SANDPOINT - Woodland caribou in the southern Selkirk Mountains require continued protection under the federal Endangered Species Act, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The agency recommendation follows the Bonner County commissioners' effort to have the woodland caribou stricken from the list of endangered species. The Pacific Legal Foundation, on behalf of the county and the Idaho State Snowmobile Association, petitioned in 2012 for de-listing on grounds that the southern Selkirk herd did not meet the definition of a distinct population segment.

A DPS is a group of animals that are behaviorally and/or geographically distinct from other populations of the same animal.

Fish and Wildlife's response to the petition is a proposal to designate a DPS that includes a broader range of mountain caribou in British Columbia.

"They utilize the habitat the same way, they eat the same things and they have altitudinal migrations in response to seasonal shifts in climate. And, of course, they're able to interbreed," said Bryon Holt, a Fish and Wildlife biologist.

Fish and Wildlife is also recommending that caribou's protection status be downgraded from "endangered" to "threatened."

The proposed southern mountain caribou DPS includes the currently-listed southern Selkirk Mountains population of woodland caribou that moves between British Columbia, North Idaho and northeastern Washington.

The proposed DPS is composed of 1,600 caribou spread across 15 local populations. But only the transboundary species occurs in the U.S., according to Holt.

"We would continue identifying ways to reduce the threats that are acting on the species and those threats include habitat fragmentation, loss and predation," Holt said.

The amended listing would also reaffirm the agency's determination that 30,010 acres in the U.S. be designated critical habitat.

The comment period on the amended listing proposal closes on July 7. Bonner County Commissioner Mike Nielsen said a public hearing is tentatively set for June 25 in Sandpoint.

Brad Smith of the Idaho Conservation League hopes the status review and habitat designation issues wind up in the rearview mirror so focus can be directed on recovery.

"There are only 18 caribou left in the south Selkirk Mountains and unless we get serious about taking real recovery actions, we face the real possibility that this herd will be extirpated for good," said Smith.

Nielsen, however, said the county and the Idaho State Snowmobile Association will continue to push for de-listing.

Although Nielsen views the Fish and Wildlife recommendations as favorable to the county's argument, they don't go far enough.

"It doesn't solve the problem. It didn't get rid of the 'blue snow,'" he said, referring to the color on U.S. Forest Service winter travel maps which designates where snowmobile riders are not allowed to tread.

• Have your say

To comment on the amended listing proposal, go to www.regulations.gov. The docket number is FWS-R1-ES-2012-0097. For more information, visit www.fws.gov/idaho