ETWP; Proposal To List the Contiguous United States Distinct Population Segment of the Canada Lynx; Proposed Rule

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) proposes to list the contiguous United States population segment of the Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) as threatened, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (Act). This population segment includes the States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. The contiguous United States population segment of the Canada lynx is threatened by human alteration of forests, low numbers as a result of past overexploitation, expansion of the range of competitors (bobcats (Felis rufus) and coyotes (Canis latrans)), and elevated levels of human access into lynx habitat. This rule also lists the captive population of Canada lynx within the coterminous United States (lower 48 States) as threatened due to similarity of appearance with a special rule.