[Photo credit: California Academy of Sciences]
Some local threatened plant life to keep the Santa Cruz Long-toed Salamander company, the Franciscan Manzanita is under consideration as an endangered species. You may recall the last known remaining wild specimen was discovered in the Presidio near Doyle Drive by a botanist who was just driving by one day in 2009. The FranMan apparently once thrived in a narrow coastal band (of plants, not Emo shoe-gazers) along the coast. It's not especially interesting to look at, but apparently its berries provide food to birds and coyotes. There you go! If coyotes had enough berries, they'd eat fewer miniature poodles.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is soliciting public commentary, according to The Chronicle: "Go to www.regulations.gov. In the box that reads "Enter keyword or ID", enter the case's docket number: FWS-R8-ES-2010-0049. Click the box that reads: "Submit a comment". We say do it. But be nice. This shrub needs you.
· Endangered Status Weighed for Rediscovered Bush [SFGate]