Five environmental groups have filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Idaho over incidental trapping of federally protected Canada lynx.
The groups filed suit Monday in Idaho federal court. They contend the state is violating the Endangered Species Act by allowing recreational trapping that inadvertently ensnares lynx.
Western Watersheds Project, the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Clearwater, WildEarth Guardians and Western Environmental Law Center say the state needs an incidental take permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for recreational trapping to continue.
The groups want the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to develop a conservation plan that would include restrictions on body-crushing and steel-jaw traps and snares, and reporting requirements in lynx habitats.