The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) knows there are likely less the 2,000 Canada lynx left in the lower 48. They also know they face many threats such as wildfires in the West, habitat fragmentation, trapping, and likely the worst threat - climate change. In spite of this, Secretary Zinke and his hand-picked political appointees who oppose wildlife protections have decided to walk away from lynx protections.
Canada lynx were protected as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2000. In the 17 years since then, conservation organizations have campaigned and sued to force USFWS to develop a recovery plan to bring this species back.
Under a federal court order, that plan is due this week. Rather than comply with the order and develop the plan, Secretary Zinke and the Department of Interior are shirking their roles as the officials charged with carrying out the Endangered Species Act.They have unilaterally (and unscientifically) declared that lynx populations are stable, and it is time to remove them from the endangered species list.
It is one of the most outrageous attacks on science, conservation, and the law to come out of Ryan Zinke's office in the ten months he has been occupying the role of Interior Secretary. Delistings are to be based on the best available science, from data collected through monitoring populations in the field, trends in habitat, abundance of prey, etc. A plan is to be put in place that assures that this species is not imperiled in the future. Zinke and his staff are doing none of this, despite their own biologists recommendations. They are simply deciding that it's easier to declare victory than to engage in the hard work of conservation.
Canada lynx face the same threats today–or more so–than they did in 2000.Development of their habitat, increased recreation, trapping, and climate change are each bearing down on the lynx. They need the protections of the Endangered Species Act. Unfortunately, Secretary Zinke has decided that developers, loggers, trappers, and others need license to threaten this species and their habitat even more.
Thank you for your commitment to wildlife and wild places.
Sincerely,
PS. Links not working? Please add your name opposing the delisting of Canada lynx at this URL: http://p2a.co/TKSKhCy
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