Free Republic

Last month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the meadow jumping mouse as an endangered species. Now, the U.S. Forest Service, which oversees the Santa Fe National Forest, is considering erecting a series of 8-foot high fences to protect the mouse’s habitat. The Luceros, members of the San Diego Cattleman’s Association and holders of grazing permits with the federal government, say the fences will lock out their cattle — as well as those of other permit holders — from ever returning to the meadow where the livestock graze for 20 days in the spring and up to 40 days...

A recent court ruling on wolves in the northern Rockies should help guide another judge who will decide on federal protection for a mouse species in Colorado and Wyoming, environmental groups argue. A cattlemen's group says the judge should decide for himself about the Preble's meadow jumping mouse, a critter about the size of other mice but with a 6-inch tail and the ability to leap up to 3 feet to escape predators...There is no surprise in environmentalists linking the mouse and wolf cases, said Jim Magagna, executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association.