ASSOCIATED PRESS • April 27, 2022
U.S. wildlife officials have agreed to craft a new habitat plan for the snow-loving Canada lynx that could include more land in western states where the rare animals would be protected, according to a legal agreement made public Tuesday. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service faces a 2024 deadline to draft the new plan for the wild cats after settling a legal challenge from environmental groups. During Trump’s presidency, officials said the lynx had recovered and no longer needed protection after their numbers rebounded in some areas. The Biden administration reversed course in November and agreed to keep the lynx’s threatened species protections. That did not resolve the dispute over what areas they would need to survive. The animals also are found in Maine.