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Protect Lynx & Snowshoe Rabbit Habitat Across the Western United States

Protect Lynx & Snowshoe Rabbit Habitat Across the Western United States

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is revising critical habitat designations for Canada lynxes across six Western states. This is a vital opportunity to ensure that these iconic animals have the connected, high-quality habitat they need to survive and thrive, also benefitting their main prey, snowshoe rabbits. Submit your comment today to urge the Service to prioritize habitat connectivity, include additional areas, and minimize exclusions.

Canada lynxes, who are members of a species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, rely on vast, connected landscapes with dense forests and reliable snow cover to support their main prey, snowshoe hares. Because of this, the habitat protection will benefit snowshoe hares as well. The proposed revisions would designate approximately 19,112 square miles of critical habitat in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Washington, and Wyoming.

In Defense of Animals

While this is a step forward, there's still more work to do. Connectivity between habitats is essential for lynxes' survival, especially as the climate crisis and human activities continue to fragment their range. Protecting smaller pieces of habitat with Tier 3 habitat designation will help lynx populations move freely and adapt to changing conditions.

The Service is also considering excluding certain areas managed under state conservation plans in Montana and Washington and must ensure that these plans offer robust and enforceable protections for lynx habitat, or else not exclude them from the habitat designation. Encouraging additional research into potential exclusions could help reduce the amount of land removed from critical habitat designations, safeguarding essential areas for lynx recovery.

In Defense of Animals

Now is the time to speak up for lynxes! By submitting a comment, you can help shape this critical habitat designation to protect lynxes, snowshoe rabbits, and their environment. Act now to ensure that the final rule reflects the best available science and prioritizes the connectivity and resilience that lynxes need to thrive.

What YOU Can Do — TODAY:

 

 

Letter to Decision Maker(s) for reference:

Subject: Endangered and Threatened Species: Revised Designation of Critical Habitat for the Contiguous U.S. Distinct Population Segment of the Canada Lynx

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Revised Designation of Critical Habitat for Canada lynxes in the Western United States. I appreciate the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's efforts to dedicate habitat for members of this iconic species and your consideration of the climate crisis and human infrastructure impacts on Canada lynx survival. While your plan is a positive step, I believe it could be improved with the following recommendations:

Carefully Consider Exclusions: The Service should evaluate whether the existing Habitat Conservation Plans in Unit 3 (Montana DNRC Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan) and Unit 4 (Washington DNR Lynx Habitat Management Plan) offer stronger protections for lynx habitat. Exclusions should only be permitted if these plans demonstrate stronger conservation measures. Otherwise, the Service should prioritize retaining areas under the Critical Habitat designation to ensure lynxes receive the highest level of protection.

Incorporate Tier 3 Areas for Connectivity: Connectivity is essential for the survival and dispersal of lynxes, and Tier 3 areas, while smaller, can facilitate this connectivity across the landscape. These areas should be included, especially in Units 6 and 7, where habitat is fragmented and isolated from the core lynx range. Expanding connectivity could help reestablish historical dispersal patterns, such as those observed with lynxes occasionally reaching the Southern Rockies from Canada during population booms.

Expand Unit 5 Beyond the 2014 Designation: The proposed reductions in Unit 5’s Critical Habitat are deeply concerning and may fail to meet the Service’s obligation to designate adequate habitat for species recovery. Instead of reductions, Unit 5 should be expanded to at least match — if not exceed — the 2014 designation. Given the increasing threats posed by the climate crisis, a larger protected habitat is critical for the long-term survival of lynxes as individuals and as a species.

Support Snowshoe Hare Conservation: Since lynx survival is closely tied to the availability of snowshoe hares, the Service should incorporate measures to conserve hare populations in areas where they are low. Ensuring abundant prey availability is fundamental to successful lynx recovery.

Thank you for considering these suggestions to strengthen the Critical Habitat Designation for the Canada lynx. These enhancements will ensure that the plan provides the strongest protections possible for this species in the face of the climate crisis and other threats.

Sincerely,

Signed

This alert is no longer active, but here for reference. Animals still need your help.

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