John,
Threatened Canada lynx depend on undisturbed forests that support their prey: red squirrels, ptarmigans, and — their favorite — snowshoe hares. In wild places with deep snow, these cats’ large, wide paws keep them agile on the snow’s surface, giving them an advantage over both prey and competing carnivores, like coyotes.
To keep lynx habitat undisturbed and wild, protecting critical habitat is crucial.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently issued a revised proposal outlining new critical habitat protections for Canada lynx. While the proposal increases protections in some areas, it removes protection from more than 6 million acres of lynx habitat in the northern Rocky Mountains, mostly in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. That’s not what’s best for these magnificent felines.
Helping imperiled species survive and recover requires protecting habitat not just where they currently live, but also where they could expand. A key aspect of doing that is preserving connectivity between populations. Protecting connected habitat for Canada lynx would let them roam and disperse to ensure genetic diversity. The Service’s new proposal fails in that regard.
But it’s not too late to fix it.
Tell the Service not to undermine these great cats’ survival and recovery by slashing their critical habitat. Canada lynx deserve more habitat protection — not less.
