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For Immediate Release
Wolves in the Adirondacks?
The Adirondack Citizens Advisory Committee today released a long- awaited report on the feasibility of reintroducing wolves to Adirondack Park in upstate New York. The report, funded by Defenders of Wildlife but carried out by a team of independent researchers selected by the committee, concludes that although the Adirondack Park would support wolves, current development trends in the region would place the wolves long-term survival in jeopardy.
Moreover, citing ongoing (but not yet peer-reviewed) genetics research in Canada, the researchers suggest that red wolves -– not gray wolves -– were the endemic wolf species of the Adirondacks and thus might be the appropriate species for any reintroduction.
"Naturally, we are disappointed by the report’s conclusions about the long-term viability of wolves in the Adirondacks," Defenders of Wildlife President Rodger Schlickeisen said today. "Although the report’s projection of future conditions may not be as conducive to viability as we would have hoped, these findings do not preclude looking for ways to tailor future planning and development to be sensitive to the wolves’ needs for long-term viability.
"Our bigger regional question now," continued Schlickeisen, "is which wolf should we be planning for? If the Canadian genetics studies hold up to peer review, the Adirondacks or elsewhere in the Northeast may turn out to be the long-sought home for a second population of red wolves in the United States. And, given the success of the reintroduction in North Carolina of this species, and the much larger habitat area of the Adirondacks and Maine’s North Woods, we believe a reintroduced population of red wolves –- if that turns out to be the appropriate taxa -– could fare quite well, if managed properly."
The report was commissioned by the Adirondack Citizens Advisory Committee –- a group of stakeholders including sportsmen, environmental representatives, scientists, farming representatives, property-rights groups, and others. It was conducted by the Conservation Biology Institute of Corvallis, Oregon, with Paul Paquet, Ph.D., and Jim Strittholt, Ph.D, acting as principal researchers. The Human Dimensions Research Unit of Cornell University is preparing an accompanying sociological study that will be completed in January.
"Because of our commitment to the citizen’s committee that we would not comment until the committee released the report, Defenders has not responded to previous news stories based on information leaked by unknown sources. Although we paid for the study, we strove from the outset to ensure its independence," said Nina Fascione, Associate Director of the Species Conservation Division at Defenders of Wildlife.
"The Adirondacks is only one of several areas where wolf reintroduction could contribute to the further restoration and long-term recovery of the wolf in the United States. Our recently released wolf strategy (Places for Wolves: A Blueprint for Restoration and Long-term Recovery in the Lower 48 States) identifies potential opportunities to double the number of wolves and wolf populations in the lower 48," said Schlickeisen.
"In developing that strategy, we grappled with the very difficult issues of habitat area, population size, and long-term viability. Our conclusion was that the prospects for successful reintroduction would, of course, be better in larger areas of habitat, especially if they are not isolated. But we also concluded that reintroduction to smaller, isolated areas should still be undertaken if it contributes to a fuller representation of the species’ original range and/or provides the multiple populations that are key to the species’ survival overall. After all," Schlickeisen said, "Isle Royale has supported a very dynamic wolf population for half a century, and it is both smaller and more isolated than the Adirondacks."
"It comes down to this," said Bob Ferris, Director of Species Conservation, "The Adirondacks had a large wild canid in the past. It needs a large wild canid now and in the future. What that canid species is needs to be resolved. And we need to determine the conditions that will be necessary to make its return an enduring success. If those conditions are practical, we will work with our partners to make it happen."
