Conservation groups in Utah and across the western United States are requesting protection for the pygmy rabbit under the Endangered Species Act.

A petition sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said the world's smallest rabbit is at risk of extinction because of habitat loss and disease.

Allison Jones, a conservation biologist, said the pygmy rabbit population has been on the decline for many years, with Utah for example having alarmingly low occupancy rates between seven and 13% in areas outside the northern portions of Utah. Jones pointed out the small mammals are not likely to bounce back because of the continued degradation and fragmentation of the Sagebrush Sea.

"The pygmy rabbit as an obligate of healthy, functioning Sagebrush ecosystem is kind of a canary in the coal mine for the intermountain West sagebrush ecosystem, and the ecosystem is in big trouble," Jones asserted.

Jones explained the loss of the pygmy rabbit's habitat is being threatened by more intense fires, invasive plant species, climate change and drought as well as development and extractive practices. She called the confounding effects the "perfect storm," which could lead to the disappearance of the pygmy rabbit in portions of the Sagebrush Sea.

Vera Smith, senior federal land policy analyst for Defenders of Wildlife, said in addition to habitat loss, a new virus has also heavily affected wild rabbit populations, with the pygmy rabbit being no exception.

Smith added if the Fish and Wildlife Service concurs the pygmy rabbit population data is alarming, groups like hers would like to see a "coordinated strategy" across the Western U.S. to enable the tiny rabbits to recover.

"For us, one of the very important things that the recovery strategy would hopefully point to is that we need to be more deliberate about protecting habitat and connecting habitat across the Sagebrush Sea," Smith emphasized.

Smith argued the Endangered Species Act listing would offer the best chance at protecting not only the small rabbit, but also its rapidly vanishing habitat, which she called vital for the recovery of the species.


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Nevadans will have the opportunity to learn more and weigh in on a proposed public lands rule that shifts the Bureau of Land Management's focus to prioritize wildlife conservation and protecting cultural resources. Tomorrow, the B-L-M invites the public to an in-person meeting
in Reno to better understand the proposal.

Russell Kuhlman, Executive Director for the Nevada Wildlife Federation, said the measure would help the agency put conservation efforts "on par and act as a balance," with recreational and commercial uses of public lands such as grazing, energy development and camping.

"The land is not built for continuous extraction without some conservation in order to make it sustainable, and what this conservation ruling does is hopefully take a big step in that direction," he said.

Kuhlman contended the B-L-M is "getting pulled in a lot of different directions because of the scope of work they're required to do." He says the proposed rule could "open the door," he said, for conservation groups to help out potentially underfunded and understaffed B-L-M offices, and aid in habitat rehabilitation.

Kuhlman added the proposed rule adds "another tool box within the conservation community," and takes what he calls a "proactive, boots on the ground approach," to help prevent further habitat degradation. The agency says if they receive an application for a conservation lease that conflicts with an existing grazing permit or lease, that conservation lease would not be approved. Kuhlman said the proposal
aims to level the playing field for the various uses taking place on public lands.

"There are some questions out there from different stakeholders and what they're concerned about is, is this conservation ruling going to be a tool to eliminate grazing or prevent energy resource development from happening on public lands. And that is not the case. "

Kuhlman says he is "excited" about the conservation ruling. He says it could help mitigate the degradation the sagebrush sea is experiencing. According to the agency roughly one-point-three million acres of sagebrush are degraded annually. In addition to tomorrow's meeting, the B-L-M will also hold a virtual meeting on the proposal on Monday, June 5th.

Critical Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear habitat has been degraded by a 2019 U.S. Forest Service decision to allow more than 17,000 livestock to graze in Wyoming's Upper Green River Basin, according to a new report.

John Carter, ecologist for the Yellowstone to Uintas Connection and the report's co-author, said 84% of the area is designated as having a wildlife emphasis in the Forest Plan.

"The area that this decision covers places a priority on wildlife," Carter explained. "But what we have in reality is a livestock emphasis, with wildlife way down in the order of priorities, as far as any evidence we've seen."

The Forest Service decided to put cattle in the project area even though it is where more than half of all grizzly deaths in western Wyoming happened between 2010 and 2014. All were due to conflicts with cattle. Grizzlies are classified as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The agency has not yet responded to a request for comment.

The Forest Service is not following the best scientific practices for managing livestock grazing, according to the report, which found a significant decline in the forage plants that should be present. A single adult cow and calf can weigh up to 1,600 pounds, due to added hormones and antibiotics, but Carter pointed out the agency's stocking rate assumes the total weight is just 1,000 pounds.

"When in reality, they weigh double that, and they're consuming double the rate that the Forest Service is claiming when they are calculating a stocking rate," Carter contended. "You've got some very basic fundamentals that are being glossed over in order to perpetuate the status quo."

The Forest Service is supposed to manage publicly-owned resources for long-term sustainability, but Carter argued there has been a gradual decline over time. He added laws passed in the 1960s and 70s to protect watersheds from overgrazing and logging have been weakened by industry lobbyists.

"Basically, you've got a system set up where the industry is essentially in control of the agency," Carter stressed. "It's called 'regulatory capture,' and so the public really is out of the loop here."


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New funding recently added to the Colorado Wildlife Safe Passages Fund could provide relief for mule deer and elk populations, which are on the decline in Colorado, home to several of the largest herds in the U.S.

Tony Cady, Region 5 planning and environmental manager for the Colorado Department of Transportation, said there are an estimated 14,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions each year, at a cost of $80 million to the state's economy. More wildlife are killed through collisions with motorists than during hunting harvests.

"So, it's a problem we need to tackle," Cady contended. "This money will allow us to address wildlife crossings and wildlife vehicle collision mitigation projects in those key corridors around the state where we're seeing the greatest need."

The $500,000 in funding is part of the Colorado state budget recently signed by Gov. Jared Polis. The allotment will be used as the state's local match necessary to leverage federal grants made possible through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, including $350 million available in the law's Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program.

Colorado has been a national leader in mitigating wildlife-vehicle collisions, and has built 64 crossing structures -- including bridges, culverts or tunnels -- even under tight transportation budgets. Cady pointed to a recently completed project on Highway 9 between Kremmling and Green Mountain Reservoir.

"Over a two-year period we documented several hundred thousand animal movements, and it resulted in a 92% reduction in crashes with wildlife, and a 90% reduction in the carcasses removed," Cady outlined. "They are highly effective."

Cady noted there are hundreds of crossings still needed across the state to restore historic migration corridors, and the Colorado Department of Transportation has prioritized 25 strategic projects it wants to complete within the next decade.

Cady added, given the state's extensive network of highways and roads, animals have to make multiple crossings in their seasonal migrations to access food and shelter.

"And every time they cross the road or have to jump a fence, that creates a hazard to them, and to motorists using the roadways," Cady explained. "Providing these safe passages allows them to connect to those critical habitats, while also providing safety for the traveling public."

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.


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