By Paul A. Smith of the Journal Sentinel
In response a December federal court ruling, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has delayed a planned update to its wolf management plan.
In November the agency announced its intention to release a draft wolf management plan in January and begin holding public hearings across the state.
However, last month a federal judge ruled the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had been “arbitrary and capricious” in its handling of wolf management in the western Great Lakes region. The ruling restored Endangered Species Act protections to wolves in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan and prohibits state-managed hunting and trapping seasons in the region.
Dave MacFarland, DNR large carnivore specialist who oversees the state’s wolf management program, said the federal ruling “altered the timeline of our wolf management plan efforts.”
“We still intend to proceed, but will not be holding public hearings this month nor will we present the plan to the (Natural Resources Board) in April,” MacFarland said Thursday. “We do not yet have an updated timeline but hope to soon.”
The DNR is still working on the revised plan, MacFarland said, and hopes to a “draft available in the next few months.”
The Wisconsin wolf management plan has not been updated since 1999. It called for a wolf population goal of 350 wolves.
When it regained full management authority in 2012, state wildlife officials expressed a goal of “putting downward pressure on the wolf population” through hunting and trapping and removal of wolves at depredation sites.
After two seasons of regulated wolf hunting and trapping, Wisconsin had at least 660 wolves in late winter 2013-’14, down from an estimated high of 834 in 2012, according to the DNR.
The wolf population roughly doubles after pups are born in spring, then begins to decline due to various sources of mortality.
A wide range of people and organizations interested in wolf management are awaiting release of the agency’s updated wolf management plan, especially the wolf population goal.
Roughly one month after the federal court ruling, the future of wolf management in the western Great Lakes region remained unclear.
However, a bill is being drafted in Congress that could restore state management of wolves in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan. An appeal of the December federal ruling is also possible.