WASHINGTON (CN) - The Humboldt marten may need protection under the Endangered Species Act due to its isolation and small numbers, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The agency will launch a one-year status review after finding that a petition submitted by the Center for Biological Diversity and the Environmental Protection Information Center to list the Humboldt marten as threatened or endangered under the act had sufficient information to warrant a full review.
According to the petition, the Humboldt marten, which lives in forests on the coast of Northern California, is threatened by predators, forest management practices, disease, and lack of protective laws.
Until 1996, the mink-like Humboldt marten was thought to have been hunted and trapped to extinction.
The deadline for comments and information is March 12.
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