Colorado River Cutthroat Trout Won't Get Federal Protection

The loss of historic habitat for the Colorado River cutthroat trout is not enough to grant federal protection, a federal judge ruled.

Despite being flushed out of 86 percent of what was once its home range, U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman upheld decisions by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Interior that identify the subspecies as healthy enough to survive on its own.

200 years ago, "the trout occupied a range of approximately 21,386 stream miles, running through Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and possibly Arizona. Currently, the trout occupies 3022 miles, or 14%, of its historic range, and is found in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming."

LINK (via: Courthouse News Service)