These iconic roaming carnivores are at a crossroads again, following a decision-making process initiated in The U. This removed them from federal protection and left management of the species up to individual states.
Michigan and Minnesota are in the early stages of planning potential hunts in Wisconsin law had required an annual hunt to occur between mid-October and the end of February if the gray wolf was delisted. The state initially planned to wait for the fall of to hold a harvest. But the lawsuit forced its hand, and between February 22 and 24, hunters killed wolves, according to the Wisconsin DNR.
When it announced the harvest quota for the February hunt, the Wisconsin DNR said its goal was to neither increase nor decrease the gray wolf population. Now the wolves are set to face hunters a second time this year. On August 11 the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board, which sets natural resources policy for the state, approved a quota of up to additional wolves to be hunted in the fall season, starting on November 6.
The two hunts in Wisconsin could have a devastating long-term impact on gray wolves in the Great Lakes region and the ecosystem in which they live, some experts say. Montana's wolf management plan includes an annual harvest season. F ederal appeals court upheld the U. Status: State endangered. Wolves in the western portion of the state west of Hwys lost federal protections in January Many times, only the alpha female in the pack will bear offspring.
Nevertheless, the gray wolf has repopulated at a faster rate than almost any other endangered species, chugging along at around 30 percent growth each year [source: Robbins ]. But this environmental success hasn't come without a price. From to , wolves slaughtered a documented head of cattle, sheep, 50 dogs , nine llamas and one horse [source: Robbins ].
People have also reported instances of surplus killings , when packs attack more prey than they can consume, which is out of the ordinary for the normally economical eaters [source: Robbins ]. Because of this mixed bag of effects, wolves have been simultaneously protected as an endangered and threatened species and managed when they get too close to homes or farms.
To ensure survival of the transplants, the federal government stipulated that people could shoot the wolves only if they attacked [source: Bangs ]. Also, many of the packs contain at least one wolf with a tracking collar that allows wildlife officials to quickly pinpoint the pack's location if any of the members are causing problems [source: Robbins ]. To curb livestock predation, entire packs were taken out in Idaho and Montana, mollifying the ranchers and angering conservationists [source: Wilkinson ].
What about their effects on wild animals? Remember those elk we discussed on the previous page? Big game hunters have been in quite a huff since the wolves have sliced the Yellowstone elk population in half [source: Robbins ]. The gray wolf population has boomed since the reintroduction, and evidence exists of the wolves expanding their territory into north-central Washington [source: Cornwall ].
Once its numbers crested above 1, in the United States, the federal government removed them from the endangered species list in March The debate raged on, however, when Montana, Idaho and Wyoming passed laws to allow wolf hunting outside of national park grounds [source: Ewers ]. In July , a federal judge restored protection for gray wolves living in the northern Rockies under the U.
Endangered Species Act [source: Brown ]. Government officials could file an appeal to this ruling, continuing the back-and-forth dispute. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Establishing wolf populations in remaining suitable habitat in the Northeast, southern Rocky Mountains, Southwest, Pacific Northwest, California and elsewhere would secure a future for wolves and allow them to play their valuable ecological role in more of their former home territory.
The Center fights to stop wolf persecution and link isolated populations together, for the sake of wolves themselves as well as for ecosystem rejuvenation on a broader scale. Get the latest on our work for biodiversity and learn how to help in our free weekly e-newsletter. MAP: U.
Gray Wolf Habitat. Center report: Making Room for Wolf Recovery. The Center for Biological Diversity is a c 3 registered charitable organization.
Tax ID: Southwest Our lawsuit with allies led to the reintroduction of Mexican gray wolves into the Apache and Gila national forests. Northern Rockies Region In the northern Rocky Mountains, the Center was part of several successful lawsuits that delayed the removal of federal protections for wolves from April , when first promulgated by the Bush administration, until May , when protections were finally though still prematurely removed through an infamous congressional rider.
Southern Rockies Region The Center and allies in Colorado submitted petitions to place a wolf-reintroduction initiative on the ballot, and voters passed the measure in the election. West and Midwest The Center and allies are fighting for maximum protection of the growing but still vulnerable population of wolves in the West Coast states of Washington, Oregon and California. Join now.
0コメント