Connecting the Lynx

Piece by piece and cat by cat, Canada lynx claw a foothold in the Kettle River Mountain Range of northeastern Washington state, helping reestablish a population that will connect lynx in the Rocky Mountains with their counterparts in the Cascade Mountains.

A unified effort led by the Colville Confederated Tribes, the Okanagan Nation Alliance, and Conservation Northwest has worked to bring lynx from healthy populations in Canada to the Kettle Range, a move intended to bolster the species' population in the United States where it is listed as threatened. By reestablishing a breeding population in this part of the lynx's historical range, the partnership will bridge the gap between lynx in the Pacific Northwest and those that live along the Continental Divide.

The project also features a unique element. To catch and relocate the lynx from Canada, the partnership has enlisted trappers. However, instead of being paid for the pelts of dead animals, the trappers receive money for the lynx they catch in live traps. It's another example of boundaries being crossed for this worthy cause.

During a period of about five years, as many as 50 lynx will be moved to the Kettle Range. For more information on the project, click here.

I look forward to seeing the population gap in the Kettle Range filled with lynx in the future.