WASHINGTON (CN) - The San Clemente broom should be called the San Clemente Island lotus and the plant no longer meets the definition of endangered, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The USFWS says the U.S. Navy's efforts to remove feral goats and pigs from San Clemente Island mean the lotus and another endemic plant species, the San Clemente Island paintbrush, are no longer threatened with extinction.
San Clemente, the southernmost of California's Channel Islands, has been a Navy base since 1934. In addition to the Navy's last remaining ship-to-shore live fire range, the island also hosts an airfield and a SEAL training facility.
The San Clemente Island bush mallow which occurs in only 11 places on the island remains endangered because of intense training exercises in the vicinity of the plants.
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