US Withdrew Protection for Wolverines Because 'Snow Dwelling' Predators Aren't 'Threatened By Climate Change'

US wildlife officials said Thursday they were withdrawing a proposal to protect wolverines after finding the rare snow-dwelling predators aren’t as threatened by climate change as previously thought. The move was condemned by conservation groups, who said it was a result of the Trump administration’s denial of climate science, and that extra measures were badly needed to save the estimated 300 or so wolverines left in the contiguous United States. The Fish and Wildlife Service said its decision “reflects the latest and best available science, including improvements to our understanding of the biology and behavior of the species, as well as advances in snow and climate modeling.” In 2016, a court ruled the FWS must consider further its decision to drop proposed protections that the agency itself first put forward in 2013. But Timothy Preso, an attorney with Earthjustice, part of a coalition that intends to sue the government, told AFP the FWS announcement amounted to “smoke and mirrors.” “What they did was a one year snapshot of where there was wolverine occupancy detected by remote cameras, and they don’t know whether that was numerous individuals, or one individual traversing an area.” “What we know is that climate change is literally melting the wolverine habitat out from under it,” he added, attributing the new decision to the Trump administration’s hostility to climate science.