Lynx Not Hijinks - Canada Lynx Critical Habitat Proposal

Lynx News

Comment Period Reopened

The comment period for this proposal has been reopened, and we have updated the website with new information. Please comment now (even if you previously commented) and review the information throughout.

Comment Period Ends 10/11/2006:

Act Now!

Facts and Info About Canada Lynx Critical Habitat Proposal in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota and Maine

BREAKING NEWS:

The comment period for this proposal has been reopened. Please comment now, even if you have commented during the prior comment period.

ACT NOW - The current comment period ends on 10/11/2006.

NEW! Economic Impact Facts and Info About Canada Lynx Critical Habitat Proposal

Summary: The USFWS admits that the known impacts are HUGE and… that THEY have only analyzed a fraction of the total

What is being proposed?

The proposal calls for 18,000 square miles to be designated as Critical Habitat. This land – mostly private and state ground – includes parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, Minnesota and Maine. The comment period, which closed earlier in 2006, is now reopened because the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) has released known economic costs for their proposal.

Why is Critical Habitat being proposed?

While the USFWS freely admits that designating this Critical Habitat has no real effective conservation benefit, the USFWS is being forced to comply with a Ninth Circuit judicial opinion resulting from an environmental conflict industry lawsuit. The Ninth Circuit required the USFWS to complete a final Critical Habitat designation by Nov. 1, 2006.

What does this mean?

It means that the USFWS is being forced into a process that provides no real conservation benefit and is being driven by litigation and the courts rather than by biology. The product of this process is crippling the ability to evaluate the science involved, is consuming enormous human and monetary resources, and now, even the USFWS is admitting that the known social and economic costs will be huge.

How does this proposal affect me?

How does this proposal affect me? Earlier this year, the USFWS downplayed the potential impact of the Critical Habitat designation by claiming that it will have little impact on the areas within the habitat zone. The US Fish & Wildlife Service has stressed that it will only affect properties that require federal permits or receive federal funding. In reality, if you live, work or play within the proposed habitat areas – you will be impacted.

The economic analysis, released on September 11th, gives just a glimpse of a portion of the potential impact – and it is not surprising that the impacts are going to be huge. For instance:

Potential Impacts To (excluding mining, land development and grazing):

Montana $370,000,000	Includes $44.2 million on State of Montana (School Trust Lands), $6.92 million on University of Montana lands, $124 million on private timberlands and $192 million on unknown private landowners
Minnesota $189,000,000	Includes $50.6 million on the Superior National Forest, $49.1 million on Minnesota DNR Lands and $88.3 million on unknown private landowners
Maine $308,000,000	Includes $250 million on private landowners, $35.6 million on unknown private landowners and $13.6 million on Maine Dept of Conservation lands
Washington $21,200,000	Includes $21 million on Washington DNR Lands



Recreation:	The potential identified impact to recreation is $3.46 million across the study area. Importantly, the assumption is made that no new trails will be allowed (snowmobile, groomed cross-country, etc.) and that the lynx Critical Habitat proposal identifies other recreation projects, such as construction of campgrounds and ski-area expansions, as threats to the lynx.

Mining:	Two projects worth an estimated $864 million have been identified within the study area, but the impact on these projects is unknown. The analysis suggests that other projects, including future proposed mines and existing sand and gravel operations, will be impacted but is unable to assign a cost to the impacts.

Development:	The analysis identifies some $2.23 billion worth of potential private land development within the study area. However, the study says that economic impact of including these lands in the Critical Habitat area is “difficult to estimate”….so they don’t.

Grazing:	The impacts on grazing allotments within the impact zone are not quantified. However, the proposal states that "Livestock grazing may have the greatest potential to impact snowshoe hare habitat and populations, thus indirectly affecting lynx" in potential lynx habitat. There will be impact – only the quantity is unknown.

ACT NOW: Comment by 10/11/2006 - Click Here

home - comment now - facts - points to ponder - lynx links - news - contact us - privacy policy

best viewed at 1024x768 resolution or higher
click here to learn how to adjust yours

design/hosting: beartoothweb