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For Immediate Release
Defenders Hails Gray Wolf Return to Utah; Urges Government to Free Captured Wolf
LOGAN, Utah – Defenders of Wildlife today applauded clear evidence that gray wolves can and have returned to Utah. According to sources at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a coyote trapper accidentally captured a radio-collared wolf near Logan on Friday, and reported evidence that the wolf was one of a pair from the Yellowstone area. Federal wildlife officials reported pressure to return the captured wolf to Wyoming.
"This is tremendous news for wolves and for the people of Utah," said Suzanne Laverty, Northwest field representative for Defenders of Wildlife, based in Boise, Idaho. "The return of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies has resulted in real benefits, from increased tourism to positive ecological effects. But for those benefits to come to Utah, it's important that the state not let fear and misinformation push a hasty decision to deport this wolf out of the state."
Defenders of Wildlife has extended two of its programs that help livestock owners with wolf issues in Utah, including The Bailey Wildlife Foundation Wolf Compensation Trust, which compensates ranchers for the full value of livestock lost to wolves, and The Bailey Wildlife Foundation Proactive Carnivore Conservation Fund, which uses cost-share assistance to help prevent conflicts between wolves and livestock. For information on these innovative programs, please contact Suzanne Laverty at (208) 424-9385, or see Wolf Compensation Trust.
"Defenders adamantly opposes the return of this captured wolf to Wyoming. Utah has a wide range of excellent habitat for a stable population of wolves, and opinion polling has shown that a majority of the state's citizens favor the return of the species to its historic home in the state," said Fascione. "Furthermore, this really reinforces the need for Utah, Oregon, Washington, California and Colorado – as well as other states that may become home to migrating wolves – come up with workable plans for managing the species before the federal government rushes ahead with plans to pull wolves off the endangered species list."
Early information indicates that the captured wolf is a young male, possibly one to two years old, black, and in good health. Fascione said that, if the wolf was traveling with a potential mate, this is a particularly bad time to interrupt bonding between the pair, with wolf breeding season right around the corner. Wolves feed primarily on wild ungulates; Fascione noted that areas in the Northern Rockies where wolves have made a strong comeback have experienced only a fraction of even the minuscule livestock losses that biologists predicted with wolf reintroduction, and that populations of elk and other game species have not been dramatically impacted in those states.
She noted that wolves in Utah are subject to the full protection of the Endangered Species Act, including substantial fines and jail time for persons convicted of illegally killing or harassing the species.
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Defenders of Wildlife is one of the nation’s most progressive advocates for wildlife and habitat, and was named as one of America’s Top 100 Charities by Worth magazine. With more than 430,000 members and supporters, including nearly 100,000 in California, Defenders is an effective voice for the environment. To learn more about Defenders of Wildlife, please visit www.defenders.org.
