Feds Reject Wyoming Wolf Management Scheme
Proposal for unregulated wolf killing outside National Parks not acceptable
(01/13/2004) - WASHINGTON , DC -- Defenders of Wildlife applauded today’s announcement by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that Wyoming’s proposed management plan for the gray wolf is not acceptable. Wyoming’s plan would have classified the wolf as a trophy game animal inside National Parks, and as a predator and subject to unregulated killing outside them."We’re pleased to see that the Service doesn’t think declaring open season on wolves is much of a management plan," said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife. "If Wyoming really thinks it’s ready to manage wolves within its borders, it is time to stop posturing and put a serious proposal on the table."
Montana, by contrast, offered a wolf management plan that seems likely to safeguard the future of the gray wolf in the state – and thereby ensure that it will not wind up back on the Endangered Species list – while allowing management flexibility to address the concerns of ranchers and others. The Service announced that it would accept the plans from Idaho and Montana.
While not as deficient as the Wyoming plan, Defenders noted a number of shortcomings in the Idaho proposal as well. In particular, the proposal lacks adequate funding for law enforcement or state laws protecting wolves from illegal killing. They also warned that the plan’s conservation goals conflict with existing state legislation demanding eradication of wolves from the state.
According to the Fish and Wildlife Service, acceptable state plans are a key step toward any proposal to remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species list.
"Ultimately, the states are going to have to take on management of wolves within their borders," Schlickeisen said. "But if they really want that day to come sooner rather than later, they need to pay more attention to biology and the law, and less to pandering to the loudest voices out on the anti-wolf fringe."
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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 450,000 members and supporters, Defenders is an effective voice for wildlife and habitat. To learn more about Defenders of Wildlife, please visit www.defenders.org.
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