The Wolf Preservation Blog

“SALMON, Idaho, July 28 (Reuters) – Idaho will open its wolf
population, now estimated at about 1,000 animals, to extensive hunting and trapping to reduce their numbers to no fewer than
150 under a plan approved on Thursday by the state Fish and
Game Commission.

The move came after a heated public hearing Wednesday night
in Salmon, where wolf foes declared war on the iconic predators
with rhetoric describing Idaho as locked in a “wolf crisis” and
as one of three “wolf-occupied states” in the Northern Rockies,
along with Montana and Wyoming.

Wolves have been at the center of a bitter debate since
they were reintroduced to the region in the mid-1990s over the
objections of ranchers and commercial outfitters who said
wolves would prey on cattle and compete with hunters for elk.

The plan to cut the wolf population in Idaho comes just
three months after wolves in Idaho and Montana were stripped of
federal protections under the Endangered Species Act through an
unprecedented act of Congress.

Removal from the U.S. endangered species list turned
control of those wolves over to state wildlife agencies, now
free to set hunting seasons as a way of reducing wolf numbers
to levels they see as better balanced with human interests.

In Montana, wildlife managers earlier this month set a
statewide quota of 220 wolves — out of an estimated population
of 566 — for its wolf hunts, which will generally run from
September to November.

Idaho’s commissioners, by comparison, approved a plan that
sets no quota for a combination of hunting and trapping that
will be allowed for most of the year in most of the state,
beginning next month.

However, Idaho would bar wolf numbers statewide from
falling in any given year below the 150 minimum necessary to
prevent federal re-listing of them.

The action in Idaho comes as a federal judge in Montana is
poised to rule on a lawsuit by environmental groups challenging
the de-listing of wolves in both states earlier this year.

DUELING NUMBERS

The commissioners said their aim is to lower the number of
conflicts between wolves and livestock in the state and to end
wolf-caused declines of elk in some parts of Idaho where
outfitters have complained they are losing clients because of
unsuccessful hunts for elk and other big game.

Still, a recent survey by state wildlife managers shows elk
populations exceed or meet biologists’ objectives in the vast
majority of Idaho’s hunting areas. Another study by wildlife
managers shows Idaho wolves killed 148 cows in 2010, out of a
total 2.2 million head of cattle in the state.

Idaho game commissioners characterized their plan as a good
starting point, with future plans to include wolf trapping and
killing by designated state agents and by landowners.

“We will increase the tools in the toolbox and use all
legal mechanisms to solve the problem,” commission chairman
Tony McDermott told wolf opponents on Wednesday night. “We’re
on the same page and we’ll get it done.”

At the meeting Thursday in Salmon, commissioners also cut
the price of non-resident wolf hunting tags statewide from
about $186 to $31.75 as an incentive to out-of-state hunters.

Wildlife advocates on Thursday vowed to launch a boycott of
Idaho, its potatoes and its outfitters.

“The word is getting out that this is basically a wolf-hate
state,” Idaho wolf activist Lynne Stone said. “I think this is
going to be a big hit to the image of Idaho and further hurt
our economy.”

(Editing by Steve Gorman and Peter Bohan)

