WWP Files Suit to Protect 250,000 acres of Colorado Rangelands, Canada Lynx, and Endangered Uncompahgre Butterfly

WWP expands action into Colorado

Western Watersheds Project filed suit in Federal Court in Denver, Colorado to stop a 250,000 acre grazing project located on Colorado’s Pike-San Isabel National Forest.

[…]The grazing has been so severe that the Forest Service’s wildlife specialists stated that if it didn’t change, the Forest Service was risking a widespread elk die-off.

The entire News Release …
Suit targets grazing on Pike, San Isabel forests – AP (thanks Jeff E)

Hopelessness for the Uncompahgre butterfly ?

The Uncompahgre butterfly (Boloria improba acrocnemay) has an interesting history with some arguing about whether the butterfly should be left to go (extinct) given percieved hopelessness about how to conserve it.   After all, confronting seemingly insurmountable obstacles like public land livestock grazing and climate change in Colorado for a butterfly could be an uphill battle.  All known populations are on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land.  Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly via Living on Earth :

The Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly was discovered in 1978 by biologists working in the San Juan mountains of southern Colorado. The species was probably left behind on mountain tops when glaciers retreated during the last Ice Age. Researchers say it has been threatened by livestock grazing in mountain meadows, butterfly collectors, and a warming climate. But there is no clear consensus on how to save it, and researchers say that might not even be possible. Biologists argue time and money may be better spent on preservation efforts elsewhere. The hands-off attitude has stirred debate in the conservation field. Some advocates fear letting the Uncompahgre butterfly die out may set a bad precedent for other species.

Cross your fingers for the Uncompahgre fritillary butterfly …

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