Final Rule to Establish a
Gray Wolf ? Northern Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment and Remove
from the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Species
IMPORTANT NOTE: the delisting of the northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf
population becomes effective [May 4, 2009] which is 30 days after the publication of
the final rule in the Federal Register on April 2, 2009.
The wolf population in the northern Rocky Mountains (NRM) has exceeded its
numerical, distributional, and temporal recovery goals every year since 2002. The States
of Montana and Idaho have made strong commitments to maintain wolf populations well
above minimum recovery levels. In combination with continued U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service) management in Wyoming, the NRM population will contain over 1,200
wolves at its low point in mid-winter. Therefore, the Service is designating a northern
Rocky Mountain wolf Distinct Population Segment (DPS) that will include all of
Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, the eastern third of Washington and Oregon, and a small
corner of north-central Utah. This wolf population will be removed from the protection of
the Endangered Species Act [Act], except in Wyoming.
All threats to the wolf population in the northern Rocky Mountain DPS, except the lack
of adequate state regulatory mechanisms in Wyoming, have been resolved, as evidenced
by the wolf population?s healthy annual growth, high genetic diversity, wide-spread
distribution and the legally binding written commitments for future wolf conservation
made by Montana and Idaho. The Service will remove the entire NRM DPS, except
Wyoming, from the federal list of threatened and endangered species. This final delisting
action for the NRM population will not affect the status of wolves in any other part of the
United States.
What is the current status of the NRM wolf population?
Currently, there are at least 1,645 wolves in the NRM living in about 217 packs, at least
95 of which contained an adult male and adult female that successfully raised two or
more pups through 2008. Another 500 or more pups will likely be born in April 2009.
Resident wolf packs occupy nearly all the suitable wolf habitat covering110,000 square
miles of Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. The wolf population is highly genetically
diverse because wolves from many different Canadian packs were reintroduced in the
NRM, subsequent management relocations, and the phenomenal natural dispersal
abilities of wolves. The range of NRM wolves is a 400- mile southern extension of a vast
Canadian wolf population of over 12,000 in Alberta and British Columbia and nearly 60-
70,000 wolves in all of North America. Considering the present healthy annual growth,
genetic diversity, and widespread distribution, only excessive and prolonged levels of
unregulated killing of wolves by people over a very large area could threaten the NRM
wolf population in the future. The federal and state governments have laws, regulations,
management plans, cooperative agreements, and memorandums of understanding to
prevent such a scenario from ever happening.
What has been the level of conflict between wolves and people?
Since 1987, confirmed kills by wolves total 1,109 cattle, 2,133 sheep, 115 dogs, 21
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llamas, 28 goats, and 10 horses. Although the rate of kills is increasing, reported
conflicts per 100 wolves in the NRM wolf population is lower than predicted. Last year
was a record for conflicts with at least 214 cattle, 355 sheep, 18 other large domestic
animals [llamas, goats, and horses], and 14 dogs being confirmed killed by wolves.
Studies indicate in worst case scenarios, only one in eight wolf-caused losses of calves
can be confirmed by agency investigators. In 2008, $476,000 was paid by private and
state wolf damage compensation programs. In 2008 USDA Wildlife Services spent
nearly $1,000,000 dealing with problem wolves. In 2008, the management agencies
killed 264 wolves because of livestock depredation, but the NRM wolf population still
increased 8% from 2007 levels. As the wolf population increases and wolves
increasingly try to occupy areas intensively used for livestock production, the rate of
conflict per wolf and level of wolf removal needed to resolve conflicts increases
substantially.
Is the wolf population biologically recovered in the NRM?
The NRM wolf population is biologically recovered and it no longer meets the legal
requirements to remain listed under the Endangered Species Act (Act). The minimum
recovery goal for the NRM is a wolf population that never goes below ?Thirty or more
breeding pair comprising some 300+ wolves in a metapopulation (a population that exists
as partially isolated sets of subpopulations) with genetic exchange between
subpopulations. Montana, Idaho and the Service in Wyoming will manage for at least 15
breeding pair and 150 wolves to ensure each state?s portion of the population never goes
below 10 breeding pairs and 100 wolves. In late 2002, the wolf population achieved its
minimum recovery goal of at least 30 breeding pairs and more than 300 wolves well
distributed among Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming for at least three consecutive years. At
that time there were an estimated 663 wolves in 49 breeding pairs. The recovery goal has
been exceeded every year since 2002, and all threats to the species have been addressed.
Currently, the wolf population in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming is over 95 breeding
pairs and at least 1,645 wolves. The states will manage the population to exceed 1,200
wolves after delisting, far above minimum recovery levels.
Does Wyoming now have an approved State law and wolf management
plan?
No, Wyoming does not have a Service-approved wolf management plan. After the
federal court injunction on July 18, 2008 the Service took a much closer look at the
Wyoming State law and Wyoming?s implementing regulations. We determined
Wyoming?s regulatory framework did not meet the purposes of the Act. Wyoming law
did not allow the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to keep some of the
commitments made in its wolf management plan. Consequently, wolves in all of
Wyoming will continue to be managed by the Service until Wyoming can develop a law,
regulatory frame, and management plan that the Service determines meets the purposes
of the Act.
