Wildlife advocates’ win forces federal government to prepare long overdue recovery plan for threatened Canada Lynx.
Missoula, MT – In a critical win for the rare and elusive Canada
lynx, a federal court in Montana found that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service’s 14-year delay in preparing a recovery plan for this threatened
species was “unreasonable” and ordered a firm deadline for completing
the federally mandated roadmap for recovery.
A coalition of wildlife advocates, represented by the Western
Environmental Law Center, filed a lawsuit in March 2013 to spur the FWS
to complete the required recovery plan for the cat, which was listed as
threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in
March 2000. By the FWS’ own admission, recovery plans are “one of the
most important tools to ensure sound scientific and logistical
decision-making throughout the recovery process.”
Yesterday, the Court ruled in the wildlife advocates favor, finding
that “The history of this case causes a certain skepticism about the
agency’s self declared deadlines for initiating recovery planning.” The
agency has 30 days to submit a proposed schedule for completion of the
recovery plan. “It’s long overdue,” said Matthew Bishop, an attorney with the
Western Environmental Law Center who represents the coalition. “A delay
of a year, two or even three might be reasonable given other priorities
or a heavy workload, but not 14. At some point in time, the court has to
step in and say enough is enough. Fortunately, that’s what they did in
this case,” Bishop added. “We are pleased that the court recognized how important these plans
are to prevent the extinction of lynx,” said Arlene Montgomery, Program
Director for Friends of the Wild Swan. “Finally the Fish and Wildlife
Service can get down to identifying and reducing threats to the cats’
long term survival.”
The Western Environmental Law Center is representing Friends of the
Wild Swan, Rocky Mountain Wild, San Juan Citizens Alliance, and the
Biodiversity Conservation Alliance.
The Court’s decision can be found here:
http://www.westernlaw.org/sites/default/files/Order.Summary.Judgment.May_.8.2014..pdf
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