Gray Wolves Partly Removed From Endangered List
Controversial Decision Reopens Debate On Predator Species Management
Mar 17, 2009
Gray wolf (Canis lupus) reintroduction was controversial when it occurred and it has remained an important aspect of the fight over delisting the species. In the wake of the announcement by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, serious concerns remain for the Northern Rocky Mountains population but the Great Lakes wolves will likely continue to thrive.
States Where the Gray Wolf is No Longer Protected
In the Great Lakes Region, the wolf is being delisted in the states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin with portions of North and South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio being included in the decision. There are packs present in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin which may disperse into the other listed states. The estimated population of wolves in this area is 4000.
In the Rocky Mountains and Far West, Montana, Idaho, and portions of Washington, Oregon and Utah will also be affected by the delisting. Populations here are not as robust with numbers estimated around 1500 wolves, mainly in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
Why the Great Lakes Wolf Population is Likely to Survive
In the Great Lakes region there is not the pressure to remove all wolves that exists in the Rockies and Far West. The packs on Isle Royale have been studied since 1958 and are famous for their interdependence with the moose of the island.
Open range ranching is not practiced to any great extent in this area and the wolves have returned slowly once Endangered Species protection was afforded them. Once bounty hunting ended there was no financial reason to hunt wolves in this area.
Animosity Toward Wolves in the Northern Rockies Still a Problem
While the ranching communities of the Northern Rocky Mountain and Far West regions may have some reason for concern at the return of the gray wolf, the fact that wolves were deliberately reintroduced into the area still angers many. Having the predator species ‘forced down their throats’ did not sit well at the time and continues to add to the pressure to delist them.
In one state, Wyoming, the gray wolf will remain on the endangered species list as a result of the state failing to develop a management plan that meets US Fish and Wildlife Service requirements for delisting. The wolves in the state retain some protection when they remain within the boundaries of national parks and the Wind River Reservation but wolves that disperse from the area would be under significant threat under the management plan Wyoming presented to the Fish and Wildlife Service. This plan included an open season hunting plan meaning that the wolves could be killed at any time for any reason.
The Future of the Gray Wolf in the United States
It seems likely that the gray wolf will not be extirpated from the United States, especially as it appears to be making inroads in the Northeast. But the status of the wolf in the Northern Rockies remains a concern as the animosity toward the species there has not eased. On the positive side, the states must maintain minimum population levels or the wolves will be put back on the Endangered Species List by the Fish and Wildlife Service.
 |
