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- ioneer (INR) has welcomed a proposed rule to list Tiehm’s buckwheat as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act
- The buckwheat population at ioneer’s Rhyolite Ridge ore deposit in Nevada was impacted when rodents seeking moisture amid severe drought conditions destroyed some of the plants
- The company says the decision by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is in line with ioneer’s expectations, having factored the protection of the buckwheat into every aspect of its project planning
- FWS is expected to make a final listing decision by September 2022, as agreed upon by a court stipulation
- ioneer is trading 1.55 per cent down at 63.5 cents at 11:53 am AEDT
ioneer (INR) has welcomed a proposed rule to list Tiehm’s buckwheat as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act.
The company said the decision by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) was in line with ioneer’s expectations and it had thrown its support behind the decision.
The buckwheat species is found along the western margin of ioneer’s Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron ore deposit in Esmeralda County, Nevada.
The protection and conservation of Tiehm’s buckwheat, which is already classified as a “sensitive species” by the US Bureau of Land Management, is a central part of ioneer’s environmental planning and approvals process for the project.
ioneer said it factored the protection of the buckwheat into every aspect of its Rhyolite Ridge project planning. In fact, technical work and studies undertaken to date proved co-existence of the Rhyolite Ridge Project and Tiehm’s buckwheat was attainable.
“From the beginning, the Rhyolite Ridge operation has been designed and planned to incorporate the conservation and protection of Tiehm’s buckwheat,” ioneer Managing Director Bernard Rowe said.
“We have always firmly understood the need to protect this species, irrespective of its listing status, given its small population and limited geographic spread along the edges of the area we operate in.”
Tiehm’s buckwheat populations at Rhyolite Ridge were impacted by an herbivory incident, where rodents seeking moisture destroyed some of the plants amid severe drought conditions. Following the proposed ruling, ongoing management and protection of Tiehm’s buckwheat populations will be in place, including an Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing.
“ioneer has invested considerable funds into undertaking the most comprehensive studies and efforts into Tiehm’s buckwheat management strategies to date to ensure the species is not only protected but that its populations are expanded in the years to come,” Mr Rowe said.
“Our propagation, transplant and translocation programs will not only see populations expanded but reduce the risk to the plant from further climate-related impacts and herbivory.”
FWS is expected to make a final listing decision by September 2022, as agreed upon by court stipulation.
iIoneer last traded at 63 cents on October 1.
