After seven years of legal badgering from environmental groups, the feds have finally declared bull trout populations in Washington and Montana “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. Even more than salmon, the bull trout needs very clean, very cold water to thrive, and the fish populations have been badgered by decades of logging, which robs streams of shade that keeps them cool, and urban development, which allows silt and pollution to drain into rivers. The listing will intensify stream and river protections on Washington’s Olympic peninsula and in the Seattle region. Earlier this year, two species of salmon in the region were declared endangered and many of the steps taken to help salmon recover will also help the bull trout. Enviros praised the decision, but said that it should have been made seven years ago.
