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Feds to Rule on Glacier Park Insect Endangerment Within Year

The stonefly is found in just three streams in Glacier National Park

By Justin Franz

WEST GLACIER, Mont. (AP) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has agreed to decide whether a rare aquatic insect that’s found only in Glacier National Park should be protected under the Endangered Species Act within the year.

The Missoulian reports that in a settlement with the Center for Biological Diversity, the federal agency agreed to make a decision by Sept. 30, 2016. The western glacier stonefly is one of 10 species of birds, fish and invertebrates the agency has agreed to rule on.

The stoneflies live in streams fed by cold water from glaciers in northwest Montana. Those glaciers are predicted to disappear by 2030, in part due to climate change. Researchers say the stoneflies also could disappear.

Currently, the stonefly is found in just three streams in Glacier National Park.