**Thanks to Laura Zuckerman, Reuters, for providing this information!

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“WASHINGTON (July 27th, 2011)— In a victory for imperiled species, the U.S. House of Representatives today voted not to include the “extinction rider” in an appropriations bill that would have stopped the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from spending any money to protect new species under the Endangered Species Act or to designate “critical habitat” for their survival. The House voted 224-202 in favor of an amendment from Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) to strip the “extinction rider” from the Interior department’s appropriation bill. “The extinction rider would have been a disaster for hundreds of animals and plants across the country that desperately need the help of the Endangered Species Act to survive,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species program director for the Center for Biological Diversity. “Today’s vote is a promising sign for wolverines, walruses and species in all 50 states that, without help, face the very real prospect of extinction.” The vote comes as plants and animals across the country are at heightened risk of extinction due to habitat destruction, global climate change, extreme weather events and other factors. Earlier this month the Center and the Fish and Wildlife Service reached a landmark agreement to speed protection for 757 imperiled U.S. species, including the wolverine, Pacific walrus, Rio Grand cutthroat trout and Mexican gray wolf. The passage of today’s bill would have delayed protection for those species and made their recovery more difficult. “While the vote on the extinction rider shows that the Endangered Species Act enjoys support from both sides of the aisle, the House is still threatening wide-spread environmental damage with other amendments to this spending bill,” Greenwald said. “We can’t allow these measures to move ahead that will pollute our air and water, threaten public health and destroy pristine landscapes.” Among the measures still under consideration in the House are those that would: * Stop more than 1 million acres around the Grand Canyon from being protected from new uranium mines; * Force the Environmental Protection Agency to stop all work limiting carbon dioxide pollution from power plants, refineries and other large pollution sources; * Halt efforts under the Clean Water Act from protecting human health and endangered species from pesticides; * Block EPA oversight of mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia; * Interfere with the Environmental Protect Agency’s work to protect the public from toxic coal ash; * Hinder the EPA’s and U.S. Corps of Engineers’ work to protect wetlands and other waters of the United States; * Expedite air-pollution permits for offshore drilling in the Arctic The full appropriations bill for the Interior department is expected to be voted on by the House in the coming days. If it passes, it moves to the Senate. Last week, the White House signaled plans to veto the spending bill because of amendments that threaten wildlife, the environment, and clean air and water.”

**Special thanks to “Lobos of the Southwest” for providing this information!

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“MISSOULA- When the wolf hunt rolls around in September, hunters have permission to remove 220 wolves from Montana’s wolf population. But this hunt includes something the previous hunt in 2009 did not have–a quota and specific wolf management unit for the Bitterroot.

“We have a situation in the West Fork where we have chronically low calf-cow rates of elk,” said Region 2 Wildlife Manager Mike Thompson.

Thompson said there were nine elk calves per 100 elk in 2008, 11 calves per 100 elk in 2009 and 18 elk calves per 100 elk in 2010.

“We expect 20s to 30s on the low end and in the Bitterroot historically there were 40s and 50s,” said Thompson.

To determine how many wolves should come out of the Bitterroot, FWP relied on public comment–which was pretty much split. In the end, F-W-P gave Hunting District 250, or the West Fork of the Bitterroot, its own quota of 18 wolves.

Barring a legal setback, the hunt will go forward and Montana will be back to managing its own wolf population. Of the statewide quota of 220 wolves, 177 wolves are targeted in northwest or western Montana including 36 in the Upper Clark Fork and Big Hole, 22 in the Lower Clark Fork, and 20 in the Blackfoot.”

*Special thanks to  Mark Holyoak (KPAX News) for providing this information.

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**AFTER READING THIS ARTICLE, CLICK ON THE LINK AT BOTTOM AND PARTICIPATE IN IDAHO’S “WOLF PROPOSAL PUBLIC SURVEY.”  THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO LET THE WILDLIFE FISH AND GAME BOARD YOU OPPOSE THIS!

“Idaho’s upcoming wolf hunt will be managed like other big game seasons, with no statewide quota on the number of wolves that can be killed, state officials said Friday.

About 1,000 wolves inhabit the state’s forests and grasslands. Wildlife managers said they want to reduce that number to relieve “social and biological” conflicts from wolf predation on elk herds and livestock.

Idaho Fish and Game is still trying to determine the right number of wolves for the state, said Virgil Moore, the agency’s director. Although that figure hasn’t been established, “we’re going to stay far north” of the federal minimum requirement of 150 wolves and 15 breeding pairs statewide, Moore said.

Idaho’s proposed wolf hunt is similar to seasons for cougars and black bears, which don’t have quotas, either, Moore said. Hunting and trapping the elusive predators won’t send the populations back into the danger zone, he added.

Wolves are challenging to hunt, wildlife managers said. Less than 1 percent of hunters who bought wolf tags during Idaho’s last public hunt shot one. The statewide take was 188.

