In an effort to preserve natural habitats and protect fishers, forest-dwelling members of the weasel family, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has requested the enforcement of federal fisher protection-related policies across the northern Rockies and the West Coast. 

“The Service is committed to recovering this species, and identifying critical habitat is a crucial step,” said Michael Fris, field supervisor of the Service’s Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office. 

The improvements are intended to secure the area for the creatures, a type of weasel that eats squirrels, woodrats, and hares among other small mammals, according to Defenders of Wildlife. The group hopes to address issues for the animal in Montana, California’s southern Sierra Nevada, as well as address issues related to climate change. The policies will include the prohibition of trapping. 

The USFWS also hopes to designate more than 550,000 acres as critical habitat for the animal in the southern Sierra Nevada distinct population segment. The proposed area would include portions of Fresno, Kern, Madera, Mariposa, Tulare and Tuolumne counties in California. The Service is also seeking public comments on the matter until Dec. 18. People can submit comments at the Regulations.gov website.

“This designation will enable us to work more effectively with federal partners, state agencies, Tribes and private landowners to successfully manage land for positive conservation outcomes for the fisher,” Fris said.