Are West Coast fishers no longer 'endangered'?

Source: Christian Science Monitor

Are West Coast fishers no longer 'endangered'?

The US Fish and Wildlife Service announced the West Coast fisher
is no longer under consideration for more federal protection. Other
conservation groups disagree.

By Corey Fedde, Staff APRIL 15, 2016

The West Coast fisher is no longer being considered for "endangered" status by federal agencies.

The plight of the cat-sized mammal gained federal attention in 2014, when the US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) proposed listing the species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act due to threats from logging and pesticide use.

Now, the agency says the risks the West Coast fisher faces does not substantially threaten its population and the species will have to continue without the added federal protections that come with being put on the endangered species list.

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Historically, the fisher, which belongs to the same family as weasels, mink, and otters, could be found throughout the forests of Northern Canada and the United States, with populations also in the Appalachian, Rocky, and Pacific Coast Mountains. But the forest-dwelling animals suffered in the 1800s and early 1900s from a variety of factors, including trapping, logging, and urbanization. Populations are currently found in only a "fraction" of their historic territory, according to the FWS.

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Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2016/0415/Are-West-Coast-fishers-no-longer-endangered

Also: Pacific fisher denied protection under the Endangered Species Act (Los Angeles Times)