“Seeing wolf tracks or scat, hearing wolves howl or even catching fleeting glimpses of wolves is not the same thing as seeing a wolf and having the opportunity to take it during hunting season,” said Jon Rachael, the state’s big-game manager.

On Friday, managers outlined plans for the upcoming hunt, which will be finalized July 27 and 28 at the Fish and Game Commission’s meeting in Salmon.

Hunters could buy two wolf tags per calendar year for the Aug. 30 to March 31 season. Use of electronic calls would be allowed.

A proposed 10-week trapping season is being added in parts of the state, including the Panhandle. The December through mid-February trapping season would have an annual bag limit of five wolves.

Fish and Game officials will be monitoring the rates of wolf kills, which must be reported within 72 hours. Moore said the season could close early if the harvest levels exceed expectations.

In January, the Panhandle’s wolf population was estimated at 120, said Jim Hayden, regional wildlife manager. At least 27 wolves would have to be killed to keep the population in check, he said.

Hayden said the Panhandle’s elk herds haven’t been as hard-hit by wolf predation as herds in the Lolo area. However, elk calf mortality is on the upswing in the drainages of the St. Joe River and Little North Fork of the Clearwater. Elk herds in those units are declining by about 15 percent each year, Hayden said.

Even with the liberalized hunting seasons, Moore said that the state will probably need to use wildlife agents to cull Idaho’s wolf packs. Aerial hunting by authorized agents is the most effective way to kill wolves that prey on livestock, he said.

Defenders of Wildlife was pleased that the state didn’t include aerial hunting or use of snowmobiles in its public hunting proposal, said Suzanne Stone, the organization’s Northern Rockies representative. But the lack of a statewide wolf quota concerns her.

“Their claim is there are no quotas for mountain lions and bears. The difference is that you have far fewer wolves,” Stone said. “There are 3,000 mountain lions in Idaho, 20,000 black bear and 100,000 elk.”

Wolves play a beneficial role in the ecosystem, she said, culling diseased deer and elk from herds and preventing them from overgrazing streamside vegetation. Biological studies indicate that the Northern Rockies region needs several thousand wolves for the species to fulfill its ecosystem role and to allow for a diverse gene pool, Stone said.

“Wolves play a very valuable role in nature, and I think that is what’s being overlooked in this rush to reduce their numbers to such low levels,” Stone said.”

Special thanks to Becky Kramer, Staff Writer for “The Spokesman Review” for providing this information.

http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/hunt/wolf/proposals.cfm

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“Just hours ago, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and new Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe announced details of Wyoming’s wolf management plan that would allow wolves to be shot on sight across most of the state.

Pups at their dens, pregnant females, parents bringing food back to the pups – they could all be killed for any reason across most of the state during most of the year. This is not only unethical, it undermines the continued recovery of the Northern Rockies grey wolf.

Tell the Fish and Wildlife Service that you’re outraged by their capitulation to anti-wolf extremists in Wyoming. Call the Service toll-free at:
1-800-344-WILD  (9453)

And deliver this simple message:

“My name is [Your Name] and I’m calling from [Your Town], [Your State] to let Director Dan Ashe know that I’m outraged by the Fish and Wildlife Service’s support for Wyoming’s wolf management plan. This proposal is unscientific and unconscionable and would allow wolves to be shot on sight in most areas of the state outside Yellowstone National Park.”

Gracious thanks to “Defenders of Wildlife” for providing this information!

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**You can send a letter of petition through the link at bottom of this post!

 

“Bullies Get Their Way in New Mexico’s Wolf Recovery Program

The Trinidad Times, Laura Paskus, July 1, 2011.

 

On June 9, the New Mexico Game and Fish Commission voted to end the state’s participation in the Mexican Gray Wolf Recovery Program. That program is the federal government’s attempt to restore wolves to an area straddling Arizona and New Mexico.

 

In the 1980s, the federal government set the goal of establishing a minimum population of 100 wolves within their historic range. It was anticipated that the canines would reach that number in 2006. Currently, there are just 50 wolves.

