Montana news about the environment, natural resources, wildlife, climate change and more.

Officials draft recovery plan for two insect species threatened by climate change

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Researchers survey for stoneflies in the backcountry of Glacier National Park, Sept 1, 2019. Two species of stonefly were listed as "threatened" due to warmer water, drought and diminishing meltwater from vanishing glaciers.
Nick Mott

Federal wildlife officials have announced a draft recovery plan for two endangered insects that rely on dwindling cold-water sources. The insects are found in Montana, Wyoming and Alberta.

The meltwater lednian and western glacier stoneflies require cold flowing water from glaciers or snowfields to survive. Scientists predict those cold-water sources could be gone by 2030 due to climate change.

The U.S Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing a plan that calls for maintaining about 3,000 acres of known habitat, surveying for additional populations and identifying possible locations to introduce the insects.

Public comment on the draft plan will be open through early February.

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Aaron graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism in 2015 after interning at Minnesota Public Radio. He landed his first reporting gig in Wrangell, Alaska where he enjoyed the remote Alaskan lifestyle and eventually moved back to the road system as the KBBI News Director in Homer, Alaska. He joined the MTPR team in 2019. Aaron now reports on all things in northwest Montana and statewide health care.