An Independence Day celebration upon hearing that the USFW Service would like to expand the proposed Jaguar critical habitat in Arizona and New Mexico by 31 square miles for a total protected space of 1340 square miles.....................The sighting of a male Jaguar in the proposed habitat last week seems to have added to the resolve of our Federal Wildlife Officials to do something positive for the largest free roaming wild feline in the Americas, basically absent from the USA for a 100 years,,,,,,,,,,,,,,but historically a denizen of our Country from San Francisco east to the Carolinas..............Will this initial "pump" of rewilding energy be able to endure the political process to come?................I will set off a few cherry bombs tonight with the hope that the plan will prevail....................Happy 4th to all of you

Feds revamp jaguar habitat proposal

abqjournal.com

 

Photo released by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service shows a rare male jaguar spotted recently in the mountains southeast of Tucson. (AP Photo/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

 Federal wildlife officials are proposing to designate more critical habitat in the American Southwest for the jaguar.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week released a revamped proposal for setting aside more than 1,340 square miles of habitat in Arizona and New Mexico for the rare cat. That’s 31 square miles more than the previous proposal.

The agency says the revision reflects the cats’ use of a wider range of vegetated areas and eliminates high elevations not frequented by jaguars.

With the change, the agency has reopened the public comment period for the revised rule along with the draft economic analysis and draft environmental assessment.

The comment period will end Aug. 9.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is also planning a public meeting July 30 in Sierra Vista, Ariz.