National Wolf News that affects EVERYONE!

[blacktailslayer]

National Wolf News that affects EVERYONE!

http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2010/wolves-12-21-2010.html

For Immediate Release, December 21, 2010

Contact: Noah Greenwald, (503) 484-7495

Lawsuit Launched to Recover Wolves Across Country

National Plan Would Focus on Saving Existing Wolf Populations and Returning Wolves to West Coast, New England, Southern Rockies and Great Plains

WASHINGTON— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a formal notice of intent to sue the Interior Department for failing to develop a recovery plan for wolves in the lower 48 states. Such a plan is required by the Endangered Species Act, and according to today’s notice should have been developed 30 years ago or more. In July the Center submitted a scientific petition to Interior’s Fish and Wildlife Service asking that a national recovery plan be developed, but never received a response.

A national plan would provide a roadmap for recovering existing wolf populations and returning wolves to some of their historic range around the country; suitable wolf habitat exists in the Pacific Northwest, California, Great Basin, southern Rocky Mountains, Great Plains and New England.

“Wolves are an integral part of this country’s natural history and need a national recovery plan now,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center. “Although wolves have made important strides toward recovery in parts of the northern Rockies and Great Lakes, these areas represent less than 5 percent of their historic range. We call on Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to stop playing politics and use his legal authority to do right by the wolf.”

With passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973, four subspecies of wolves were originally protected under the Endangered Species Act: the Mexican gray wolf, northern Rocky Mountain wolf, eastern timber wolf and Texas gray wolf. Because of questions about the validity of these subspecies, protection of the wolf was consolidated to include all wolves in the lower 48 states in 1978. But despite this consolidation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service never developed a national recovery plan for the wolf. Instead, it finalized plans for three of four of the previously protected subspecies. These plans cover a small fraction of the wolf’s former range, are decades old and set population goals well below what scientists now know are necessary for population health and survival.

“It is time for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to chart a new course for wolf recovery,” said Greenwald. “This plan is badly needed to establish new goals and management for existing wolf populations and as a blueprint for establishing wolves in additional areas.”

In recent years, states with wolf populations have demanded that federal protections be lifted based on the outdated recovery plans. But the Fish and Wildlife Service’s efforts to appease these demands and remove protections for northern Rockies and Great Lakes wolves have been repeatedly rebuffed by the courts in lawsuits brought by conservation groups, including the Center. A national recovery plan could specify a legally defensible path for truly recovering wolves and provide certainty for states that have wolf populations.

“The Department of the Interior’s failure to develop a national recovery strategy for the wolf, as it has for other species like the bald eagle, has led to tremendous confusion and hampered true wolf recovery,” said Greenwald. “Wolves have been an integral part of North American landscapes for millions of years and are cherished, iconic animals that deserve a certain future in this country.”

Wolves are a keystone species that benefit prey populations by culling sick animals and preventing overpopulation. Studies of wolves reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park show that they also benefit other species, including pronghorn and foxes by controlling coyote populations, and songbirds and beavers by dispersing browsing elk and allowing recovery of streamside vegetation.

[brendonp]

Why??

Why bring them back to the great plains?? What about all the livestock?? I can vouge for the area I grew up in SW Kansas wolves would only cause problems for cattle growers/ranchers on the great plains. What is there plan for wolves whom attack livestock? This is a bold move to not realize the affect wolves would have on the people whom deal with them on a local basis. I understand in yellowstone the wolve s have some refuge. But as the packs expanded them moved onto the edges and started attacking livestock. In my area wolves would lead to farmers and ranchers taking up arms against the animals, no matter the fine. Take away hunting rights for a year or keep their way of making a living alive. I know what will happen...

[Ravin R10 man]

[blacktailslayer]

Why bring them back to the great plains?? What about all the livestock?? I can vouge for the area I grew up in SW Kansas wolves would only cause problems for cattle growers/ranchers on the great plains. What is there plan for wolves whom attack livestock? This is a bold move to not realize the affect wolves would have on the people whom deal with them on a local basis. I understand in yellowstone the wolve s have some refuge. But as the packs expanded them moved onto the edges and started attacking livestock. In my area wolves would lead to farmers and ranchers taking up arms against the animals, no matter the fine. Take away hunting rights for a year or keep their way of making a living alive. I know what will happen...

Killing any wolf right now anywhere in the lower 48 states will cause a person to pay a $100,000.00 fine and 1 year in jail. People like to talk and stories get out. Be careful or losing your hunting right for one year is not the only thing that will happen to you.

[brendonp]

I have not heard of our seen any wolves in our area I just now there are some ignorant farmers/ranchers in our area and they wont listen to what anyone tells them

[ruttinbuc]

I am all for making the wolf hunt able again, but why is this in the bow hunting room? Just askin'

[John]

Would wolves take the coyotes place in the food chain? Would it be better or worse?

[Ravin R10 man]

Would wolves take the coyotes place in the food chain? Would it be better or worse?

Much worse..you have NO Idea!

[HuntingPA]

There are very FEW place in this country where a wolf will be able to co-exisit with man , if they are are establishing themselves somewhere now ,my guess is they are causing problems there and squeezing them in here and there across their ancient range will only make it worse.

My point is this, go to google maps and look at the US and zoom down to any state in any region mentioned, there are very few places you could drop a wolf, establish him and his pack, allow them to grow in numbers, and not have him be nothing but a nusiance to that area in VERY SHORT ORDER.

I am not a fan of the wolf nor a real foe of them but look at our national landscape, if you found a wide open place without a human indent and still big enough where a wolf could exisit without clashing with us, let us know.

Re-establlishing to a previous historic range is impossible , the landscape is totally changed now....heck look how many us who hunt got misplaced by conrete creep every year for the last 30 years, we can't even save ourselves from it.

Sorry wolf, you should of learned how to blow down that house of bricks...

Edited December 22, 2010 by HuntingPA

[m gardner]

The reason to reintroduce predators is to eliminate us as a predator. Pretty simple. Hunters make great soldiers and they want no one to be able to defend against oppression by the government. In two generations we'll be slaves or outlaws.

[PotashRLS]

The reason to reintroduce predators is to eliminate us as a predator. Pretty simple. Hunters make great soldiers and they want no one to be able to defend against oppression by the government. In two generations we'll be slaves or outlaws.

I'll 2nd this!!!!

With Mother Nature controlling herself, us as hunters are no longer needed and neither are our firearms.

Conservationists are hunters, fishermen, outdoors people and other users and lovers of our resources.

Environmentalists are domestic terrorists with many underlying agendas.