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REGIONAL— Minnesota’s moose population could eventually have federal endangered species protection under a proposal put forward by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last Thursday. The agency …
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REGIONAL— Minnesota’s moose population could eventually have federal endangered species protection under a proposal put forward by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last Thursday. The agency announced that a federal listing of the subspecies of moose found in Minnesota and other parts of the Upper Midwest “may be warranted” given the substantial decline in the moose population in recent years.
The determination came in response to a petition by the Center for Biological Diversity, filed earlier this year. Following an initial 90-day review, federal officials determined that the listing may be needed, a determination that launches a much more substantial review before a final decision could be made. That review could take a few years and would involve substantial public input.
The FWS’s finding pertains to the U.S. population of the moose subspecies (Alces alces andersoni) found only in the Upper Midwest and large portions of central Canada. Specifically, the agency found that Endangered Species Act protection may be necessary for moose in northeastern and northwestern Minnesota, northeastern North Dakota, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Isle Royale and a small, recently established population in Wisconsin.
“The Endangered Species Act is the best tool we have to prevent extinction of our moose,” said Collette Adkins, a biologist and attorney who works in the CBD’s Minneapolis office. “I’m saddened that moose are in such big trouble that they need the Act’s protection but relieved that help is likely on the way for these iconic symbols of the North Woods.”
It’s unclear, however, whether a federal listing would have much impact on the moose population in Minnesota. “quote someone”
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has already suspended the moose hunting season until further notice in response to the population decline. Researchers contend that health concerns, primarily the increasing incidence of parasites carried by whitetail deer, are taking a bigger toll on the moose than in the past.
Other research has suggested that increases in wolf numbers in the heart of the state’s moose range, may also be contributing to high mortality, particularly for moose calves.
Northeastern Minnesota holds, by far, the largest remaining moose herd in the Upper Midwest, but the population has shown significant decline over the past several years. The latest population survey, conducted by the DNR, put the region’s moose population at just over 4,000 animals.