For nearly two decades, ranchers in Montana's Big Hole Valley have worked with local conservation groups to protect habitat for the Arctic grayling, a rare fish with colorful markings and a saillike dorsal fin. But if some environmentalists get their way, these voluntary efforts could be in jeopardy.
Last week, the Center for Biological Diversity and Western Watersheds Project sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeking federal protections for the grayling, which could result in costly land-use restrictions on ranchers in the valley. In 2020, the federal agency determined that the fish did not warrant listing under the Endangered Species Act, citing the success of voluntary conservation measures. But the environmental groups—neither of which is involved in local grayling recovery projects—contend that "regulatory mechanisms," not voluntary efforts, are needed to protect the grayling.
