The Mountain-Prairie Region consists of 8 states in the heart of the American west including Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a long tradition of scientific excellence and always uses the best-available science to inform its work to conserve fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitat for the benefit of the American public.
Created in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, today's National Wildlife Refuge System protects habitats and wildlife across the country, from the Alaskan tundra to subtropical wetlands. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Refuge System's 560-plus refuges cover more than 150 million acres and protect nearly 1,400 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish.
While national wildlife refuges were created to protect wildlife, they are for people too. Refuges are ideal places for people of all ages to explore and connect with the natural world. We invite you to learn more about and visit the national wildlife refuges and wetland management districts in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
The Mountain-Prairie Region's Office of Ecological Services (ES) works to restore and protect healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants and the environments upon which they depend. Using the best available science, ES personnel work with Federal, State, Tribal, local, and non-profit stakeholders, as well as private land owners, to avoid, minimize, and mitigate threats to our Nation's natural resources.
Providing leadership in the conservation of migratory bird habitat through partnerships, grants, and outreach for present and future generations. The Migratory Bird Program is responsible for maintaining healthy migratory bird populations for the benefit of the American people.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program in the Mountain-Prairie Region helps conserve, protect, and enhance aquatic resources and provides economically valuable recreational fishing to anglers across the country. The program comprises 12 National Fish Hatcheries.
Law enforcement is essential to virtually every aspect of wildlife conservation. The Office of Law Enforcement contributes to Service efforts to manage ecosystems, save endangered species, conserve migratory birds, preserve wildlife habitat, restore fisheries, combat invasive species, and promote international wildlife conservation.
External Affairs staff in the Mountain-Prairie Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides support to the regional office and field stations to communicate and faciliate information about the Service's programs to the public, media, Congress, Tribes, partners, and other stakeholders in the 8-state region.
Species info: The Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) is an elusive forest-dwelling cat of northern latitudes. At 30-35 inches long, weighing 14-31 pounds, and with grizzled gray fur, lynx are similar to bobcats (Lynx rufus) in size and appearance. The lynx’s large, wellfurred paws, long, black ear tufts, and short, black-tipped tail distinguish it
from the bobcat. With its large paws and long hind legs, the lynx is highly adapted to hunting its primary prey, the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), in the deep snow typical throughout its range. Lynx have been documented to live up to 16 years in
the wild.
Habitat: Landscapes with high snowshoe hare
densities are optimal for lynx survival,
reproduction, and population
persistence. Lynx and hares are
strongly associated with moist, cool,
boreal spruce-fir forests, where lynx
prefer gently rolling terrain. Hares
need forests with dense understory
vegetation that provides food and
cover, especially during periods of deep
snow. In the northern contiguous U.S.,
boreal forests transition to more
temperate forest types, where lynx
populations cannot be sustained, even
though snowshoe hares may still be
present. Lynx also need persistent
deep, powdery snow, which limits
competition from other hare predators,
and denning habitat generally
consisting of log piles, windfalls, or
dense vegetation that provide security
for kittens. Most lynx habitat in the
Lower 48 States occurs on public
(National Forest, National Park, and
Bureau of Land Management) lands,
except in the Northeast, where most is
on private timber lands.
On September 12, 2014, the Service revised Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for the contiguous United States distinct population segment (DPS) of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis). The Service finalized both a revised critical habitat designation for the lynx DPS and a revised definition for what constitutes the range of the DPS – the portion of the species’ North American range in which lynx are protected by the Act.
On June 20, 2014, the Service announced the availability of a Draft Economic Analysis (DEA) and a draft environmental assessment for the proposed revised designation of critical habitat for the Contiguous U.S. Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Service will open a 30-day public comment period until July 21, 2014, to allow the public to review the draft documents. Comments on an amended required determinations section of the proposal may also be made during this comment period. Comments previously submitted need not be resubmitted, as they will be fully considered in preparation of the final rule.
