Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
Yet another tragic misstep by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) in it’s seemingly never ending quest to satisfy cattle ranchers and big game hunters is reflected in its proposal to delist the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus).
In its press release Friday, June 7th, FWS writes “The proposal comes after a comprehensive review confirmed its successful recovery following management actions undertaken by federal, state and local partners following the wolf’s listing under the Endangered Species Act over three decades ago.”
This decision is obviously not based on sound science as stated in a letter from a group of scientists with expertise in carnivore taxonomy and conservation biology to the new Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell:
“The extirpation of wolves and large carnivores from large portions of the landscape is a global phenomenon with broad ecological consequences. There is a growing body of scientific literature demonstrating that top predators play critical roles in maintaining a diversity of other wildlife species and as such the composition and function of ecosystems. Research in Yellowstone National Park, for example, found that reintroduction of wolves caused changes in elk numbers and behavior which then facilitated recovery of stream-side vegetation, benefiting beavers, fish and songbirds. In this and other ways, wolves shape North American landscapes.
Given the importance of wolves and the fact that they have only just begun to recover in some regions and not at all in others, we hope you will reconsider the Service’s proposal to remove protections across most of the United States.”
FWS notes at their Gray Wolf Recovery page that they will be opening public comments on this proposal sometime this week. I urge everyone to participate in the comment period and try to prevent the implementation of this drastic step backwards for the not yet recovered Gray Wolf.
You can get more information on the Gray Wolf and this proposal from these links:
- The Wildlife News, Delisting the Gray Wolf
- Earth Justice, Wolves in Danger
- Psychology Today, When a Wolf Dies
- Exposing the Big Game, Letter from Wolf Scientists to Sally Jewell
- Northwest Public Radio, US Fish And Wildlife Propose To Delist Gray Wolf
- Independent Record, Wolf Delisting Proposed for Entire Lower 48
- USFWS, Gray Wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains
Comments on this entry are closed.
I can not adequately express how disturbed and disgusted I am that FWS are proposing delisting gray wolves. Enough is enough already, the wolves still need our protection.
Thank you for writing this, Larry. I’m going to cross-link to your piece. I couldn’t be more heartsick about the direction of this proposal and the agency … but I’m encouraged by the vociferous outcry to date. I read at one website that USFWS will be throwing out emotional or rhetorical comments, and will be looking toward those public comments that are reasoned in fact or science. As one commenter wrote, how sad that the burden is now upon the general public to argue for legitimate science in the face the agency’s unscientific proposal.
I have no confidence in wolf recovery and protection on a state-by-state basis. I could post multitudes of links to Facebook pages, blogs, websites and discussion boards which show just how much care those now in charge of “wolf recovery” exhibit toward these animals. The gruesome photos of shot, trapped and snared wolves, and the 19th-century vengeance mentality so blatantly exhibited by those who now have the power to “manage” our wild wolves — these travesties are the end result of granting local control. State agencies have effectively left the fate of wolves in the hands of people who have no interest whatsoever in conservation or recovery, to put it mildly.
@Mia looking at the facts and the scientific findings it seems obvious to me they still need the protection
@Ingrid I couldn’t agree more. We already know how well the state agencies take care of the wolves in their custody. It also appears that the FWS isn’t even listening to their own scientific experts.