Document text
The missing lynx may be found in Cascades Presence would restrict forest development Wire and staff reports EUGENE -- Federal biologists say there is evidence that the lynx, a rare cat believed extinct in Western Oregon, is living in the Oregon Cascades. The rediscovery of the Canada lynx at five locations in the Willamette, Mount Hood and Deschutes national forests could force federal officials to further restrict logging, road building and other activities if the lynx is put on the nation's list of endangered species later this year. One project that could be affected is the proposed Pelican Butte ski area in Klamath County, which would sit astride a peak on which apparent lynx signs have been found. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has proposed listing the lynx and is trying to determine its range. The Oregon Cascades may be now added to the map, said Ken Byford, wildlife biologist for the Willamette National Forest. Until surveys last August, researchers weren't sure whether there were lynx in the Oregon Cascades, Byford said. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service had believed that the only ones left were in Maine, Montana, Washington and possibly Minnesota. But last summer, biologists tacked up carpet remnants on trees or logs high in the Cascades, then sprayed a chemical attractant on or near the carpet. The lynx would rub up against the carpet, which had small nails sticking out to catch the cats' fur. The carpet remnants were sent to a lab, which tested the hair. Sure enough. Lynx. The cat is so elusive that biologists never saw one in the wild, Byford said. The last confirmed sighting in Western Oregon was about 25 years ago in the Corvallis area. There have been at least three sightings in Eastern Oregon since 1990. Environmentalists said the rediscovery of the Canada lynx strengthens their case that logging, road building, snowmobile riding should be further curtailed in the national forests of the Cascades. "Lynx are highly sensitive to disturbance. Their rediscovery is highly significant and requires that we do everything we can to protect our last remaining wild forests," said Ken Rait of the Oregon Natural Resources Council. "The Forest Service must stop all cutting in wild areas now." Byford said if the lynx is protected under the Endangered Species Act federal agencies would have to consult with the Fish & Wildlife Service and potentially get its approval before logging or conducting any other activities within the lynx's range. "It would be much like what we now have to do with the spotted owl," Byford said. The lynx is a medium-sized cat that has impressive adaptations for maneuvering through deep winter snow, with long legs and big feet. They are threatened by bobcats and coyotes, and generally live above 4,000 feet above sea level. Two of the lynx discovery sites were in the Willamette National Forest near Detroit east of Salem. Byford said all of the sites were within 100 miles of each other. The hair from the five sites is being tested to determine whether it came from more than one lynx. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA