From MPBN.
Feds Designate 9,500 Square Miles of Maine Land for Lynx Habitat –
2/24/09 1:51 PM ESTBack
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today designated nearly 9,500
square miles of land in Maine as critical habitat for the threatened
Canada lynx. The land encompasses portions of Aroostook, Franklin,
Penobscot, Piscataquis and Somerset Counties, and includes land
surrounding Moosehead Lake. Federal officials say most of the land is
currently used for timber harvesting and management. Federal wildlife
officials based in Maine say the designation of “critical habitat”
isn’t likely to have much effect on private landowners, logging
companies or recreational users here, but it could affect projects
that require federal funding or a federal permit. Overall, the
federal agency designated about 39,000 acres in several states,
including Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Washington as
critical habitat for the medium-sized wild cats. Excluded in the
designation are tribal lands and private lands enrolled in Maine\’s
Healthy Forest Reserve Program. The Canada lynx has been protected as
threatened since 2000 under the Endangered Species Act, but the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service originally designated less than 2,000 square
miles of U.S. land as critical habitat. A review of that decision was
launched after questions were raised about the scientific integrity of
the original process.
