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U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (FS) Superior National Forest (NF) Kawishiwi Ranger District Wildlife Biologist Sarah Malick-Wahls is invited by the property owner to survey his land, track paw prints in the snow, and collect samples left by the lynx near Ely, MN on March 1, 2018. The Superior National Forest is particularly interested in lynx on the forest because they are protected under the Endangered Species Act as a threatened species. "We consider potential impacts to lynx and their critical habitat before undertaking any project on the forest," says Sarah Malick-Wahls. "One of the ways we gain important information on the status of lynx on our forest is through field-based monitoring efforts." The winter field work consists of an occupancy survey, during which we travel forest roads tracking our progress on a hand-held global positioning system (GPS) and search the snow for lynx tracks that intersect the road. By comparing the total area searched with the actual areas of lynx track observations and habitat characteristics, we can estimate the approximate areas of the total forest occupied by lynx in a given year.

"Another important piece of our winter field efforts involves following the actual lynx tracks as they leave the road through the forest until we locate a scat (feces) or bed with fur," Malick-Wahls continues. "These we collect for genetic analyses. The genetic information collected from lynx allow us to learn about relatedness between individuals, persistence over time, identify lynx-bobcat hybrids, and estimate the number of lynx in our survey area."

Together, the occupancy study and genetic information allows the USDA Forest Service to track changes over time, to identify specific locations on the landscape that are most important to lynx reproduction, persistence and information management decisions that may affect lynx. Superior NF was established in 1909, the Superior is known for its boreal forest ecosystem, numerous clean lakes, and a colorful cultural history. Management by the USDA-Forest Service, under principles of ecosystem management and multiple use, the Forest provides for a diverse community of plants and animals as well as products for human needs. The concept of "all lands" management maintains strong partnerships and collaboration across the landscape. Popular recreational activities include fishing, hunting, camping, canoeing, swimming, hiking, snowmobiling, cross country skiing and ice fishing. Superior NF System is 2,174,993 acres. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.