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WASHINGTON, D.C.— Eleven conservation groups are fighting to protect wolves in the northern Rockies. The groups notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today that it violated the Endangered Species Act by removing the northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf population from the list of endangered species despite the genetic inadequacy of the present population and the refusal of Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana to make meaningful commitments to wolf conservation. The groups intend to challenge the Service’s decision in federal court. In an effort to overturn the Service’s delisting rule before hundreds of wolves can be killed in Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, the conservation groups served their letter within hours of the publication of the delisting rule in the Federal Register. Under the delisting rule, states will assume legal management authority of wolves in the northern Rockies on March 28, 2008.

In the past two decades, the wolves of the northern Rocky Mountains have made remarkable progress toward recovery. While this progress deserves celebration, it is not yet complete. At present, wolves in central Idaho, northwestern Montana, and the Greater Yellowstone area remain largely disconnected from each other and wolves in Canada. The wolves of the Greater Yellowstone area, in particular, have remained genetically isolated since 31 wolves were introduced into Yellowstone National Park more than a decade ago. Moreover, the region’s population of 1,500 wolves still falls short of the 2,000 to 5,000 wolves that independent scientists have determined to be necessary to secure the health of the species. Wolves in the northern Rockies are endangered due to genetic isolation, lack of interchange between wolves in Yellowstone, central Idaho, and northwestern Montana, and an insufficient number of wolves. With continued recovery efforts, legitimate wolf recovery in the region is readily attainable. Delisting would further endanger wolves because of increased wolf killing, reduced wolf numbers, and less genetic exchange between wolf populations.

The Fish and Wildlife Service’s premature decision to strip the protections of the Endangered Species Act from the northern Rocky Mountains’ wolves promises to undo the progress of recent years. The state plans that will guide wolf management in the wake of delisting betray the states’ continued hostility toward the presence of wolves in the region. While ensuring that wolves can and will be killed in defense of property or recreation, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana have refused to make enforceable commitments to maintaining viable wolf populations within their borders. The states have also neglected to secure funding for essential monitoring and conservation efforts, relying on continued federal financing of all wolf-related activities following delisting.

Earthjustice submitted the notice letter on behalf of Defenders of Wildlife, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, The Humane Society of the United States, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, Friends of the Clearwater, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands Project, and Western Watersheds Project.

Read the 60-day notice letter.

Conservation Group Statements:

“Wolves in the northern Rockies are simply not ready to lose federal protections. America has come too far, and worked too hard, to throw away the successes of the past decade and see wolves in the Yellowstone region end up back where they started.”
Suzanne Asha Stone, Defenders of Wildlife

“There is nothing in the state management schemes or delisting rule itself to prevent the killing of up to 80 percent of wolves in the northern Rockies. Attempts by the Fish and Wildlife Service to assure the public otherwise have no factual basis.”
Louisa Willcox, Natural Resources Defense Council

“Wolves in the northern Rockies are just now on the cusp of biological recovery. State management after delisting will allow the current wolf population to dwindle to three tiny, isolated groups totaling only 300 wolves. No species, including wolves, can survive in those conditions.”
Melanie Stein, Sierra Club

“Just as disturbing as the state management plans that permit killing of hundreds of wolves is the expected increase in federal predator control, including ramped up aerial gunning, leghold traps and even poisoning of wolves. Federal predator control on behalf of the livestock industry is what exterminated wolves in the first place, and that was before the era of helicopter sharpshooters pursuing radio-collared wolves. We will bring this alarming prospect to a court’s attention.”
Michael Robinson, Center for Biological Diversity

“Idaho wins the prize for wanting to kill the most wolves. Wyoming wins for the most blatant hostility toward wolves enshrined in state law. And Montana wears the crown for killing the most wolves 8 of the last 10 years despite having the smallest wolf population of all three states.”
John Grandy, Ph.D., senior vice president of The Humane Society of the United States

“We are concerned that Wyoming will strictly adhere to the language in the state legislation and aggressively eliminate wolves that now occupy Jackson Hole and parts of Grand Teton National Park. With Wyoming’s current plan, wolves two miles from Jackson’s Town Square could be killed by anyone at any time—this is reprehensible.”
Franz Camenzind, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance

“As evidenced by the of State of Idaho's proposals to aerial gun wolves in the Frank Church Wilderness and to kill up to 75% of the wolves on the Upper Lochsa while wolves remained protected, delisting at this time poses a great risk to the Northern Rockies wolf population, which is still recovering.”
Will Boyd, Education Director, Friends of the Clearwater

“Legal action is necessary to prevent the states from implementing management schemes that have the primary purpose of eliminating, rather than conserving, wolves.”
Michael Garrity, Alliance for the Wild Rockies

