Nevada
3 rare species found in NV may warrant endangered species protections, say feds
On Wednesday, federal wildlife managers announced that three rare species found in Nevada may warrant federal protections under the Endangered Species Act.
Following a three-month review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, government officials say they’ve found substantial evidence that a flower, a toad, and a rabbit who call Nevada home may be eligible for listing.
Those species are the Railroad Valley toad — one of the smallest western toad species, the white-margined penstemon — a rare perennial plant restricted to the Mojave Desert, and the pygmy rabbit — a small rabbit found in the Great Basin, according to Nevada Current.
Based on the review, federal wildlife officials will conduct a one-year status review to either approve or deny listing proposals for the three species.
Isolated from other toads by miles of arid desert, the Railroad Valley toad is confined to a single spring-fed wetland habitat across 445 acres of land in Nye County.
Under their review, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found there were credible threats to the rare toads’ existence that warranted further analysis, including oil and gas extraction in Railroad Valley, and proposals for lithium extraction.
Federal land managers also concluded that protections for the white-margined penstemon — a small flower that grows on sandy washes and stabilized dunes — may be necessary due to habitat loss from land development, climate change, and the degradation of habitat due to off-highway vehicle use.
The rare wildflower only grows in four counties across the Mojave Desert: Clark and Nye counties in Nevada, San Bernardino County in California, and Mohave County in Arizona.
Both the white-margined penstemon and the Railroad Valley toad were considered for federal protections after the Center for Biological Diversity petitioned the federal government to list the species under the Endangered Species Act.
Conservationists say the rare wildflower’s survival is threatened by urban expansion under the proposed Clark County lands bill and the advancement of the proposed Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport. The Nye County population of the flower in the Amargosa Desert is also threatened by transmission line construction and fast growing solar energy development, said Patrick Donnelly, the Great Basin director at the Center.
“The Bureau of Land Management and Nevada politicians are letting all manner of industries run roughshod over our public lands, putting the Silver State’s remarkable biodiversity in jeopardy,”Donnelly said. “The Endangered Species Act is the most successful conservation law in the world at preventing extinction, and it’s our best chance to save the white-margined penstemon and the Railroad Valley toad.”
Federal wildlife officials said they would also further evaluate whether the pygmy rabbit warranted federal protections under the Endangered Species Act.
After being petitioned by several conservation groups — including the Western Watersheds Project, Center for Biological Diversity, WildEarth Guardians, and the Defenders of Wildlife — wildlife managers said a compound of wildfire, cheatgrass, and climate change may warrant further protections for the rabbit.
The small Great Basin rabbit lives in sagebrush habitat across central Nevada, eastern California, southwestern Utah, southern Idaho, southwestern Montana, southeastern Oregon, and southern Washington.
The pygmy rabbit population in Washington’s Columbia Basin has been listed as endangered since 2003, but following their review the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service found that listing the pygmy rabbit range wide, as a threatened species or an endangered species, may be warranted.
“I’m relieved that these vulnerable species are moving one step closer to getting the life-saving protections they need,” said Donnelly. “As climate change rages and habitat destruction devastates public lands, Nevada is on the front lines of the extinction crisis. If we don’t act to save the state’s rare plants and animals, they’ll disappear forever.”
A fourth grade student from Nevada helped light the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree on Tuesday evening.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
(Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)
Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Grady Armstrong, a fourth grader from Virginia City, Nevada, helped U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and members of the Nevada Congressional Delegation light the Capitol Christmas tree on Tuesday night.
The tree is a 53-foot-tall red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada. It’s the first time in 61 years that a tree from Nevada is featured on the West Lawn of the Capitol.
The tree traveled roughly 3,000 miles to D.C., and is decorated with about 6,000 LED lights and more than 5,000 ornaments, many of them made by children from across Nevada.
Armstrong earned the honor of lighting the tree after winning an essay contest.
“You don’t have to go far to enjoy Nevada. Right from my school playground, you can look east for hundreds of miles over the mountain ranges that make up the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest,” he said.
“I want the country to know how special Nevada’s public land and national forests are. These lands are full of wonder, from big animals like elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep and even moose,” Armstrong added.
The tree, nicknamed “Silver Belle” as a nod to Nevada being the “Silver State,” will be lit from dusk until 11 p.m. every night through early January 2026.
WTOP’s Alan Etter contributed to this report.
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Northern Nevada organizations are marking Giving Tuesday with community-focused fundraising campaigns aimed at expanding services, improving access and supporting local families.
The May Arboretum Society at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park launched a $10,000 Giving Tuesday goal to support two new enhancement projects within the arboretum. The organization says the improvements will elevate the visitor experience and reinforce its mission of conservation and community education. Donors can participate by visiting mayarboretumsociety.org and selecting the “Get Involved” tab.
Note-Able Music Therapy Services (NMTS) in Reno is also seeking to raise $10,000 today to expand access to its music therapy programs. The nonprofit says its services help children and adults build confidence, communication skills and emotional well-being. A $50 donation can fund a monthlong scholarship for a client, while $300 can provide six months of classes for a child working on social skill development or help support local caregivers who rely on the program. Contributions can be made at nmtsreno.org.
Other local organizations participating in Giving Tuesday include Safe Embrace, Veterans Guest House and Nevada Humane Society, each encouraging northern Nevadans to support programs that stay entirely within the community.
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Many Giving Tuesday campaigns run through midnight, offering residents a chance to make an immediate impact on local nonprofits serving the region.
RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Nevada Health Centers in Carson City is looking for people to participate in clinical research trials for norovirus and an oral GLP-1 medication.
“We’ve been very excited to be able to bring opportunities of major biopharmaceutical, clinical research, new, innovative medications and such to our patient population,” said Dr. Sangeeta Wagner, Nevada Health Centers.
NVHC joined forces with Javara, a leading integrated research organization (IRO), in 2023 to bring clinical research to Nevadans, beginning in the greater Carson City area.
Nevada Health Centers has conducted fourteen trial opportunities over the years. They’re recruiting for 5 trials right now, including norovirus and an oral GLP-1 medication. “This medication is an oral medication for adults that will help them in the same ways. It’s nice because it will give patients the alternative instead of having to inject themselves once a week,” added Dr. Wagner.
NVHC is looking for people who are 18 or older, with diabetes, obesity, heart failure prevention, hypothyroidism, and covid.
The norovirus trial is for people 60 or older. The CDC reports, there are 2,500 norovirus outbreaks in the U.S. each year, and the virus is responsible for 58% of foodborne illnesses.
“For most of us, otherwise healthy adults, we can just have a few days of some mild discomfort. But in the vulnerable population, adult patients or those very young, it can lead to dehydration or death. Important to decrease the spread of it as much as we can. Currently, there is no approved vaccine for it, nor is there an antiviral,” said Dr. Wagner.
Dr. Wagner says Clinical trials are an essential step in developing new medications and therapies, and the norovirus vaccine trial, part of a national study, aims to reduce the impact of the disease that sickens thousands of people every year, leading to lost work productivity, school absences, hospitalizations, and more.
The deadline to apply is closing in 4 to 6 weeks. Plans are in place to expand the clinical research program to other NVHC facilities in the state.
If you are interested in participating or would like to learn more, please contact Jason Elenberger at jason.elenberger@javararesearch.com or our research team phone line at 775.200.9775.
You can also call Nevada Health Centers.
Copyright 2025 KOLO. All rights reserved.
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