Scientists oppose delisting
By Cory Hatch
More than 230 scientists from across the country have signed a letter opposing the removal of Endangered Species Act protection for gray wolves in the Yellowstone area.
The letter which includes signatures from wildlife biologists, ecologists and other researchers from universities in almost every state was sent to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wolf recovery coordinator Ed Bangs as part of a public comment period that ended May 9. The letter also included signatures from scientists in countries such as China and Sweden.
The scientists said wolves still face threats because of their relatively small population size and because wolf populations in Yellowstone, Idaho and northwest Montana dont connect.
But foremost among those threats, they said, are state wolf management plans that call for a minimum population size of 300 wolves and 30 breeding pairs across the three states.
This recovery goal is not based on any biologically relevant information such as demographic or genetic data, the letter states.
Further, the scientists say Idaho and Wyoming officials have made it clear they intend to kill as many wolves as they are allowed to under federal law.
We understand that the governor of Idaho, C.L. Butch Otter, has vowed to expeditiously reduce the current number of wolves in his state from around 700 to the FWSs minimal standard of just 100 wolves for that state, the letter says. Legislation recently passed in Wyoming would allow hunting of wolves until only seven breeding pairs occur within the state.
According to the scientists, keeping wolves at those low numbers would dramatically increase the wolfs risk of extinction by reducing genetic variability and isolating individual animals, both processes that could lead to inbreeding and the reduction of overall fitness.
Local scientists and conservation groups have expressed similar concerns about officials in Idaho and Wyoming.
Franz Camenzind, executive director of Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, said that although the population requirement has been met for the wolfs delisting, he remains concerned about management plans in Idaho and Wyoming.
Although weve met the numbers, we may very well be neglecting the other critical part of wolves, and that is their social nature, Camenzind said. Animals that are in a stable pack and in established territories will, after time, learn where to hunt and what to stay away from. The odds of learning that in a stable environment are much greater than in an environment where there is constantly shooting and trapping and so forth.
In January, federal officials announced the plan to delist the gray wolf populations in the Rocky Mountain region, saying that protections could remain in the northwest corner of Wyoming unless state officials can draw up a viable wolf management plan. In the remainder of Wyoming, people would be able to kill wolves using any means, including traps and poison.
Since the Fish and Wildlife Service announced the delisting, Wyoming officials have taken a firm stance, pushing for more liberal regulations that would allow hunters to kill many of the wolves that live in the state outside the national parks.
Hunters and ranchers say the federal government has repeatedly backpedaled on promises to accept Wyomings management plan and delist the wolf.