“Wolves are just starting to cross the Snake River and begin the process of recovery in the state of Oregon where wolves remain endangered. Prematurely removing the gray wolf from the federal Endangered Species list and allowing Idaho and Wyoming to dramatically reduce wolf populations will delay or even prevent the recovery of the wolf in Oregon.”
Doug Heiken, Oregon Wild, formerly Oregon Natural Resources Council

“Wolves are not recovered in the west. There are still public lands with abundant elk and deer populations that can and should sustain these magnificent animals throughout the western states.”
Jon Marvel, Western Watersheds Project

“Gray wolves in the northern Rockies are near biological recovery, but they aren’t there yet. Now, wolves are staring down the barrel at hostile state management schemes that would ensure the wolf population never achieves sustainable numbers and genetic connectivity.”
Jenny Harbine, Earthjustice

 

Wolves Lose Protection Under Endangered Species Act

Premature delisting severely threatens continued existence of the northern Rockies gray wolf

WASHINGTON D.C. – Today the Bush administration finalized its controversial decision to remove the northern Rockies gray wolf from the list of species protected under the Endangered Species Act. The delisting will take effect 30 days after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) publishes the final rule in the Federal Register next week.

The removal of federal protections for the gray wolf puts its continued survival in the northern Rockies at the mercy of the woefully insufficient state management plans developed by Wyoming, Idaho and—to a lesser extent—Montana.  These plans call for dramatic reductions in wolf populations in the region.

“We will support delisting of the northern Rockies wolf when the states establish sustainable management plans that ensure viable, interconnected wolf populations throughout the region,” said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife. “Unfortunately, the current state plans seem designed to lead only to the dramatic decline and need for quick relisting of the wolf. That’s not in anyone’s best interest.”

Before a species can be delisted, FWS must determine that it does not face continued threats that could undermine the species’ survival. This criterion is not met under the state management plans which ignore scientific estimates that, for species to remain viable, there should be several thousand individuals, and wolf populations in the northern Rockies must be interconnected with larger wolf populations in Canada. With no federal protections in place, existing state management plans would permit wolf populations in the northern Rockies to be drastically reduced by as much as 70 percent, and eliminate any likelihood of establishing connections with Canadian wolf populations or promoting the establishment of wolf populations in other states such as Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Colorado.

“Given the tremendous public support and resources spent to reintroduce the wolf to the northern Rockies, it makes no sense to allow wholesale killing of wolves in the region and polarize the issue even more deeply with this one-sided plan,” said Suzanne Stone, northern Rockies wolf conservation specialist for Defenders of Wildlife. “Instead we need a balanced solution based on science that also addresses the needs of ranchers, wildlife supporters, and hunters.”

Defenders of Wildlife recently joined with the Natural Resources Defense Council in petitioning FWS to develop a national recovery plan for wolves in the United States, with regional recovery goals aimed at supporting sustainable populations of wolves in the northern Rockies, the northeast and the southwest.

Background:

More than 200,000 gray wolves (Canis lupus) once lived throughout the United States. Aggressive wildlife killing campaigns led to wolf eradication from most of the country by the mid-1930s. Gray wolves have been listed as endangered since 1974, and were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park and Central Idaho in 1995 and 1996.

Wolves are native to the northern Rockies and have begun once again to restore natural balance to the areas they are reoccupying, by culling weak and diseased elk, deer, and other prey, and dispersing elk more widely across their habitat and away from sensitive wetlands and meadows that suffer from overbrowsing. Elk populations still remain high, (more than 400,000 elk are present today in the region) and hunter harvest success remains as high as it was prior to the return of wolves. Ranchers are also successfully learning to reduce the limited wolf predation on livestock to manageable levels and are compensated for most known losses that do occur by Defenders or state compensation programs. Wolf-related tourism in the Yellowstone region has generated more than $35 million annually for local communities.

Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities.  With more than 1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come.  For more information, visit www.defenders.org.

 

Latest Mexican wolf survey shows consistent population decline

A decade of political pressure and an inadequate plan derailing wolf recovery

TUCSON, Ariz. - The 2007 Mexican wolf population survey found just 52 individual wolves and 4 breeding pairs in the wild, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced today. These numbers are down 12% and 43% respectively from last year’s survey of 59 wolves and 7 breeding pairs. These numbers fall far short of population goals set in the reintroduction plan for this species. The population has declined for three of the last four years, raising new concerns about the Bush administration’s commitment to fulfilling its obligation to recover this critically endangered species.

“We have the unique opportunity to revive an important part of the ‘Old West’, but we are letting this chance slip away. The Fish and Wildlife Service places more emphasis on removing ‘problem’ wolves than it does on solving problems and recovering the wolf. It is failing in its duty to bring the lobo back from the brink of extinction,” says Eva Sargent, director of the southwest program for Defenders of Wildlife.