 

New Mexico’s abandonment of Mexican wolves was not a surprise given last

year’s election of Gov. Susana Martinez, the Republican who replaced

Democrat Bill Richardson. Since she took office, she has made appointments

to several state commissions that helped consolidate power in the hands of

industry and anti-regulation representatives. Her administration has also

directed the reorganization of the state’s Environment Department, choking

off some of its best programs. As for the New Mexico Game and Fish

Commission, four of its seven members are her new appointees; one also

serves as a board member of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association.

When bullies speak, Gov. Martinez listens. Just prior to the Game

Commission’s vote on wolves, for instance, anti-wolf activists as well as

the Catron County Commissioners sent letters to the state wildlife

commission and Gov. Martinez accusing wolves of putting their children and

ranching livelihoods at risk. The critics went to far as to distribute a

disturbing photo of a child in a wood and wire cage – a cage that was

designed to keep him safe from wolves while waiting for the school bus.

If the recent vote to withdraw support for wolves was no surprise, it

remains a serious blow. Somewhat surprisingly, the state’s wildlife

department had become an effective advocate for wolf recovery. In 2008 and

2009, it opposed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s plans to remove wolves

suspected of preying on livestock. Thanks to that stance, the federal agency

changed its policy, and those two wolf packs still live in the wild where

they have not been preying on livestock.

Now that the state wildlife commission is no longer a partner in the federal

wolf recovery program, the department’s role has become murky. The state

will apparently refuse any federal money to fund employees to work on the

program, and the state’s representatives will no longer participate in the

recovery team. The details are still unclear.

But the wildlife department must continue to enforce state and federal

wildlife laws within New Mexico’s boundaries, and it must investigate wolf

shootings and killings as criminal cases. The department had applied for a

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service grant to pay 50 percent of the reimbursement

promised for livestock killed by wolves; department spokesman Lance Cherry

says the state is now exploring options on how to administer that grant

without using its own staff.

It seems clear that the commission’s decision to surrender to the bullies

was rash. But while Tom Buckley, a spokesman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, calls the state’s decision “unfortunate,” he insists the wolf

recovery program will continue — albeit short-staffed.

However, Michael Robinson, a staffer with the nonprofit Center for

Biological Diversity, which has sought the return of Mexican wolves for

decades, worries that the government will resume its predator control

program and start removing “problem” wolves from the wild. It’s “not because

the biology has changed,” he says, “but because we have different elected

officials.”

When public officials are so easily influenced, creating and managing a

sound policy becomes impossible. It’s equally unfortunate that scientists

employed by state and federal agencies lack the courage to publicly defend

their work and the species they are trying to recover. Until strong,

intelligent voices drown out the blowhards, emotions will rule, politicians

will call the shots and the public will be confused and frightened by rumor

and misinformation.

This is cause for outrage, not apathy or despair. “It’s reasonable to be

pessimistic about wolf politics and management,” says Robinson. “It’s not

reasonable based on their biology.”

He’s right: Let’s not forget that the Southwest’s wolves survived many years

of strychnine poisoning and government bounties. Surely, they can survive

the bullies, too.

Laura Paskus is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a service of High Country News (hcn.org). She is writer in Albuquerque.

To read the full article, click here.

****

PLEASE WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR TODAY.

In your letter, please thank the paper for this story, talk about the tremendous importance of Mexican wolves to the Southwest, point out that this decision does not reflect the will of the people in New Mexico, who overwhelmingly support the reintroduction program, and call on Governor Martinez and the NM Game Commission to reverse this harmful decision against a beautiful animal that has only around 50 members left in the wild.

 

You can email your letter to The Trinidad Times at: info@trinidad-times.com

Here are editorial contacts for more papers that have published stories on the NM Game Commission’s decision:

Los Angeles Times – letters@latimes.com“

 

**Special thanks to “Lobos of the Southwest” for posting this article.  Please visit them for more updates on Mexican Gray wolves at:  http://www.mexicanwolves.org/index.php 

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