The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service turned back from listing the wolverine as a threatened species, saying its previous research — where it had concluded climate change was wrecking the animal’s living space — was a bit premature.
Biologists with the service had recently suggested that climate change is nearly certain to destroy the near-arctic conditions that the 300 wolverines living in the Lower 48 states need to exist, the Los Angeles Times reported. But now they’ve tone down that talk and opted not to list the beast after all.
“This decision has been a complex and challenging one to make,” said agency director Dan Ashe, in the Los Angeles Times. “If new information emerges that suggests we should take another look at the listing, we will not hesitate to do that.”
The announcement follows concerted pressures from politicians and land owners in the states where the animal still lives — Montana, Idaho and Wyoming — who say climate change is hardly sound-enough science to justify the threatened species label.
On top of that, wolverines still thrive in Canada and in Alaska, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Conservation groups aren’t happy with the agency’s decision, saying the service has caved to political pressures and dismissed years of what they say is proven science.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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