What did the federal judge rule regarding the Absaroka Wilderness trout introduction plan?

The federal judge ruled that the plan by Montana wildlife officials to poison a remote creek in the Absaroka Mountains to introduce Yellowstone cutthroat trout violated the Wilderness Act and diminished the area's wilderness character.

Why was the Yellowstone cutthroat trout introduction plan proposed?

The plan was part of an effort by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to establish a secure population of the native trout species in response to climate change, which was constricting the amount of suitable habitat for Yellowstone cutthroat trout.

Home / Environment / Federal Judge Blocks Trout Poisoning Plan in Absaroka Wilderness

Federal Judge Blocks Trout Poisoning Plan in Absaroka Wilderness

Q: What organization opposed the trout introduction plan in the Absaroka Wilderness?

The Missoula-based group Wilderness Watch opposed the plan, arguing that the Yellowstone cutthroat trout were not native to the area and that the proposal would have left a heavy human imprint on the remote wilderness.

3 Nov

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Summary

Federal judge halts plan to poison creek for trout introduction
Proposal violated Wilderness Act, diminished wilderness character
Effort to establish Yellowstone cutthroat trout population due to climate change

Federal Judge Blocks Trout Poisoning Plan in Absaroka Wilderness

In a significant victory for wilderness advocates, a federal judge has halted a proposal by Montana wildlife officials to poison a remote creek in the Absaroka Mountains as part of a trout introduction project. U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy ruled that the plan, which involved applying the toxin rotenone across a 46-mile stretch of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, ran counter to the Wilderness Act's directive to preserve the area's natural character.

The plan was part of an initiative by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to establish a "secure population of nonhybridized Yellowstone cutthroat trout" in Buffalo Creek. The agency cited climate change as a driving factor, noting that warming streamflows were "constricting the amount of habitat suitable for Yellowstone cutthroat trout within their historic range." However, the Missoula-based group Wilderness Watch argued that the Yellowstone cutthroat trout were not native to the area and that the proposal would have left a heavy human imprint on the remote wilderness.