The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced plans to seek endangered species status for the ghost orchid, a rare swamp-dwelling flowering plant found in Florida's Hendry and Collier counties and in Cuba. The agency will publish the proposal Thursday in the Federal Register, initiating a 60-day public comment period. The ghost orchid population has declined to fewer than 1,000 plants in the United States, with less than half mature enough to reproduce. Poaching is identified as the main threat to the species, while wetland loss and habitat degradation have also contributed to its decline. Federal officials have warned that without intervention, the ghost orchid could face extinction. The proposed listing under the Endangered Species Act aims to provide additional protections to help preserve the species.