on protecting the plant under the Endangered Species Act, the law credited with saving species from the bald eagle to the grey wolf. The agreement ends a lawsuit over delay and means the flower's future will be decided on a deadline, not left in a queue.

SDG 15 · Life on land — Mechanism: legal ruling