Northern Rockies and Yellowstone Area Wolf Management and Policy

Greater Yellowstone Wolves at Risk!

April 28, 2008 - Defenders and 11 other conservation groups filed a federal court lawsuit challenging the federal government’s decision to remove the northern Rockies gray wolf population from the list of endangered species.

Learn more:
Press Release - 4/28/2008
Dangers of Delisting Fact Sheet

More than 30 years of protection under the Endangered Species Act has allowed wolves to regain their natural place in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies. But that recovery is now at risk.

Endangered Species Act Protections to be Removed

On February 21, 2008, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it is removing Endangered Species Act Protections from wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies (read their final rule). As of March 28, 2008, this leaves wolf management in the hands of state agencies.

Unfortunately, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming have stated their intention to kill many of the wolves living within their borders. Defenders of Wildlife intends to sue to stop delisting – read our press release.

The delisting closely mirrors the proposal published by U.S. Fish and Wildlife on February 9, 2007. Defenders opposed the proposal to remove federal protections for the Northern Rockies wolf population (see our comments to the US FWS) and so did important members of Congress (see Dec. 2007 Congressional letter).

The states' management plans could put wolves at grave risk, and do not guarantee the long-term survival of the species.

Defenders of Wildlife recently joined with the Natural Resources Defense Council in petitioning the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to develop a national recovery plan for wolves in the Unites States, with regional recovery goals aimed at supporting sustainable populations of wolves in the northern Rockies, the northeast and the southwest.

Idaho Wolf Management and Policy

Idaho's governor publicly announced his intention to kill more than 80% of the state's wolves, which would leave just over 100 wolves in Idaho. On March 6, 2008, Idaho's Department of Fish and Game released a new management plan for wolves that says the state will strive to maintain around 500-700 wolves in the state, at least for the first five years after delisting. However, the plan is not enforceable, and the state legislature still officially wants all wolves removed from Idaho.

To learn more about wolves in Idaho, visit:

Myths and Facts About Idaho Wolves

Final Idaho Wolf Population Management Plan 2008-2012 (March 2008)

Idaho Draft Wolf Population Management Plan (Oct. 2007)

Defenders of Wildlife's Comments on the Idaho Wolf Population Management Plan (Dec. 2007)

Idaho Wolf Management Plan 2002

Defenders of Wildlife's Comments on the Idaho Wolf Management Plan - Comments sent to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (Jan. 2000)

Feds Reject Idaho's Proposed Wolf Killing Plan - Story from the Associated Press by John Miller (Sept. 2006)

Defenders Comments on Idaho Fish and Game Wolf Control Proposal Comments sent to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game(Feb. 2006)

Wyoming Wolf Management and Policy

Wyoming's wolf management plan would allow 16 of the existing 23 packs of the wolves in the state to be killed on sight. To accomplish this goal, the state would authorize poisoning, trapping and shooting within 90 percent of the wolf's current home range outside of the national parks.

Learn more at:

Myths and Facts About Wyoming Wolves

Wyoming Wolf Management Plan

Defenders of Wildlife’s Comments on the Wyoming Wolf Management Plan

Montana Wolf Management and Policy

Montana has a more balanced conservation-oriented plan, but it still threatens that state’s wolf population.

Read more:

Montana Wolf Management Plan

Defenders of Wildlife’s Comments on the Montana Wolf Management Plan

Proposed Montana Wolf Hunting Regulations (Dec. 2007)

Defenders of Wildlife’s Comments on the Montana Wolf Hunting Season (Feb. 2008)