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Defenders in Action: Defenders Wins Victory for Lynx
Thanks to court action by Defenders of Wildlife,
the Canada lynx is getting a better chance for survival.
A federal judge
has ruled that the Interior Department improperly applied the Endangered Species
Act when it listed the lynx as merely threatened, not endangered. The judge
restricted federal activities in the lynx range until critical habitat for the
species is designated.
"This is a huge victory for all species in
our northern forests, and could slow the Bush administration's headlong rush to
undermine wildlife and environmental protections in our national forests," says
William Snape, vice president and chief counsel for Defenders.
A
medium-sized cat characterized by its long ear tufts and bobbed tail, the lynx
historically was found throughout much of the lower 48 states. But lynx today
are known to occur only in Maine, Minnesota, Wyoming, Oregon, Idaho and possibly
in Michigan. A recent reintroduction program has begun in Colorado.
