The federal government is expected to announce within the next few weeks
whether the status of westslope cutthroat trout stocks warrants listing
under the Endangered Species Act.
And the prospect of federal protection over the cutthroat’s vast range
has some state officials chaffing.
“There’s no way that species is on the verge of extinction,” said Bill
Hutchinson, fishery manager for Idaho’s Department of Fish and Game. “We’ve
got thriving populations.”
Most of Idaho’s westslope …
