Back in March, Idaho Federal District Court Judge Edward Lodge ordered the Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct a full Status Review of the Big Lost River Whitefishin response to a WWP lawsuit.

Today, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it intends to comply with the judge’s order and conduct the Status Review, a process whereby the federal government determines whether a species qualifies for Endangered Species Act protection.

The Western Watersheds Project first petitioned the Service to list the Big Lost River mountain whitefish in 2006. After reviewing the petition in 2007, the Service determined it did not present substantial information to indicate that listing was warranted. The Western Watersheds Project then filed a complaint in 2008 challenging the Service’s finding. In response to that lawsuit, the United States District Court in Boise, Idaho, directed the Service to conduct a status review of mountain whitefish in the Big Lost River and, within one year, issue a finding on whether the population should be protected as a threatened or endangered species. The court ordered the Service to make a final listing determination by March 31, 2010.