The Mexican gray wolf, or lobo, once roamed throughout the Southwest, but by the early 1970s, the lobo had been almost completely exterminated. In 1976, the lobo was listed as an endangered species, and shortly thereafter the few remaining wolves were brought into a captive-breeding program involving FWS and more than 40 North American zoos. In 1998, FWS reintroduced three family groups of wolves into the Apache National Forest in eastern Arizona. Despite ten years of effort, today the lobo is one of the most endangered mammals in North America.

“Bringing Mexican gray wolves back has been a real source of pride for many people in the Southwest, but if we want to see our efforts truly succeed, we need to sit down and come up with new management strategies. Clearly, we must make serious changes to get Mexican wolves back on track toward a full recovery in the wild. If we don’t change course, the Fish and Wildlife Service will find itself presiding over the second extinction of the lobo in the wild,” said Sargent.

Given the perilously low numbers of Mexican wolves now left in the wild, Defenders of Wildlife believes that the killing or permanent removal of any more wolves should be a last resort. Defenders is calling on FWS to increase its use of alternative approaches to wolf management, including proactive techniques to reduce conflicts between wolves and livestock, such as using special fencing, relocating livestock during denning season and hazing wolves away from livestock.

Defenders has recently hired a full-time field staffer whose sole responsibility will be to work proactively with ranchers and communities to prevent conflicts with wolves through projects like fencing, guard dogs, herders and livestock relocation.

“We’re putting our money where our mouth is,” said Sargent, “Now the Fish and Wildlife Service needs to join us in being creative instead of reactive.”

“Saving the Mexican wolf is most certainly not a question of ‘can we do it?’ It’s a question of ‘will we finally take responsibility and just do it?’ It’s time to put some of that western know-how and grit to use and get down to the real work of saving this wonderful but critically endangered animal,” said Sargent.

Defenders of Wildlife has created a chart comparing the first 10 years of wolf recovery efforts in the northern Rockies and the Southwest. The chart illustrates the stark differences between the healthy gray wolf population increases in the north and the fluctuating, struggling population of the Mexican wolf in the south.

Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org.

 

Gray Wolf Returns to Oregon

Radio-collared wolf from Idaho confirmed in northeast Oregon

BOISE, Idaho – The La Grande Field Office of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) confirmed Thursday that a female gray wolf from the Boise, Idaho area is now making her home in northeastern Oregon.

Wolves were native to Oregon, and thrived there until sometime in the 1930s when they were eradicated from the state. Today’s announcement is an important sign that gray wolves are successfully returning to their historic habitat in Oregon.

The following is a statement from Suzanne Stone, northern Rockies wolf conservation specialist for Defenders of Wildlife:

“This wolf comes from the Timberline pack, which we here in Boise know very well – it was named after our own Timberline High School. She made quite a journey and she has chosen excellent habitat in which to make her home. Northeast Oregon is one of the places where we always expected wolves would someday return.

“Unfortunately, this great news comes on the same day that the FWS has announced new rules that make it easier for wolves to be killed by private citizens. Those rules threaten the very population of Idaho wolves that provided Oregon’s new wolf, and could undermine the gray wolf’s ability to recolonize more of its historic habitat.

“We always hoped this day would come, and we’re thrilled that it is finally here. We look forward to working with biologists, tribal leaders and ranchers to ensure the future of wolves in Oregon and across the region.”

 

Wolves in the Northern Rockies Lose Important Protections

New rule could allow more than half the region’s wolves to be killed

BOISE, Idaho – The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service released an updated rule Thursday governing the management of gray wolves in the northern Rockies. The rule dramatically broadens the circumstances under which these wolves may be killed, significantly reducing protections for this endangered species. The rule is separate from a current proposal to delist wolves from the Endangered Species Act, and instead governs how wolves will be managed while they remain on the federal list of threatened and endangered species.

The following is a statement from Suzanne Stone, northern Rockies wolf conservation specialist for Defenders of Wildlife regarding Thursday’s announcement.

“This is a giant step backward. Under the rule finalized today, more than 750 wolves – over half of the region’s wolf population – could be killed, even though this wolf population is still protected by the Endangered Species Act. 

“Stripping away protection for our wolves is entirely unjustified. Elk and deer populations in all three northern Rockies states are at or near record highs, and nonlethal, proactive methods are helping to reduce conflicts between wolves and livestock. There is absolutely no reason to begin a wholesale slaughter of the region’s wolves. Yet that is exactly what the federal government is willing to allow the states to do: wipe out hundreds of the wolves our nation has worked so hard to recover.

“This is a scheme based on backdoor politics, not science, and it goes too far. Wolves in the northern Rockies have only recently neared a point where the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service could consider removing federal protections from them. In finalizing this rule, the Service is ignoring its responsibility to ensure the long-term survival of the region’s wolf population.

“We need to work together to reach recovery. We can only do that by creating balanced wolf management plans that ensure a stable population of wolves in the future. Unfortunately, the threat to wolves posed by this new rule leaves us no choice but to involve the courts and file a legal challenge to put a stop to this plan.”