Lahontan cutthroat trout (oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi, LCT) are federally listed as threatened under the endangered species act of 1973

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded a $180,953 Cooperative Agreement to the Nevada Department of Wildlife under the Endangered Species Recovery Implementation program (CFDA 15.657) to support research and implementation of a Lahontan cutthroat trout genetic rescue project. The project aims to evaluate the benefits of introducing new genetic material to small, isolated Lahontan cutthroat trout populations in northwest Nevada to aid in the recovery of this federally threatened species across its historic range. A sub-award of $TBD was made to the University of Montana to conduct the genetic rescue research. The overall effort aligns with Nevada's 2019 Updated Goals and Objectives for the Conservation of Lahontan Cutthroat Trout and is intended to inform future recovery strategies through the application of best available science and input from research professionals.

Nevada department of wildlife(NDOW) LCT management actions are directed to achieve objectives identified in the 2019 updated goals and objectives for the conservation of lahontan cutthroat trout (2019 ugos). To meet these recovery objectives, NDOW biologists rely heavily on best available science, input derived from research professionals, and the utilization of various university laboratories to complete genetic analysis. In recent years, the field of genetics management has been brought to the forefront of native fish recovery. Genetic rescue is a strategy that aims to increase a population S ability to persist through time by introducing genes (ALLELES), in the form of individuals of the species, that have been lost to those populations due to anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic factors. Genetic rescue has proven successful amongst other populations of cutthroat trout but has not been researched in lahontan cutthroat trout. There is a need to implement a lahontan cutthroat trout genetic rescue research project to fully understand the utility of using this strategy to assist in the recovery of the species across its historic range.