To defend threatened bull trout and bull trout critical habitat on the Colville National Forest—and with much of northeast Washington under extreme drought—conservation groups have warned the U.S. Forest Service that they will amend an existing lawsuit against the agency’s grazing management to include claims under the Endangered Species Act if the agency does not respond.
On October 29, 2020, the Trump administration announced its decision to prematurely remove endangered species protections for wolves in the lower 48 states, in violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The most recent data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and its state partners show an estimated 4,400 wolves inhabit the western Great Lakes states, but only 108 wolves in Washington State, 158 in Oregon, and a scant 15 in California. These numbers lay the groundwork for a legal challenge planned by The Lands Council and a coalition of Western conservation groups.