Does the Endangered Species Act require wolves to be maintained
throughout all of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming?
No, the recovery goals only mandate that each state maintain a wolf population that never
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goes below 10 breeding pairs and 100 wolves per state and is managed for more than 15
breeding pairs and 150 wolves per state. Montana intends to manage for over 400
wolves, Idaho will manage 500, and Service management in Wyoming will maintain
about 300. The States also committed to maintain adequate distribution and genetic
diversity of wolves in the NRM. However, there are many parts of Montana, Idaho and
Wyoming where historic wolf habitat has been so modified by human use that it can no
longer support wolves due to an acceptable level of chronic conflicts. The Service fully
recognizes that wolves cannot occupy their entire historic range and supports limiting
wolf pack distribution to suitable habitat to reduce conflicts with people, as long as wolf
recovery is not threatened.
After the wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains are delisted, how
many wolves must the States manage?
Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming have each committed to manage at least 15 breeding
pairs and at least 150 wolves in mid-winter to provide a buffer to ensure that the NRM
wolf population never falls below the mandated minimum level of 30 breeding pairs and
300 wolves (10 breeding pairs and 100 wolves per state). If the wolf population drops
below that level, the Service could take actions to protect wolves through the Service?s
emergency listing authority under the Act. Service and National Park Service
management in Wyoming will maintain about 300 wolves.
After delisting, what happens to wolves outside the NRM wolf DPS?
This action will not affect the status of any wolves outside of the northern Rocky
Mountain wolf DPS. The status of wolves under the Act is determined by their location.
Therefore, any wolf outside the boundary of the northern Rocky Mountain wolf DPS
would retain its current status. For example, if a wolf dispersed to Colorado, it would be
listed as endangered. Wolves in the Western Great Lakes DPS are also being delisted but
any wolves outside that area would likewise remain protected as endangered.
Is the NRM wolf population threatened by low genetic diversity?
All experts agree that the NRM wolf population is highly genetically diverse. There
aren't any conservation problems related to its current level of genetic diversity. Right
now there are at least 1,645 wolves in the NRM & they live in about 217 packs, at least
95 of which successfully raised pups. Another 500 or more pups will be born in April
2009. The Service and the states committed to maintain over 1,000 wolves in the NRM.
The NRM population is highly genetically diverse because wolves from many different
Canadian packs were reintroduced, subsequent management relocations, and the
phenomenal natural dispersal abilities of wolves. Both relocated and long-distance
naturally dispersing wolves have bred in all three recovery areas. There is nothing short
of excessive and prolonged levels of unregulated killing by people over a very large area
that could affect the NRM wolf population?s genetic health into the future- and that
clearly won't happen. Montana, Idaho and the Service have agreed to manage the wolf
population well above minimum recovery levels, promote continued natural dispersal
between recovery areas, monitor genetic health, and in the highly unlikely event it was
ever required, relocate wolves, easily correcting any theoretical genetic problems.
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Who made the final decision to delist wolves?
Acting Service Director Rowan Gould made the decision, consistent with the Act's
requirements.
After wolves are delisted, will there be any federal oversight?
Once a species is delisted a state or tribe has sole management responsibility. The Act
includes many safeguards to ensure that the wolf population will remain recovered for the
foreseeable future. For example, the Act mandates the Service to monitor the wolf
population for at least five years after delisting. This helps to ensure the population
remains above recovery levels and emerging threats do not jeopardize the wolf
population. Mandatory annual reports by the states and the Service?s analysis of them
will be posted on the Service website during that period. Protections of the Act would be
reinstated should the wolf population again become threatened or endangered. In
addition, any organization or person, at any time, may petition the Service to relist
wolves if they believed the wolf population has been again threatened or endangered.
The Service is required by law to use the best science to make that determination.
After delisting, what are the roles and responsibilities of tribes?
Tribes manage resident wildlife on tribal reservations. Once wolves are delisted each
tribe will manage wolves on their lands or assist others with management where they
have treaty rights or agreements. Some tribes have also taken a management role on
other lands. For example, the Nez Perce Tribe led a highly successful wolf management
effort in Idaho administered under a cooperative agreement with the Service from 1995 to
2005. The Tribe and State of Idaho signed a cooperative agreement in 2005 to maintain
the Tribe?s involvement in wolf management after delisting. States and tribes will
address any tribal treaty right issues on other lands, such as potential for tribal harvest,
just as they currently do for other resident wildlife species.
How will livestock and wolf conflicts be handled after wolves are
delisted?
The Service, tribes, state fish and wildlife agencies in Montana and Idaho, and USDA
Wildlife Services currently work together to investigate and respond to reports of
suspected wolf damage to livestock. The states and tribes have cooperative management
agreements with USDA Wildlife Services to assist them with wolf management. Once
wolves are delisted, the states and tribes will continue working with USDA Wildlife
Services to investigate and manage conflicts between wolves and livestock. The states
have laws to protect private property from damage caused by wildlife. The state laws are
similar to the federal experimental population regulations that were in effect while
wolves were listed. Under those laws, landowners and grazing permittees will be able to
legally shoot wolves attacking or molesting their domestic animals, just as they now can
shoot resident black bears or mountain lions that are seen attacking or harassing their
livestock. In Wyoming management of conflicts with livestock will continue to be
addressed by the Service under the 1994 experimental population regulations.
