Fisher Will Not Be Protected Under Endangered Species Act in the Northern Rockies

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced on Wednesday that it has completed a 12-month finding on the fisher (Martes pennanti) in the Northern Rocky Mountains, and concluded it does not warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act in Idaho, Montana, or Wyoming.

The status review was prompted by a petition sent to the Service in 2009 from environmental groups hoping to have the weasel-like animal listed as endangered or threatened. The petitioners cited habitat loss and modification, trapping, inadequate regulatory mechanisms, and small population size as reasons why the fisher in the Northern Rockies should be considered for protection. The Service reviewed the petition and commenced a status review on April 15, 2010.

One of the petitioners, Defenders of Wildlife, claims the Rocky Mountains are part of the fishers historic range, however the Service says no region-wide population trends or numbers are known for the U.S. Northern Rocky Mountain population.

Wyoming was excluded from the Service analysis based on a lack of recent verified records of fisher presence or historical evidence of a breeding population. However, contemporary fisher distribution was found to be similar to that described historically for northern and north-cetnral Idaho and is more expansive in northwestern and west-central Montana than what was known historically.

While the Service agrees with petitioners that fishers in the Northern Rockies meet the definition of a Distinct Population Segment, they concluded that fishers in the Northern Rockies are not impacted by habitat loss. The Service also noted that the species continues to occupy its known historic range and has expanded in some areas despite habitat alterations within that range.

Fishers are found across Canada and in four areas of the United States -- New England, Great Lakes, Northern Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest, according to the Service.  Adults have a long body with short legs and a long bushy tail. The opportunistic predator is perhaps best known as one of the few porcupine hunters.

An acknowledgment was made by the Service that the fisher in the Northern Rockies may benefit from increased management emphasis due to its need for forest cover and its susceptibility to capture and mortality from furbearer harvest. Any new information on the fisher's status or comments can be submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Ecological Services Field Office, 585 Shepard Way, Helena, MT 59601.