2008-06-12_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1980007 (3)

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Southern Rocky Mountains Region (Colorado, SE Wyoming) - Colorado represents the extreme southern edge of the range of the lynx. The southern boreal forest of Colorado and southeastern Wyoming is isolated from boreal forest in Utah and northwestern Wyoming by the • Green River Valley and the Wyoming basin (Findley and Anderson 1956). These areas likely reduce opportunities for immigration from the Northern Rocky Mountains/Cascades Region and Canada (Halfpenny et al. 1982; Koehler and Aubry 1994). Although habitats in the Southern Rockies are far from source populations and more isolated, it is still possible that dispersers could arrive in the Southern Rocky Mountains during extreme highs in the population cycle. The majority of historic lynx occurrence records in Colorado and southeastern Wyoming are associated with the "Rocky Mountain Conifer Forest" type. The occurrences in the Southern Rockies were generally at higher elevations (8,000-12,000 feet) than were all other occurrences in the West (Ruediger et al. 2000). Canada lynx occur primarily in spruce-fir and lodgepole pine forests, at elevations between 8,000 and 12,000 feet (2,450 to over 3,650 meters) (Ruggiero et al. 2000). Quaking aspen (Popultes tremidoides) stands and forest edges, as well as open grass meadows and forest ecotones, may also support high numbers of hares and Canada lynx. On a landscape scale, Canada lynx habitat includes a mosaic of early seral stages that support snowshoe hare populations and late seral stages of dense old growth forest that provide ideal denning and security habitat. Records of lynx occurrence are available from throughout most of the Southern Rocky Mountains. The last specimens of lynx taken in the Southern Rockies were from the late 1960s and early 1970s. In 1969, three lynx specimens were taken in adjacent counties in the central core of the Southern Rockies. One was shot along the Fryingpan River in Pitkin County, another on Vail Mountain (Eagle County), and a third was trapped south of Leadville in Lake County (G. Byrne, pers. comm. 1999). In 1971, the State of Colorado closed the season on lynx, making it illegal to take this species. Since then, only a few specimens have been obtained. In 1972, a lynx was trapped on Guanella Pass and another caught in a snow slide east of Bakerville, Colorado, both in Clear Creek County. During the 1973-74 winter, a pair of lynx was illegally trapped within Vail Ski Area boundaries (Thompson and Halfpenny 1989). No lynx specimens are available since those last illegal takes. The Canada lynx has been classified by the State of Colorado as a State endangered species since 1976. In 2000, the Service classified the lynx as a federally threatened species. Since 1978, there have been 14 investigations into naturally occurring lynx presence in Colorado conducted by the CDOW and other private and public conservation groups. Recovery Outline We developed a recovery outline for lynx in the contiguous United States (Service, 2005). The purpose of the outline is to serve as an interim strategy to guide recovery efforts until a draft recovery plan has been completed. The Southern Rockies (Colorado and southern Wyoming) is identified as a provisional core area, along with 6 other core areas. The Southern Rockies was identified as a provisional "core area" because it meets the criteria for evidence of historical populations of lynx, has recent evidence that reproduction can be supported, and appears to contain sufficient quantity and quality of habitat to support both lynx and snowshoe hare. However, because the population had declined to the point that it was not believed to be self- sustaining (CDOW 2002), a reintroduction was initiated. While the reintroduction appears to be • very promising, it is too early to tell if a self-sustaining population will be achieved. Until that 12