Jumping Mouse Decision Expected Today

By AP

Denver, WY – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to announce Wednesday whether the Preble's meadow jumping mouse will continue to be listed as an endangered species.

The announcement could affect tens of thousand acres designated as a critical habitat to allow the mouse to recover. The mouse is found in both Wyoming and Colorado.

Last fall, Fish and Wildlife officials proposed lifting protection for the mouse in Wyoming but to keep it listed as threatened in Colorado. In Colorado, the mouse is found in portions of the heavily-populated Front Range which has undergone rapid development.

Until there's a final determination, however, the mouse remains fully protected under the Endangered Species Act.