The Canada lynx has officially gained federally designated critical habitat in Colorado for the first time. This may sound like bureaucratic trivia until you realize it changes how federal projects get evaluated across some of the state's highest country. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized a revised critical habitat designation that includes about 14,030 square miles across Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Washington. About 99% of the newly designated habitat sits on federally managed land, and roughly 38% falls inside wilderness areas already managed with conservation in mind. The Greater Yellowstone Area is no longer designated as critical habitat after updated research and population modeling.