OUTDOORS REPORT
Wolves back on the list
LINDA KELLY
A July court decision puts the species once again under federal management authority
J
ust four months after the Rocky Mountain gray wolf was removed from federal authority, a federal court in Missoula has reinstated Endangered Species Act protection. On July 18, U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy granted a temporary court injunction sought by a coalition of 12 environmental groups. The coalition asked for the injunction as part of a lawsuit challenging a decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on March 28 to remove wolves from the federal list of threatened and endangered species. That decision granted Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming full legal responsibility for managing wolves within their state borders. The lawsuit plaintiffs, led by Earthjustice, argued that the
wolf has not yet met all of the recovery criteria. With the new court ruling, wolf management is once again under federal authority in all three states. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation called the federal reinstatement a “step backward” for wolf management. “We believe delisting the wolf and turning management over to the states is a very reasonable approach,” says David Allen, the foundation’s president and CEO. “All three states have a proven record of managing key-
stone species like bears and mountain lions, and there is no reason to expect anything different with wolves.” But the Defenders of Wildlife applauded the judge’s decision. “It stops the continued and almost indiscriminate killing of wolves under the states’ management plans that could have put the long-term recovery of the wolf at risk,” says Suzanne Asha Stone, the group’s Northern Rockies wolf conservation specialist. Wolf numbers in the Rockies have grown from just a few in
“We’re disappointed with the ruling, because Montana’s wolf population is healthy, growing, and firmly established in our state.”
| July–August | fwp.mt.gov⁄mtoutdoors
1979 to roughly 1,500 today. The federal recovery goal of at least 300 wolves in the region was reached in 2002. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks intervened in the lawsuit brought against the USFWS and opposed the injunction request. “We’re disappointed with the ruling, because Montana’s wolf population is healthy, growing, and firmly established in our state,” says Jeff Hagener, FWP director. “Montanans have shown great patience and cooperation during wolf recovery. The department is committed to continue its participation in the legal proceedings on behalf of Montanans.” As a result of the judge’s decision, the geographic line that previously divided Montana’s wolf population has been reinstated. The line separates the “nonessential experimental” population in the southern half of the state from the “endangered” population to the north. As part of a previous agreement with the USFWS, Montana will continue to lead wolf monitoring and public outreach efforts, direct conflict management, and coordinate and authorize research. The state will retain the authority to manage wolves according to federal regulations for as long as the animals remain listed, Hagener says. Under these regulations: • Wolves in the northern endangered population may not be hazed, harassed, or killed by livestock owners or other citizens. • Wolves in the southern experimental population may be hazed or harassed when too close to livestock. Wolves may be killed by livestock owners if seen actively chasing or attacking livestock or domestic dogs on either public or private land. The incident must be reported
