Tag Archives: Endangered Species Act

Judge blocks three more timber projects over lynx rules

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

More lynx-related lawsuits on the docket . . .

A federal judge this week blocked three Montana logging projects in two national forests, saying the U.S. government did not properly examine the effects the projects might have on lynx and the threatened animal’s habitat.

That makes four timber projects since May in which U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen found fault with the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ conclusion that cutting and burning in those areas would not significantly harm the big cats’ territory.

Continue reading . . .

Beacon posts articles marking 40th anniversary of Endangered Species Act

Environmental Issues, History,

The Flathead Beacon recently published a well-written pair of articles marking the 40th anniversary of the introduction of the Endangered Species Act. Both are worth a read . . .

The Road to Recovery – By the spring of 1973, the American conservation movement had reached a boiling point. The early warnings from visionaries like Theodore Roosevelt, who promoted stewardship of the country’s natural wonders and resources or risk losing a sacred heritage, had presaged the concerned state of the wild interior. Continue reading . . .

How the Endangered Species Act Changed Everything – In the four decades since Congress passed the Endangered Species Act, widely regarded as the crown jewel of the nation’s environmental laws, the watershed legislation has led to the recovery of a suite of species that once hung on the brink of extinction. Continue reading . . .

Feds propose lifting most wolf protections in Lower 48

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

It’s now official. The federal government wants to lift Endangered Species Act protections from gray wolves within the Continental U.S. . . .

The Obama administration on Friday proposed lifting most remaining federal protections for gray wolves across the Lower 48 states, a move that would end four decades of recovery efforts but that some scientists said was premature.

State and federal agencies have spent more than $117 million restoring the predators since they were added to the endangered species list in 1974. Today more than 6,100 wolves roam portions of the Northern Rockies and western Great Lakes.

Continue reading . . .

Feds prepare for grizzly bear delisting

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

Grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) could be removed form the threatened species list as early as next year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFS) is developing a “conservation strategy” to deal with this eventuality. On May 2, a draft version of this plan was released for public comment.

There is going to be a lot of public comment, especially since delisting could result in hunting of this iconic animal.

Here are some links to bring you up to speed . . .

The USFS “Grizzly Bear Recovery” page contains information and links to material on grizzly bears in the NCDE, including links to the “Draft NCDE Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy” and appendices.

Some useful articles in the local press:

Feds asking for comments on giving wolverines Endangered Species Act protection

Environmental Issues, News,

As reported last week, the federal government is proposing that wolverines be given Endangered Species Act protection as a threatened species.

If you want to put in your comments, now is the time to do it.

The proposed rule can be viewed in the Federal Register here:
https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2013/02/04/2013-01478/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-threatened-status-for-the-distinct-population-segment

The direct link for submitting a public comment online is here:
http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=FWS-R6-ES-2012-0107-0001

If you wish to mail comments, the address is:

Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R6-ES-2012-0107
Division of Policy and Directives Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042-PDM
Arlington, VA 22203

The deadline for comments is May 6.

Montana FWP opposed to increased wolverine protections

Environmental Issues, News,

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is not happy with the prospect of federal regulation of Wolverines . . .

Montana wildlife officials have given up on a wolverine trapping season this winter, but said Tuesday they want the state excluded from pending federal protections for the elusive predators so trapping can be revived.

Federal officials are poised to announce by next Friday whether wolverines should get Endangered Species Act protections across the western U.S…

Continue reading . . .

Feds plan to protect wolverines as threatened species

Environmental Issues, News,

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service just put paid to the Wolverine trapping debate in Montana by announcing that they plan to list the animal as threatened . . .

Montana’s wolverine trapping season effectively ended on Monday after reports that federal officials plan to put the rare predator on the endangered species list.

After putting the trapping season in limbo Nov. 30, a state district judge canceled a planned Jan. 10 hearing on the matter when U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials said they plan to issue a proposed rule giving wolverines “threatened” status under the U.S. Endangered Species Act on Jan. 18.

Although the federal decision must still go through several months of public comment and review, District Judge Jeffrey Sherlock ruled it made little sense to debate a trapping season that was soon to become moot.

Continue reading . . .

Last 50 years good for Montana wildlife

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

Here’s a rather upbeat look at species recovery efforts across Montana . . .

Montanans are living in wild times.

For proof, just look at the big picture. There are elk, bison and bighorn sheep grazing in the prairie regions of Eastern Montana where they had previously been exterminated. Large predators like grizzly bears, mountain lions and gray wolves prowl the western forests of the state after declining to record lows.

In the state’s rivers, Yellowstone and westslope cutthroat trout, as well as endangered pallid sturgeon, are being planted to enhance their declining populations. Even in towns and cities wildlife are resurging as geese crowd golf course ponds, mule deer nibble on resident’s shrubbery and ducks, rabbits and Merriam’s turkeys commonly strut across manicured lawns.

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Montana’s wolverine trapping season heads to court

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

The Flathead Beacon has an excellent article on the wolverine trapping issue, including a few words from the always-pithy Doug Chadwick. Recommended reading . . . . . .

While wolverines’ protected status under the Endangered Species Act remains in limbo, Montana’s trapping season is quickly approaching and a coalition of conservation groups is trying to stop trappers from harvesting any wolverines in the state until the species rebounds to a stable population.

Continue reading . . .

New rule proposed to end endangered species listings by state

Environmental Issues, News,

The federal government has proposed a new rule to govern endangered species listings that seems to make no one happy except, perhaps, a few attorneys and policy wonks. Here’s today’s AP coverage . . .

The Obama administration proposed a new rule that would end a practice in which some endangered species were classified differently in neighboring states.

The new policy would clarify that a plant or animal could be listed as threatened or endangered if threats occur in a “significant portion of its range,” even if the threat crosses state lines and does not apply in the species’ entire range.

Continue reading . . .