The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing that 838,000 acres near the U.S.-Mexico border be designated as critical habitat for jaguars. While a small section of the proposed zone is in New Mexico, most of the land is in Southern Arizona, including the area of the proposed Rosemont Mine.
The move was hailed by the environmental group that has long worked for jaguar protection.
"Jaguars once roamed across the United States, from California to Louisiana, but have been virtually extinct here since the 1950s," said Kierán Suckling, executive director of the Tucson-based Center for Biological Diversity, which sued to push a recovery plan for jaguars.
The agency is set to publish its findings in the Federal Register on Monday, said spokesman Jeff Humphrey, which will trigger a 60-day public comment period.
The proposed critical habitat—outlined in a 126-page document—will help protect the jaguar, which was declared an endangered species in 1997, from extinction, Humphrey said.
"Today's habitat proposal will ensure North America's largest cat returns to the wild mountains and deserts of the Southwest. Jaguars are a spectacular part of our natural heritage and belong to every American — just as surely as bald eagles, wolves and grizzly bears," Suckling said.
http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/081712_jaguars/feds-propose-1200-sq-miles-jaguar-habitat-s-az/
