The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has a proposal to supposedly help Arctic grayling—a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family—in southwestern Montana, but which will seriously degrade the Red Rock Lakes Wilderness. Wilderness Watch is urging the agency to consider wilderness-compatible alternatives.
On February 2, 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it would not re-list gray wolves in the northern Rockies under the Endangered Species Act, finding them “not warranted” for federal protection.
Wilderness and wildlife are under relentless pressures at this moment in history, including from growing demand for recreation.
Unfortunately, right now some members of Congress are pushing a bill to allow permanent “fixed anchor” rock climbing in America’s National Wilderness Preservation System. The “Protect America’s Rock Climbing Act” (H.R. 1380) might seem innocuous, but it has big consequences. Its one purpose is to indirectly amend and weaken the landmark 1964 Wilderness Act.
