Wolf plan detailed
by Cat Urbigkit
Since the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has released the draft
statewide wolf management plan to the Wyoming Wildlife Federation, a
non-governmental special-interest entity, this newspaper has determined
that the document is indeed public and thus should be subject to news
reporting to the remainder of the public. The final draft that will
actually be submitted for public review is due to be released July 18.
The state law
The wolf legislation approved in the 2003 Wyoming Legislature calls for
the maintenance of 15 packs of five or more wolves in the state, with
seven of those packs located primarily outside of Yellowstone and Grand
Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller Memorial Parkway. So long
as wolf numbers stay at these levels, wolves would be classified as trophy
game animals within the parks and parkway and “those federally designated
wilderness areas contiguous” to these areas. Because of the one-mile long
common boundary where the Gros Ventre Wilderness touches Grand Teton
National Park, wolves in the Gros Ventre will have trophy game status, but
those 10 miles away in the Bridger Wilderness will be classified as
predators. Wolves located outside these federally designated protected
areas would be classified as predators so long as the population levels
stayed up.
Should the wolf population drop to less than the 15 packs, with seven
packs outside the parks, the legislation empowers the WG&F Commission to
revoke the predator classification, instead designating wolves as trophy
game in an expanded area of the state, to be determined by the commission.
It should be noted that even in areas where wolves would be classified as
predators, all harvested wolves must be presented to a WG&F Department
employee so biological data can be obtained.
The draft plan
The WG&F Department’s latest version of a statewide wolf plan creates a
large area called a “Data Analysis Unit.” If wolf numbers fell below those
15/7 packs described in the law, trophy game classification would be
expanded throughout the DAU, which encompasses most of northwestern
Wyoming.
The plan states: “This classification will remain indefinitely, regardless
of future pack numbers in this area, as it will have been demonstrated
that the initial trophy game area is not large enough to provide adequate
regulatory mechanisms to sustain seven wolf packs due to unregulated
public take under predator status.”
The DAU’s southern boundary is Boulder Creek, then northeasterly to the
Wind River Indian Reservation Boundary. It includes not just U.S. Forest
Service and Bureau of Land Management lands, but also private lands all
the way to Meeteetsee and Cody, on north to the Montana border. To the
west of Pinedale, the southern boundary of the unit follows Highway 191 to
Alpine and connects with the Idaho border.
According to the draft: “The Wyoming Range and the lower end of the Wind
River Range were excluded from the DAU because of the potential for
consistent conflicts due to large numbers of domestic livestock.”
The state wildlife agency is required to monitor the wolf population to
ensure that state and federal goals are met, but the plan notes that if
the WG&F Commission decides to implement the DAU, “the department will
restrict data collection to determine population status to only the DAU.”
Any wolves outside the DAU would retain their predator status and would
not be monitored.
Dealing with conflicts
Livestock depredations were given little attention in the draft plan, in
contrast to the section dealing with the potential for wolves to conflict
with other wildlife species.
In general, the plan notes that where wolves are classified as trophy
game, WG&F will be the lead agency in responding to wolf-livestock
conflicts, but will continue to contract with U.S.D.A. Wildlife Services
in assisting in investigating and resolving conflicts.
“The department will decide on an appropriate management action, based on
the specific circumstances of each conflict,” according to the plan.
Instead of a specific set of guidelines for how to handle the conflicts
between wolves and livestock, the plan states, “Management actions could
include a variety of responses, and will be determined on a case-by-case
basis.”
The plan does acknowledge that lethal control is often the most effective
management option for wolves that kill livestock.
In areas where wolves will be classified as trophy game, WG&F will be
responsible for compensating property owners for damages or losses caused
by wolves. The plan notes, “The department is determined to keep economic
losses from a recovered wolf population to a minimum.”
In areas where wolves are classified as predators, the department will not
manage nuisance wolves, nor will it compensate for damages.
As for conflicts with big game populations, the department doesn’t
anticipate excessive depredation on ungulates in most circumstances. The
plan does note: “However, some wintering elk, moose and bighorn sheep
sub-populations on native winter range and elk on winter feedgrounds or
near cattle feed lines could be susceptible to negative impacts from wolf
predation and management action may be necessary under specific
conditions.”
Economics
The WG&F estimates the annual cost of managing wolves in Wyoming will be
$450,000. The plan notes that a recovered wolf population will bring both
positive and negative economic impacts, with positive impacts arising from
increased tourism, and negative impacts may be experienced by livestock
producers, hunters and outfitters.
The plan acknowledges that the economic impacts associated with wolves are
difficult to predict.
“Because of the high profile of wolves and the nationwide public interest
in them, the presence of wolves in the Greater Yellowstone Area was
expected to increase tourism in the area, however, overall visitation to
Yellowstone National Park has decreased for unknown reasons since wolf
restoration.”