The Associated Press
January 24, 1999

EUGENE, Ore. — 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.

The U.S. Fish and 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.

"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. Rait was the former issues coordinator and spokesman for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance."The Forest Service must stop all cutting in wild areas now."

Idaho Fish and Game Director Steve Mealey rejected a proposal to reintroduce the lynx in northern Idaho because he feared lynx protection would dilute state control over hunting and trapping.

Until surveys in August, researchers weren't sure whether there were lynx in the Oregon Cascades, Byford said. The Fish and 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 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, snowmobiling should be further curtailed in the national forests of the Cascades.

Byford said if the lynx is protected under the Endangered Species Act federal agencies would have to consult with the Fish and 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.

Jan 29: Lynx Rediscoverd in Oregon Cascades

Jan 24: Missing Lynx No Longer Missing in the Oregon Cascades

Jan 23: Signs of Lynx, Believed Extinct in Western Oregon, Found in Cascades