Salazar's legacy: historical first state-sanctioned hunt for Northern Rockies gray wolves

Defenders of Wildlife is leading a powerhouse coalition to stop a historical first state-sanctioned hunt of Idaho’s previously endangered gray wolves in the United States. Hunting started on September 1, in the Sawtooth and Lolo regions of Idaho and will start in Montana on Septempter 15--unless the court stops the action.

The state's object is to reduce the current wolf population by half. This is a species that was removed prematurely from ESA protection, under authority by Interior Secretary, Ken SalazarKen Salazar. The Secretary is considered by many conservations, to have a personal bias, due to the fact that he is also a landowner, rancher, and member of the Cattlemen's association.

Salazar's record on wildlife management has been very controversial.

Defenders and 12 other conservation groups (see list at bottom) are still awaiting a decision by the U.S. District Court in Montana on the group’s motion for a preliminary injunction. If granted, federal protection would be restored to the regional wolf population until the court reaches a final decision in the plaintiffs’ pending legal challenge to the delisting.

The 220 wolves slated to be killed in this year’s wolf hunt in Idaho are over and above the 150 or more wolves already killed each year in the state by other means of lethal control, natural deaths and the 35 wolves allowed to be killed by the Nez Perce tribe. All these actions combined threaten the recovery of the still tenuous regional wolf population in the Northern Rockies.

The following is a statement by Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife:

“The heavy-handed wolf hunt beginning today in Idaho, together with the hunt planned for September 15th by Montana, puts the recovery of the Northern Rockies population of wolves at risk and demonstrates precisely the kind of irresponsible state management that should have precluded taking the wolf off the endangered species list at this point in time.

“We hope that the court will stop this ill-timed and politically motivated hunt before it is too late for hundreds of Idaho’s wolves.”

The following is a statement by Suzanne Stone, Northern Rockies representative for Defenders of Wildlife:

“Today’s hunt undermines decades of tremendous support, time and investment from the American public, federal, tribal and state wildlife agencies, and threatens one of the most successful wildlife restorations in history.

“While we have consistently encouraged all of the states in the region and the federal government to adopt scientifically sound wildlife conservation and management policies that are in the best interests of wolves and people, Idaho’s plan does not adhere to that standard and places the recovery of the Northern Rockies gray wolf in serious jeopardy. This level of mismanagement and population reduction would never be accepted for elk or deer and should not be attempted for any native wildlife, including wolves.

“Idaho hosts the core of the region’s wolf population, with approximately 1,000 wolves. By wiping out 220 wolves, the state is taking the first step toward crippling the regional wolf population by isolating wolves into disconnected subgroups incapable of genetic or ecological sustainability. This puts the wolves at risk for genetic inbreeding and disease outbreaks – and reduces the important ecological niche that wolves fill on the land.

“Idaho’s wildlife agency has stated that its intent is to reduce the population to only 518 wolves, while the Idaho state legislature’s official policy is that all wolves be removed ‘by whatever means necessary.’

In the history of the Endangered Species Act, no other endangered species has ever been delisted at such a low population level and then immediately hunted to even lower unsustainable levels. This clearly is not responsible wolf management.

Links:
Learn more about what Defenders is doing to help wolves in the Northern Rockies

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Defenders of Wildlife is represented in this litigation by Earthjustice, along with plaintiffs Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, The Humane Society of the United States, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, Friends of the Clearwater, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands Project, Western Watersheds Project, Wildlands Project, and Hells Canyon Preservation Council.

Related articles:

Wildlife coalition will battle Salazar to keep gray wolves from being slaughtered

Secretary Salazar could take a wildlife management lesson from NM Governor Bill Richardson

Article main source: September 1, 2009 press release from Defenders of Wildlife--no copyright or reprint restrictions