A final ruling by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected August 17.

"The species is no longer in danger of extinction," according to a Fish & Wildlife news release,

The species, believed to have come from a common ancestor of the rainbow trout, was first officially classified in 1950 and recognized as endangered in 1966.

According to Fish and Wildlife documents, the species was considered for change or downlisting to threatened status in 1987, but flooding in 1988 decimated populations by 80 percent in the McKnight Creek, one of the species' indigenous waters.

In 1989 wildfires around the Diamond Creek headwater area eliminated all Gila trout in the area except in the Burnt Canyon headwater stream.

Tuesday's announcement was well received by fishermen and conservationists alike.

"It is about time," said Larry Lightner, a Silver City resident and outdoors columnist.

Michael Robinson, spokesman for the Center for Biological Diversity in Pinos Altos, said the center had opposed downlisting in the past, but supports the move to downlist the species at this time.

"In the past we have opposed downlisting because standards laid out in the recovery plan had not been met," Robinson said. "Now we cautiously support the downlisting."

Robinson said the downlisting, if done correctly, could protect the core population of the species while expanding the trout's range and opening the possibility for fishing opportunities.

New Mexico State Game Commissioner Dutch Salmon, who represents the portion of the state where the Gila trout is located, said he would expect any fishing to be catch and release only and require the use of non-barbed hooks.

Salmon said the move could have a beneficial economic impact on the region.

"It will be a tourism draw for certain types of fly fishermen who want to catch a species that hasn't been legal for fishing in 40 years," Salmon said. "I would like to hike in there and catch one myself."

Dan Williams, spokesman for New Mexico Game and Fish, said that should fishing of the species be opened it would be limited, most likely, to areas away from the core population.

"The implication is that, with the downlisting, the department should be able to start stocking other waters with Gila trout that we have reared in our hatcheries," Williams said. "It might be places like Snow Lake or other parts of the Gila."

Williams said he expects fishermen to generally abide by any fishing regulations on the Gila trout.

"The anglers who pursue those fish are usually pretty ethical," he said. "Most of the areas where this fish is located are remote and requires work to get there. People who are looking to abuse the privilege don't usually got to that much work, besides you couldn't fill your freezer with Gila trout. They are pretty small."

Salmon said the trout are found in about 75 miles of streams in the higher, remote elevations of the Gila National Forest. He said a consideration to put some of the fish in the Upper West Fork of the Gila would be an ideal location to allow fishing.

The ruling on the Gila trout can be found at the U.S. Register Web site through the Web site of the U.S. Government Printing Office at http://www.gpo.gov