Another backroom threat to endangered species

Could political appointees veto science-based decisions? Staff Report Conservation activists say they’ll legally challenge a blatant attempt by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to politicize the endangered species listing process by including political officials with no science background to serve on review committees. The new policy is detailed in a memorandum that was leaked

Court stands up for jaguar habitat in New Mexico

Cattle ranchers come up empty in bid to cut protection Staff Report Endangered jaguars in North America don’t really know whether they are in Mexico or Arizona, so there need to be continued recovery efforts on both sides of the border. A federal court in New Mexico recently recognized that fact when it turned aside

Wildlife advocates will sue to protect Pacific walrus

Wildlife advocates say science ignored in decision not to list species Staff Report The Trump administration’s reckless and irresponsible natural resource polices will once again be tested in court, as conservation advocates challenge the government’s denial of endangered species protection for the Pacific walrus. The Center for Biological Diversity announced it will sue the U.S.

17 years later, feds still playing politics with threatened lynx

Routine studies delayed, protections lagging … Staff Report The U.S. Forest Service started dragging its feet on protecting lynx ever since the wild cat was designated as a threatened species in 2000, and that pattern continues to this day. The Center for Biological Diversity has released a document suggesting that the agency’s Northern Rockies office

New study reveals whale shark secrets

Science helps inform conservation Staff Report Ocean biologists are starting to learn about the world’s largest fish, and the information should help efforts to protect endangered whale sharks. Giant whale sharks, up to 60 feet long, feed mostly on tiny drifting animals and small fish like sardines. To find enough food, they endlessly cruise vast

Western monarchs in steep decline

Concerted conservation actions needed to save species Staff Report Monarch butterflies in the western U.S. have declined even more dramatically than believed, putting the population at risk of extinction, according to new research. In As recently as the 1980s, about 10 million monarchs over-wintered in coastal California, but today that’s down to about 300,000, said

Western governors seek to weaken Endangered Species Act

Suggested changes would lead to extinction of some species Staff Report Governors of western states talk a good game when it comes to natural resources conservation, but when the rubber hits the road, they’ve never really been willing to walk the walk. At its recent meeting in Montana, the Western Governors Association endorsed a  policy

Grizzly delisting to be challenged in court

Species far from recovered, wildlife advocates say Staff Report Once again, the U.S. court system will have the final say over an endangered species decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Conservation groups say they are preparing to sue the agency over its recent decision to take Montana’s grizzly bears off the endangered species

Marine preserves can protect oceans from global warming

Major study shows need for expansion of protected areas Staff Report As much as a third of the world’s oceans should be protected to help buffer against long-term climate change impacts, scientists said in a new study, calling for an expansion of protected areas, as well as better management. Globally, coastal nations have committed to

Can grizzlies survive global warming?

New study shows many bears still rely on dwindling whitebark pine seeds Staff Report The long-term survival of grizzles in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem may depend on whether they’re willing to switch from eating whitebark pine seeds to other types food. Some of the bears have already started responding to reductions in whitebark trees by