ASSOCIATED PRESS • November 1, 2021
U.S. wildlife officials have agreed to keep federal protections in place for the snow-loving Canada lynx under a court settlement approved Monday by a judge in Montana. The settlement by the U.S. Interior Department comes after wildlife advocates sued to retain protections for the rare and elusive wild cats, which have been listed as a threatened species since 2000. Under the Trump administration, officials said lynx had recovered in some areas and protections were no longer needed. The population in Maine is estimated at between 750 and 1,000 adult lynx, most of them in northern and western spruce forests. The animals also are found in Montana, Minnesota, Idaho, Washington state and occasionally Michigan. A new recovery plan for lynx is due by 2024.