The North American wolverine has officially been listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and will receive long-anticipated federal protections, US officials announced Wednesday, as the climate crisis melts away their snowy mountain habitats.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to list the wolverines as threatened in the contiguous US comes as scientists warn that warming temperatures are rapidly diminishing the mountain snowpack that the species rely on for food, reproduction and ultimate survival.
“Current and increasing impacts of climate change and associated habitat degradation and fragmentation are imperiling the North American wolverine,” Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Regional Director Hugh Morrison said in a statement.
“Based on the best available science, this listing determination will help to stem the long-term impact and enhance the viability of wolverines in the contiguous United States.”
Federal scientists in 2018 projected a massive decline in spring snow due to climate change and found that predicted losses in the wolverine population will be much greater in the coming decades.
Conservationists and scientists have been calling for federal protections for years now, with some environmental groups like the Center for Biological Diversity even taking legal action.
“I’m thrilled that the Fish and Wildlife Service is finally following the science by granting wolverines the federal protections they need to survive and recover,” Andrea Zaccardi, carnivore conservation legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity, told CNN in an email.
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The US Fish and Wildlife Service’s decision to list the wolverines as threatened in the contiguous US comes as scientists warn that warming temperatures are rapidly diminishing the mountain snowpack that the species rely on for food, reproduction and ultimate survival.
“Current and increasing impacts of climate change and associated habitat degradation and fragmentation are imperiling the North American wolverine,” Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Regional Director Hugh Morrison said in a statement.
“Based on the best available science, this listing determination will help to stem the long-term impact and enhance the viability of wolverines in the contiguous United States.”
Federal scientists in 2018 projected a massive decline in spring snow due to climate change and found that predicted losses in the wolverine population will be much greater in the coming decades.
Conservationists and scientists have been calling for federal protections for years now, with some environmental groups like the Center for Biological Diversity even taking legal action.
“I’m thrilled that the Fish and Wildlife Service is finally following the science by granting wolverines the federal protections they need to survive and recover,” Andrea Zaccardi, carnivore conservation legal director at the Center for Biological Diversity, told CNN in an email.
The original article contains 530 words, the summary contains 200 words. Saved 62%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!