Tag Archives: Endangered Species Act

Wolf deal faces first test in federal court

March 24, 2011Environmental Issues, NewsEndangered Species Act, wolf management, wolf recoverynfpa

The recently announced deal to return wolf management to the states of Montana and Idaho faced its first court test today . . .

A proposal to settle years of litigation and allow public hunting of wolves in parts of the Northern Rockies faces its first legal test on Thursday, as it goes before a federal judge who has twice rebuffed attempts to lift protections for the predators.

The hearing before U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula follows a settlement agreement last week between the Obama administration and 10 conservation groups.

Continue reading . . .

Interior Secretary Salazar optimistic on Wyoming wolf talks

March 23, 2011Environmental Issues, NewsEndangered Species Act, Ken Salazar, wolf recovery, Wyomingnfpa

From today’s Flathead Beacon . . .

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said Tuesday he’s optimistic the federal government can come to agreement with the state of Wyoming on how to lift federal protections for wolves in the state — a dispute that has sparked years of bitter litigation.

Continue reading . . .

Settlement reached on wolf recovery in western states – more info

March 21, 2011Environmental Issues, NewsEndangered Species Act, Idaho, Montana, wolf recoverynfpa

From the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, here’s some more information on the proposed gray wolf recovery settlement announced last Friday . . .

Wolf management in the Northern Rockies took a step forward Friday, March 18, when a coalition of 10 conservation groups — including GYC — announced a legal settlement with the U.S. Department of the Interior. The agreement was filed in a federal district court in Missoula, where the court will review it and decide whether to support [it] . . .

If the court OKs the settlement, wolf management will return to the states of Montana and Idaho. Meanwhile, Endangered Species Act protections will be retained in the states where wolves remain threatened: Wyoming, Oregon, Washington and Utah . . .

Continue reading . . .

Further reading:
GYC press release
Press release from the U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will negotiate wolf management with Wyoming

March 15, 2011Environmental Issues, NewsEndangered Species Act, Idaho, Montana, wolf management, wolf recovery, Wyomingnfpa

Here’s a new chapter in the ongoing Idaho-Montana-Wyoming wolf management soap opera . . .

The head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Tuesday that federal officials are resuming negotiations with Wyoming aimed at turning over control of endangered gray wolves to the state.

Federal officials have said for years that wolves were biologically recovered across Wyoming, but the species has remained on the endangered list there because of a law that allows wolves to be shot on sight across most of the state.

U.S. District Court Judge Alan Johnson in Cheyenne last year ordered the government to reconsider its rejections of Wyoming’s wolf management plan. The Fish and Wildlife Service on Monday dropped its appeal of the judge’s November order.

Continue reading . . .

GOP federal budget bill proposes lifting wolf protections

February 14, 2011Environmental Issues, NewsEndangered Species Act, wolf managementnfpa

An AP article posted to today’s Flathead Beacon . . .

A Republican budget bill would strip gray wolves of Endangered Species Act protections across most of the Northern Rockies.

A two-sentence provision tucked into the GOP’s continuing budget resolution directs Interior Secretary Ken Salazar to reissue a 2009 rule that took wolves off the endangered list in Montana, Idaho and parts of Oregon, Washington and Utah.

Continue reading . . .

Center for Biological Diversity will sue to force nationwide wolf recovery

December 21, 2010Environmental Issues, NewsCenter for Biological Diversity, Endangered Species Act, wolf recovery, wolvesnfpa

This will raise the temperature of the wolf debate another notch . . .

An environmental group filed notice Tuesday that it intends to sue the federal government to force adoption of a plan to recover gray wolves across the lower 48 states.

Read the full article . . .

Study says regional wolf population high enough to maintain genetic diversity

October 25, 2010Environmental Issues, NewsEndangered Species Act, Northern Rockies, wolf management, wolf recoverynfpa

This is going to stir things up. A just-released scientific study concludes that the wolf population is more than high enough to maintain genetic diversity throughout the Northern Rockies. This from the same team that earlier concluded that the wolf population in Yellowstone was genetically isolated, a finding used to argue against removing wolves from Endangered Species Act protection.

Some old research is providing new insight into the genetic diversity of wolves in the Northern Rockies.

Authored by well-known names in the world of wolf reintroduction, the newly published study concludes that as far back as six years ago, wolf numbers were high enough to avoid genetic stagnation in the region.

Mark Hebblewhite, a University of Montana ecologist and longtime wolf researcher, said the study is the most comprehensive paper ever completed on a wild population of carnivores. . .

The study was authored by the same team that earlier reported wolves in Yellowstone National Park were genetically isolated. That information was used to argue against delisting the Northern Rockies population in 2008. . .

Read the full article . . .

For more detail, read the related “News and Views” item from Molecular Ecology, as well as the full scientific paper referenced in the above article. (Both documents are in PDF format and will open in a new window.)

Wolves all over the news

October 7, 2010Commentary, Environmental Issues, NewsDenny Rehberg, Endangered Species Act, wolf hunt, wolf recovery, wolvesnfpa

Wolves have been getting enough press the last couple of days to turn a seasoned PR flack green with envy.

Here’s an overview of the more notable local and regional coverage . . .

The Daily Inter Lake has a pretty good write-up on Rep. Denny Rehberg’s local hearing on the impact of relisting gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act.
Bill Schneider unloads on pro-wolf groups in the Flathead Beacon for refusing to consider any comprimise on wolf protection. He argues that the political backlash may put the integrity of the Endangered Species Act at risk. He also provides an excellent summary of the various legislative proposals floating around right now.
By contrast, there’s an AP article in the Missoulian indicating that Montana, at least, is trying to reach a settlement with environmental groups that successfully sued to put wolves back under federal protection.
At the same time, both Montana and Idaho are trying to get the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to allow limited wolf hunts in certain areas under something called the “10(j) rule.” Go figure.

Montana’s congressional delegation aims to delist wolves

September 29, 2010Environmental Issues, NewsDenny Rehberg, Endangered Species Act, Endangered Species List, Jon Tester, Max Baucus, wolf hunt, wolf recovery, wolvesnfpa

From today’s Flathead Beacon, here’s some more information on the attempt to remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List. This write-up includes links to useful external material . . .

Just days after Republican Congressman Denny Rehberg announced that he had drafted legislation that would remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List, Montana’s Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester said they were introducing a similar bill.

Read the full article . . .

Baucus & Tester introduce bill to return wolf management to Montana

September 28, 2010Environmental Issues, NewsDenny Rehberg, Endangered Species Act, Jon Tester, Max Baucus, wolf huntnfpa

Montana’s congresscritters are really jumping on the wolf issue.

A late post to today’s Missoulian . . .

Montana and Idaho could win back state management of gray wolves through legislation offered by senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester late Tuesday.

The state’s two Democratic senators introduced their bill in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg drafted a bill removing wolves from Endangered Species Act protection on Sept. 15, but has not introduced it yet.

Read the full article . . .

North Fork Preservation Association

News and information about NFPA and the North Fork of the Flathead River

Tag Archives: Endangered Species Act

Wolf deal faces first test in federal court

Interior Secretary Salazar optimistic on Wyoming wolf talks

Settlement reached on wolf recovery in western states – more info

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will negotiate wolf management with Wyoming

GOP federal budget bill proposes lifting wolf protections

Center for Biological Diversity will sue to force nationwide wolf recovery

Study says regional wolf population high enough to maintain genetic diversity

Wolves all over the news

Montana’s congressional delegation aims to delist wolves

Baucus & Tester introduce bill to return wolf management to Montana