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A greenback cutthroat trout. Photo courtesy USFWS.
Agency settles lawsuit, agrees to ban motorized use on trails in Bear Creek watershed
By Bob Berwyn
FRISCO — Colorado’s only population of native greenback cutthroat trout got a measure of protection this week, as the U.S. Forest Service agreed to ban motorized use on several trails near Bear Creek to protect the small stream near Colorado Springs from sediment.
Colorado biologists recently identified the Bear Creek population as the only remaining genetically pure strain of the greenback cutthroats. The settlement came a few months after the Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit to protect the fish, listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Native cutthroats in Colorado declined because of pollution, overfishing and stocking of native and non-native species of trout.
“We’re so glad the Forest Service agreed to do the right thing and protect the only place in the world where greenback cutthroat trout still live in the wild,” said attorney Tim Ream. “This endangered fish has been hanging on by a thread for decades. The last thing it needs is motorcycles tearing through its only home and filling the creek with sediment.” (more…)
Filed under: Colorado, endangered species, Environment | Tagged: biodiversity, Center for Biological Diversity, Colorado, endangered species, endangered species act, Forest Service, Greenback cutthroat trout | 1 Comment »
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