Canadian Lynx

On November 29, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) adopted a Canada Lynx recovery plan, proposing revisions to its Critical Habitat designations. The proposed habitat spans over 19,000 square miles across Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Washington and Wyoming. The revisions include new areas of critical habitat in northern Idaho and along the central Idaho-Montana border within the Great Burn ecosystem, which provide the cold sub-alpine forests and abundant snowshoe hares these wildcats need for survival. The release of the proposed recovery plan kicked off a 60-day public comment period ending January 28, 2025.

The proposed habitat is based on recent species distribution models done by the U.S Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station and offer an accurate representation of lynx distribution and critical habitat. The USFWS should adopt the proposed new critical habitat for Canadian lynx, especially along the Idaho-Montana border.

We encourage you to voice your support for the proposed critical habitat, your support is crucial to ensuring these critical habitats remain safeguarded for the recovery of lynx.

The Canadian Lynx Recovery Plan proposes to include new areas of critical habitat in the Great Burn ecosystem along the Montana-Idaho border.