Denver, CO. The Center for Biological Diversity, Biodiversity Conservation Alliance and Pacific Rivers Council filed suit today against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for denying protection for the Bonneville cutthroat trout as a threatened or endangered species.

"The Bonneville cutthroat trout is headed for extinction," states Noah Greenwald, conservation biologist with the Center for Biological Diversity. "Bonneville cutthroat need the safety net provided by the Endangered Species Act to survive."

In response to a petition filed by the conservation groups, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife denied protection for the Bonneville cutthroat trout under the Endangered Species Act. The trout was denied protection despite the fact that it has been eliminated from roughly 90% of its range and continues to be threatened by competition, predation and hybridization from non-native trout, and habitat loss and degradation caused by livestock grazing, water withdrawal, logging, mining and other factors.

"The Bonneville cutthroat trout is one of many freshwater species threatened by unwise development of land and water in the West," said Dr. Chris Frissell, aquatic ecologist with the Pacific Rivers Council. "Protection of the Bonneville cutthroat trout and restoration of their natural habitat should benefit many species, helping to save the web of life in fresh waters of Utah, Wyoming and Idaho."

"State fish of Utah, the once abundant Bonneville cutthroat formerly provided an important source of food and sport for Native Americans and early settlers," said Jeff Kessler, Utah Field Representative of Biodiversity Conservation Alliance. "We need to protect these fish from extinction, and restore them, so that they can remain a vital part of Utah's natural heritage."

"The Bush Administration denied Bonneville cutthroat trout protection, not because the species doesn't need to be protected, but because of hostility to the Endangered Species Act," states Mike Harris of Earthjustice, who is representing the groups. "Decisions about how to protect our rivers and fish need to be based on science, not politics."

The Bush Administration has only protected 32 plants, animals, and fish to date, compared to 512 species protected during the Clinton Administration and 234 during the elder Bush's Administration. The administration has denied the safety net of the Endangered Species Act to more species (51) than it has protected.