WYOMING — On Wednesday, Nov. 27, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) released its final recovery plan to help support the conservation of the threatened Canada lynx population in the lower 48.
The plan proposes revisions to critical lynx habitat designations that span approximately 19,112 square miles across Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Washington and Wyoming.
FWS writes that the recovery plan is an update to the 2014 designation in the western United States, expanding the area deemed suitable for species sustainability.
The FWS collaborated closely with state, Tribal and federal partners to better understand lynx ecology and resource needs. To reduce threats to lynx populations, proposed actions include vegetation, habitat and wildland fire management. According to the FWS, these revisions balance conservation with land-use priorities.
“These actions ensure the long-term survival of this elusive, snow-adapted wildcat that relies on cold boreal forests and abundant snowshoe hares for survival,” the FWS said via press release.
Although widespread and abundant in Canada and Alaska, lynx populations in the contiguous U.S. are small and fragmented, FWS writes. The species is adversely impacted by habitat loss, human activity and climate change. Canada lynx in the lower 48 were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2000.
The proposed plan, which was published in the Federal Register on Nov. 29, initiated a 60-day public comment period. The Service will review and consider all comments received by Jan. 28, 2025, before publishing a final rule. For more information and to submit comments, see Regulations.gov.
