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Mine Consultant Agreed Nevada Plant In Danger

RENO, Nev. (AP) — A botanist hired by a company planning to mine one of the most promising deposits of lithium in the world believes a rare desert wildflower at the site should be protected under the Endangered Species Act.

That's a move that could jeopardize the project. The unusually candid disclosure is included in more than 500 pages of emails obtained by conservationists and reviewed by The Associated Press regarding Ioneer Ltd.'s plans to build the mine near the only population of Theim's buckwheat known to exist on earth.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently agreed to conduct a full-year review of the plant's status.