For Immediate Release
March 9, 2004

Contact Information
Frequently Asked Questions About the Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse

Cheyenne, Wyoming - A coalition of conservation groups today moved to intervene in a lawsuit by a developer aiming to eliminate protection for the Preble's meadow jumping mouse and its streamside habitat in southeastern Wyoming and the Front Range of Colorado.

The Preble's meadow jumping mouse was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1998 because of declining populations, habitat loss, and continued threats. The Preble's needs high quality streamside habitat, including dense vegetation and a clean water source. Urban sprawl along the Front Range of Colorado, domestic livestock grazing, and irrigation developments have all degraded streamside habitats, threatening the Preble's with extinction. Although urban sprawl along the Front Range of Colorado remains a primary and increasing threat to the mouse, poorly planned agricultural development is also a threat in Wyoming.

"The Preble's meadow jumping mouse was endangered in 1998 and is even more endangered now, as are the healthy streamside habitats it depends on," said Jeremy Nichols of Biodiversity Conservation Alliance. "This is an irreplaceable part of Wyoming's natural heritage."

Conservationists are acting to defend the Preble's protected status by becoming parties to a lawsuit filed by Mountain States Legal Foundation, an anti-environmental law firm, on behalf of a Colorado Springs developer. The Foundation claims the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service erred when it originally protected the jumping mouse

Defending the Preble's meadow jumping mouse is crucial to protecting vitally important streamside habitats, which provide clean water and habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife populations, including the Preble's meadow jumping mouse. "The poor state of the jumping mouse is a huge warning sign," noted Erin Robertson, staff biologist for Center for Native Ecosystems. "Its decline tells us we are destroying what once were healthy streams, along with the clean water and wildlife habitat they support."

"We can balance protecting streams and important habitat with thoughtful development," added Earthjustice attorney Mike Harris, representing the groups.

Recently, the State of Wyoming filed a petition to remove the Preble's meadow jumping mouse from the list of Endangered Species. This delisting effort has been fueled, in part, by ongoing genetics research. The preliminary results of this ongoing genetics study, announced by a Denver Museum of Nature and Science researcher in December, suggest that the Preble's might be more closely related to the Bear Lodge meadow jumping mouse. The Bear Lodge meadow jumping mouse is endemic to the Black Hills of Wyoming and South Dakota and, like its Front Range relative, faces numerous threats and may be in danger of going extinct.

The State of Wyoming also claims that the Preble's meadow jumping mouse is less threatened today. In December of 2003, however, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rejected three other petitions to take the Preble's meadow jumping mouse of the Endangered Species list, finding that the mouse remained threatened by habitat loss and degradation throughout its range.

"The best science clearly shows that the Preble's meadow jumping mouse needs protection," explained Robertson. "Removing protection for the Preble's mouse would mean continued habitat destruction, more streams destroyed, more water polluted, not to mention a greater risk of extinction."

Although opponents claim that protecting the Preble's meadow jumping mouse is harming the agriculture industry in Wyoming, this claim is also overstated. In 2001, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service actually exempted all ongoing agriculture development from complying with the Endangered Species Act. This means that all ongoing domestic livestock grazing, haying, mowing, irrigation, ditch maintenance, and other activities, which are all reported to harm the mouse and its habitat, are not restricted in any way. This exception is planned to remain in effect indefinitely.

"Conserving the Preble's meadow jumping mouse in Wyoming takes little effort and comes with little restrictions," said Nichols. "At the same time, it has huge benefits not only for the mouse, but for clean water and healthy fish and wildlife. It should be an honor to benefit our environment in such a great way, yet the State of Wyoming seems to view it as a burden."

The coalition of groups intervening includes Biodiversity Conservation Alliance, Center for Native Ecosystems, and Forest Guardians, and is represented by the public interest law firm Earthjustice (www.earthjustice.org). For more information about Preble's meadow jumping mouse, view BCA's Preble's FAQ or Center for Native Ecosystems FAQ.