Wolves de-listed in state
By CHAD DALLY
Ashland Daily Press
Spooner Advocate
Hailed as a testament to cooperation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Monday handed the reigns of wolf control over to state departments of natural resources, following the official de-listing of the gray wolf from the federal Endangered Species Act.
Wisconsins wolf population ranges between 450 and 500.
This story is a hallmark of effective partnering, and a hallmark of the way we need to implement the goals of the Endangered Species Act, said Ken Stansell, acting deputy director of the Fish and Wildlife Service.
The state Department of Natural Resources still has federal help in monitoring the wolf population across the region for another five years, although the driving force now will be Wisconsins own 1999 management plan.
That plan sets a goal of 350 wolves statewide, lower than the current population, leading some to think a wolf hunt is on the horizon.
DNR Secretary Scott Hassett said he has no interest in a hunting season for wolves.
But Hassetts opinion could be one of many if the state takes a closer look at a hunting season.
Adrian Wydeven, mammalian biologist for the DNRs northern region, said a public hunt would require legislative approval, which in itself would require a lengthy amount of public input through hearings and meetings. And Hassett said a hunting bill introduced in the states previous legislative session went nowhere.
There is still some question, however, as to whether the handover will go anywhere in the near future.
Several organizations, including the Humane Society, filed in February intent to sue the Fish and Wildlife Service over the de-listing.
Among the objections raised by the groups are a perceived arbitrary figure of 350 wolves, and what they deem to be historically inaccurate boundaries, in which wolves have not yet returned to areas where they once roamed.
The groups did not request an injunction to stop the handover, and still have another month to decide whether to follow through with a lawsuit.
Regardless of a hunting season, de-listing wolves from the Endangered Species Act does offer livestock owners some protection if wolves are found to be harming their herds. Farmers can not only apply for a no-cost permit allowing them to kill wolves, but can also do so without a permit, as long as they catch a wolf in the act of killing and contact the DNR within 24 hours to hand over the carcass.
Wolves are still considered protected in the state, and illegal killings could result in a $2,000 fine and loss of hunting and/or trapping privileges for up to three years.
Wydeven said the cost to the state of monitoring the wolf population runs around $300,000, and he doesnt expect a huge increase once the job is entirely in their hands. Thats in addition to depredation reimbursements that fall between $60,000 and $80,000 per year, according to the DNRs Web site.
Controlling depredation, or the killing of livestock or other domesticated animals, will require the DNR to be both reactive and proactive, Hassett said, in terms of rectifying the occurrence of depredating and preventing them from happening through the use of government trappers in known problem areas.
Wydeven has said that, in 2006, 25 livestock operations reported depredation problems, although it is unknown how many animals that includes. In addition, wolves killed 25 dogs last year and injured nine, Wydeven said.
Some tribal groups, including Bad River in Odanah, originally did not support the de-listing, Peter David, a biologist with the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, said.
David and Tom Doolittle of Bad Rivers Natural Resources department both said that previous efforts did not take into account the cultural significance of the wolf in tribal culture. The tribes do have a memorandum of understanding with federal and state agencies to work together in the future, Doolittle said, since wolves generally ignore tribal boundaries.
Nevertheless, David urged caution.
Were stepping into territory thats unfamiliar, and uncomfortable for some, he said. …But we need to ensure that wolves are given a chance to maintain in a meaningful way, that they not dominate nor are kept in the background under the threat of the Endangered Species Act.
Groups like the Timber Wolf Alliance in Ashland have worked for decades to educate the public about wolf behavior, although time will tell whether people will agree with Stansell, who said that, The return of this key predator brings balance to the ecosystem.