After the 2001 finding, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Pacific Rivers Council and the Biodiversity Conservation Alliance filed a lawsuit challenging the USFWS's decision.

U.S. Judge Richard Matsch dismissed the lawsuit in Denver. In his dismissal order, the judge ruled that the USFWS properly considered the value of voluntary conservation measures that it has helped improve the cutthroat's status.

According to the judge, "Cooperation, with a demonstrated commitment to preservation of the species with the interaction of government and nongovernment agencies, is inherently more effective than government edicts or mandates."

The plaintiffs could appeal the judge's decision to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

"The Fish and Wildlife Service has always believed that the recovery and conservation of imperiled species can be better accomplished through voluntary cooperative partnerships than through regulatory measures," said Mitch King, director of the USFWS's Mountain-Prairie Region. "By joining forces, we can accomplish far more than we could on our own."

Through its Endangered Species Mitigation Fund, the Department of Natural Resources, which oversees the DWR, participates in recovery and restoration efforts for dozens of listed and sensitive species in Utah.

The state of Utah annually provides about $3 million to recover federally listed species. This money is also used to manage and improve habitats for sensitive species so they do not require federal listing.

More information about the Bonneville cutthroat trout and ongoing conservation efforts to help the fish is available at www.mountain-prairie.fws.gov.