New federal rules/easier to kill wolves

[Lee Borgersen]

New federal rules make it easier to kill wolves
Policy designed to help protect elk, farm animals from attack
By MIKE STARK
Of The Gazette Staff

Federal officials finalized rules that will make it easier to kill wolves in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho that are believed to be "one of the major causes" of elk herds failing to meet state population goals.

"We made the wolf management more flexible with the recognition that with more wolves comes more conflicts," Ed Bangs, wolf recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Thursday.

The rules, expected to be published in the Federal Register on Monday and take effect in late February, make it easier for state wildlife agencies, livestock owners and others to kill wolves if they're affecting elk populations or are seen attacking dogs, horses and other stock animals.

Bangs said the rules won't put much of a dent in the Northern Rockies wolf population, estimated last summer at more than 1,500.

"Wolves aren't devastating ungulate populations in the West, everybody knows that," Bangs said. "We anticipate any take under this new rule would pretty limited."

The wolf population is robust and resilient, he said. In an average year, about 26 percent of adult wolves are taken out by people, mostly by wildlife managers. Despite that, the overall population grows around 24 percent annually.

Environmental groups, though, said the rule could open the door to trimming the wolf population by half, especially in Wyoming and Idaho, where there's been ongoing public pressure to reduce the wolf populations.

"State agencies are under a lot of pressure from hunters that don't get their elk to blame it on wolves and then kill wolves," said Mike Leahy with Defenders of Wildlife in Bozeman.

"I think it could be used to kill hundreds of wolves," said Louisa Willcox of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Officials at NRDC and Defenders of Wildlife said Thursday that they planned to challenge the new rule in court. Legal challenges are also expected next month when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is expected to announce that it's removing wolves in the Northern Rockies from the endangered-species list.

For years, much of the discussion about the reintroduction to wolves in central Idaho and Yellowstone National Park in the mid-1990s was the impact they would have on wild game, especially elk, and livestock.

But now, most ungulate herds outside Yellowstone in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming are at record-high levels and above state management goals, according to a federal assessment of the new rules released in September.

The new rules announced Thursday will give state wildlife agencies authority to take out wolves if it's shown they are one of several major factors in keeping down elk herds. The rules prohibit each state from having fewer than 200 wolves and 20 breeding pairs.

Before wolves are killed, though, there would have to be a public comment period, peer review and approval from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Bangs said there are two elk units in Idaho that might qualify under the new rules and three or four in Wyoming.

Tom Palmer, a spokesman for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said there aren't any immediate plans to target wolves around any elk herds in the state. Studies are ongoing just north and west of Yellowstone National Park, though, to determine what effects wolves are having on elk in those places.

Right now, 64 percent of the state's elk management units are above objectives, Palmer said. Though the increased flexibility is appreciated, it's unclear when or if it will be used, he said.

"But it's nice to know it's there if we need it," Palmer said.

Carolyn Sime, who heads up FWP's wolf program, said she's not sure the rule will be utilized much in Montana.

"I wouldn't rule it out, but I don't see us relying on it a whole lot," Sime said.

The new rules also allow people to kill wolves if they're caught in the act of attacking llamas, horses, livestock and domestic dogs, including those used by bird and lion hunters on public lands.

It's possible the new rules won't be in effect for long.

They're expected to be enacted around Feb. 28. Wolves could be delisted by the third week in March. If that happens, the new rules are nullified as states take over full management.

However, the delisting proposal is expected to be litigated, which could drag out the process and mean the new rules remain in effect until those legal challenges are resolved.


Published on Friday, January 25, 2008.
Last modified on 1/25/2008 at 12:59 am