Lynx Management and Policy

New Critical Areas Proposed for Lynx

In late Feb. 2008, the Fish and Wildlife Service released a new proposal to expand the critical habitat areas for lynx. Read more below.

Since the 1990s Defenders of Wildlife and other conservation groups have been fighting the federal government to list the lynx under the Endangered Species Act.  Finally, we prevailed in 2000 and the lynx was listed as a threatened species, but the Fish and Wildlife Service was still unwilling to designate the habitat that is critical to lynx survival. Designating critical habitat is meant to help federal and state resource agencies focus their conservation programs and actions on areas that are essential to lynx recovery.

In 2006, the FWS gave in to pressure from timber companies and land management agencies and announced their decision to only designate two western parks as critical habitat, despite scientific studies proving that numerous national forests and public lands are vital for the lynx’s survival. Defenders is pursuing legal action to force them to use sound science, instead of political judgements, to protect enough habitat for lynx.

On February 28, 2008, the FWS issued a new proposal to designate critical habitat that was much better than its 2006 decision, since it reinserted key lynx habitat on our national forests and on private lands that were excluded due to meddling by Bush Administration officials in Washington. Yet the new proposal still does not protect enough lynx habitat to ensure lynx recovery. The southern Rocky Mountains, southern Wyoming, and northeastern Washington remain inexplicably omitted. See the newly proposed lynx critical habitat maps.

Lynx supporters will have an opportunity to submit written comments in favor of expanding and strengthening the lynx critical habitat proposal in July 2008. Sign up to receive alerts about this and other imperiled and endangered species.

Related Information

Press Release: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces New Lynx Critical Habitat Proposal (02/28/2008)

Map of FWS proposed critical habitats for the Canada Lynx (2008)

Defenders of Wildlife's Initial Comments on the 2008 Lynx Critical Habitat Proposal (2008)