Endangered Species

• Area counties lift Stage 1 fire restrictions
• Colorado now celebrates Cabrini Day instead of Columbus Day
• Lawsuit filed in federal court seeks removal of National Park Service acting director
• Conservation scientists facing pushback, misinformation about biodiversity & endangered species
• KSUT's Sarah Flower reports on rural and tribal efforts to complete the Census as judge rules count must continue through October after all

• Leroux Creek Foods in Hotchkiss named COVID outbreak site
• Conservation groups cheer federal distict court decision on Thompson Divide
• Remembering Our Fallen memorial arrives in Montrose
• Author Forrest Fenn dies
• Trump admin to weaken habitat protections for endangered species
• Shelley Schlender at KGNU: Fighting COVID in CU-Boulder dorms with wastewater surveillance

Some native fish in the Colorado River and its tributaries are struggling to stay afloat.  Invasive species, dams and water diversions all complicate the recovery of endangered fish in those waterways.  One long-standing program ties together federal and state agencies with regional groups to help these cold-blooded creatures make a comeback.

The American pika is closely related to a rabbit. They are about the size of a guinea pig and are found throughout Colorado's high country and other Western States in mountainous areas.

In the early 2000's pika were being considered for the endangered species list because they are susceptible to climate change, according to wildlife officials. 

On Tuesday at a regular meeting, Delta County Commissioners commented on a pending wildlife ruling by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission that would affect the imperiled Gunnison sage-grouse, asking that the commission use current habitat maps to define setbacks and not require a blanket four-mile distance. KVNF's Marty Durlin has more on the threats to the iconic bird.

The Gunnison sage-grouse is known for an elaborate mating display along with a ritual  dance, or strut. And of course there’s the mating call, which sounds something like a sluggish dran.

As the BLM winds down two years of discussions over a  long-term management plan for the Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area, KVNF’s Travis Bubenik joined a group of area environmentalists and conservationists for a canoe-trip-meets- resource-discussion down the lower Gunnison river.