On September 25, 2013, the Service announced a proposal to revise the critical habitat designation for the Contiguous United States Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of the Canada lynx. The Service previously listed the lynx as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (Act)in 2000 and designated critical habitat for the species in 2006, which was revised in 2009. This current revision was undertaken to address two court orders resulting from litigation over the 2009 critical habitat designation. The Service also proposes to revise the definition of the lynx DPS to ensure that all lynx in the contiguous United States are protected under the Act. The Service is accepting public comment on this action until December 26, 2013. More information can be found at http://www.regulations.gov, Docket No. FWS-R6-ES-2013-0101.
The Service announced on December 17, 2009, that changing the boundaries of the Endangered Species Act listing for the Canada lynx to include the State of New Mexico is warranted; however, the action is precluded at this time by the need to complete other listing actions of a higher priority.
On March 24, 2000, the contiguous United States population of the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis)was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. This site provides access to various sources of information on the Canada lynx, including documents about recovery planning, critical habitat, the listing decision, section 7 consultations, research, archives, and other informational web sites.
Canada Lynx Expert Elicitation Workshop Final Report. The purpose of this report is to convey the results of an expert workshop convened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) in October 2015 to improve our understanding of the status of the contiguous U.S. distinct population segment (DPS) of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis). This workshop was held in conjunction with a species status assessment (SSA; see Appendix 1) for the DPS. The SSA, which will incorporate the best available scientific information on lynx, is needed to inform the Service’s response to a June 2014 court order to complete a recovery plan for the DPS by January 2018, or make a formal determination that a recovery plan is not necessary.
The workshop was organized by a Lynx SSA Team consisting of Service and USGS staff who have developed and piloted implementation of the SSA framework, and Service biologists who are working on lynx throughout the range of the DPS. In the interest of collaboration and transparency, this team partnered with State agencies, other Federal agencies, and academic researchers to elicit expert input regarding the current and likely future status of lynx populations within the DPS.
The results of the workshop will contribute to the SSA, which will compile and summarize the best available scientific and commercial data, including empirical data, published literature, and expert input. This information will then be used by Service decision makers to inform recovery planning direction, classification decisions, and other determinations required by the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
The Service recently completed a recovery outline for the Canada lynx. Recovery outlines are intended to provide interim guidance on recovery until a formal recovery plan is developed. Recovery outlines carry no regulatory authority.
Development of a formal recovery plan has been delayed due to limited resources and litigation related to the listing decision. Meanwhile, the Service continues to work with the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, as well as other Federal agencies, State agencies, Tribes, and other partners to undertake lynx conservation activities.
We welcome your input on the recovery outline; feedback will be accepted until a formal recovery plan is developed. Visit the "Contact us" section to submit your comments.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service has initiated a 5-year review of the status of the contiguous U.S. population of the Canada lynx.
We conduct 5 year reviews to ensure the ESA listed status of a species is accurate. For this status review we will assess the best scientific and commercial information available since the lynx was listed in 2000.
Generally, we are looking for information regarding:
Species biology, including but not limited to population trends, distribution, abundance, demographics, and genetics;
Habitat conditions, including but not limited to amount, distribution, and suitability;
Conservation measures that have been implemented to benefit the species; (D) Threat status and trends; and
Other new information, data, or corrections, including but not limited to taxonomic or nomenclatural changes, identification of erroneous information contained in the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants, and improved analytical methods.
On September 12, 2014, the Service revised Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for the contiguous United States distinct population segment (DPS) of Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis). The Service finalized both a revised critical habitat designation for the lynx DPS and a revised definition for what constitutes the range of the DPS – the portion of the species’ North American range in which lynx are protected by the Act.
On September 25, 2013, the Service announced a proposal to revise the critical habitat designation for the Contiguous United States Distinct Population Segment (DPS) of the Canada lynx. The Service previously listed the lynx as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (Act)in 2000 and designated critical habitat for the species in 2006, which was revised in 2009. This current revision was undertaken to address two court orders resulting from litigation over the 2009 critical habitat designation. The Service also proposes to revise the definition of the lynx DPS to ensure that all lynx in the contiguous United States are protected under the Act. The Service is accepting public comment on this action until December 26, 2013. More information can be found athttp://www.regulations.gov, Docket No. FWS-R6-ES-2013-0101.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is revising the critical habitat designated for the Canada lynx. On February 28, 2008, the Service proposed to designate approximately 42,753 square miles of habitat in portions of northern Maine, northeastern Minnesota, the Northern Rocky Mountains (northwestern Montana and northeastern Idaho), the Northern Cascades (north-central Washington), and the Greater Yellowstone Area (southwestern Montana and northwestern Wyoming).
We now announce publication of a Notice of Availability of the Draft Economic Analysis and Draft Environmental Assessment.
Kalispell, Montana on November 7, 2008 at the Red Lion Hotel, 20 N. Main Street
Cody, Wyoming on November 13, 2008 at the Cody Auditorium, 1240 Beck Avenue
The hearings will begin at 5:00 p.m. with a brief informal presentation and discussion followed by the formal public testimonies at 6:00 p.m. Written comments will also be accepted at the hearings.
We also provide, for public comment, two draft conservation agreements:
In addition, we are providing maps representing potential changes that may be incorporated into the final critical habitat designation for Canada lynx. The potential changes to the map boundaries are the result of new information provided to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service during the public comment period, February 28, 2008 to April 28, 2008, and during our consideration of comments submitted. Potential map changes reflect new information about lynx habitat condition and distribution. Changes also reflect areas that the U.S. Forest Service has identified as being important for lynx during their planning process.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to revise the amount of critical habitat designated for the Canada lynx. In total, the Service is proposing to designate approximately 42,753 square miles of habitat in portions of northern Maine, northeastern Minnesota, the Northern Rocky Mountains (northwestern Montana and northeastern Idaho), the Northern Cascades (north-central Washington), and the Greater Yellowstone Area (southwestern Montana and northwestern Wyoming). The public is invited to comment on all aspects of the proposed rule. Comments will be accepted until April 28, 2008.
The contiguous U.S. population of the lynx was listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 2000. In 2003, in response to a court-order to reconsider the listing, we clarified our final listing decision.
Service to Conduct Status Review on the Need to Revise the 2000 Canada Lynx Listing to Include New Mexico
Following an initial review of a petition to revise the listing of Canada lynx to include the mountains of north-central New Mexico, the Fish and Wildlife Service will undertake a review to determine if animals in New Mexico – believed to be dispersers from the State of Colorado reintroduction efforts - should be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The Service is seeking information regarding the status and distribution of the Canada lynx, including impacts or potential impacts to the species resulting from either human activities or natural causes. Public comments will be accepted until February 17, 2008. For more information, please see the Federal Register Notice.
Biological Assessment of the Effects of National Forest Land and Resource Management Plans and Bureau of Land Management Land Use Plans on Canada Lynx and Lynx Habitat in the Lower 48 States, December 1999
Lynx - Bobcat Hybridization:
In 2003, scientists conducting DNA analysis of hair and tissue samples discovered the first evidence of hybridization between lynx and bobcat in the wild.
Federal Register Notices: March 17, 2003 Re-opening of Comment Period for Final Rule to List the Contiguous United States Distinct Population Segment of the Canada Lynx August 18, 1999 Notice of Re-opening of Comment Period for Lynx Proposal July 26, 1999 Canada Lynx Special Rule Record of Compliance July 8, 1999 Notice of 6-Month Extension July 8, 1998 Proposal to List the Contiguous United States Distinct Population Segment of the Canada Lynx; Proposed Rule May 27, 1997 12-Month Finding for a Petition to List the Contiguous United States Population of the Canada Lynx December 27, 1994 12-Month Finding for a Petition to List the Contiguous United States Population of the Canada Lynx
