Western Watersheds Project Acts To Protect The
Imperiled Montana Grayling In Montana And The Big Lost River Whitefish In Idaho
Montana Grayling Photo © Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks
Western Watersheds Project has joined with the Center for Biological Diversity, the Federation of Fly Fishers, Pat Munday of Butte and former Montana fishing guide and WWP Advisory Board Member George Wuerthner in filing litigation against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) for their denial of listing of the remnant population of Montana fluvial grayling. That denial appears to have been the result of interference by the disgraced Bush Department of the Interior official, Julie MacDonald, who has now resigned.
Separately, WWP has filed a new 60 day Notice of Intent To Sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for its decision not to carry out a status review of the Big Lost River white fish as petitioned by WWP in June 2006. In October 2007 the USFWS denied WWP’s listing petition for the Big Lost River White Fish because in their judgment it does not qualify as a distinct population segment of the species even though it exists only in one isolated sinks river (the Big Lost River in central Idaho) that has been isolated from any other watershed for at least 10,000 years !
In the case of both of these beautiful fish, livestock production that dewaters and degrades the stream and river habitat for these fish is the primary reason for the huge decline in numbers and occupied habitat of both of these imperiled species.
WWP is ably represented in both these cases by Attorney Judi Brawer of Boise, Idaho. Thank you Judi !
Big Lost River White Fish Photo © Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Western Watersheds Project Is A Regional Conservation Organization Working To Protect And Restore Western Watersheds And Wildlife
https://westernwatersheds.org
Consider joining Western Watersheds Project yourself or enrolling a friend with a gift membership. Joining is
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