The Fish and Wildlife Service released a final recovery plan for the Canada lynx Wednesday, capping years of debate and litigation over the snow cat’s threatened status and recovery efforts.
FWS also proposed changes to the Canada lynx’s designated critical habitat, adding zones in Colorado and New Mexico and revising some allocations in other states. Under the new proposal, the critical habitat will span eight states, including Montana, Idaho, Washington, Wyoming, Minnesota and Maine.
“These actions ensure the long-term survival of this elusive, snow-adapted wildcat,” the service said in a press release.
While the cat is abundant in Canada and Alaska, the lynx’s population is fragmented in the lower 48 states and was designated as threatened in 2000 under the Endangered Species Act.