Does delisting of the northern Rocky Mountain wolf DPS mean that
wolves can be hunted?
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Yes, wolves can be hunted once the delisting takes effect, if states or tribes establish
hunting seasons and related regulations designed to maintain the wolf population above
agreed upon levels. The number of wolves killed by hunters would be tightly regulated
to ensure the wolf population is never threatened. The states and tribes already have
hunting seasons for many species of resident wildlife, including black bear, elk, deer, and
moose. Regulated hunting programs have a strong record of helping conserve wildlife
populations. When wolf populations are well above 15 breeding pairs in Montana and 20
breeding pairs in Idaho, the State fish and wildlife agencies may propose public hunting
seasons to help manage wolf numbers and wolf pack distribution to reduce damage to
private property and balance wolf predation to native prey abundance. The Service
supports regulated public hunting programs as important tools to help manage and
conserve recovered wildlife populations. Federal authority for conserving wolf
populations in Wyoming and in national parks, such as Yellowstone and Glacier will
remain in place.
After delisting will the states and tribes allow hunters to kill most of the
wolves?
No, while Montana and Idaho are both planning to establish highly regulated public hunts
for wolves, just as they conduct for mountain lions, black bears, elk and deer, but those
hunts will be highly regulated. Wolf hunting would be allowed in fall during seasons for
elk and deer. Each wolf hunting area has a maximum number of wolves that can be
harvested. A hunter must call in just before going hunting to make sure that area is still
open. Successful hunters must report killing a wolf within a day. Once the quota is
reached the area is closed for hunting. The fall hunting seasons are designed to assure
that wolf dispersal and breeding aren't significantly disrupted. Montana will maintain
400 wolves and Idaho over 500 after hunting seasons have concluded. Very few wolves
live solely on tribal lands but tribal hunting maybe allowed there and in other areas
covered by tribal treaty rights in accordance with those treaties and other agreements.
Wolves in Wyoming will continue to be managed by the Service and public hunting can
not be allowed. Hunting will not be allowed in National Parks. The states of
Washington, Oregon, and Utah have no plans to hunt wolves at this time. Regulated
public hunting can be valuable and cost-effective wildlife management tool to conserve
healthy wildlife populations, fund wildlife conservation, maintain and improve local
human tolerance of wolves, and manage the numbers and distribution of wildlife
populations to reduce conflicts with people.
Can the States manage wolves?
Yes. It is important to remember that State fish and wildlife agencies and sportsmen
made wolf recovery possible by restoring wolf prey, including elk, deer and moose. The
states also already manage healthy populations of other large predators such as mountain
lions, and black bears. They have professional fish and wildlife organizations with
hundreds of employees, including biologists, wardens, researchers, educators, and
managers who have done an incredible job of restoring and managing wildlife in their
states. The States of Montana and Idaho have done an outstanding job managing wolves
in their states since 2004 under cooperative agreements with the Service. The written
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commitments the states have made in their wolf management plans ensure that they will
do the same for wolves once they are delisted. In the unlikely event that the states do not
meet the terms of their management plans, the Service can take action to again protect
wolves under the Act.
Who is paying for all of this?
While listed under the Act, the federal government has paid most of the costs for wolf
restoration and management through annual appropriations from Congress for
endangered species recovery. In 2008, about $3.6 million was spent on wolf
management in the NRM, including funding for Idaho and Montana and the Nez Perce
Tribe. Once wolves are delisted, states will begin to fund some of the cost of wolf
management through other funding sources, including other types of federal funding.
The Service will continue to fund its management of wolves in Wyoming.
Who will pay livestock compensation after delisting?
Since 1987, a private group, the Defenders of Wildlife, has paid nearly $900,000 for
livestock and herding and guarding animals killed by wolves in the northern Rocky
Mountains. However, it is uncertain if that private compensation program will continue
when wolves are delisted. Therefore, the States of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming,
established State-administered compensation programs for wolf damage that will
complement or take the place of the Defenders program after delisting. In 2009, about
$284,000 was paid by the states and $183,000 from a private compensation program for
damage caused by wolves. In addition, Congress established a federal grant program in
2009 to help states reduce and compensate for livestock damage caused by wolves.
How will the States that have portions of their States outside the
proposed DPS boundary be affected?
Wolves outside the DPS boundaries of the NRM and Western Great Lakes
populations will remain listed as endangered. If control actions are needed, the Service
has a number of options, including removing the problem wolf. Additionally, state
management could involve nonlethal control of problem wolves and relocation.
Will other States in the West need to have Service-approved wolf
management plans?
No. The significant portion of the range for the NRM population of gray wolves is
Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. Service-approved wolf management plans are needed
only for those states to ensure the wolf population will remain recovered. If Wyoming
developed a plan that met the purposes of the Act and Service approved it, a separate
rulemaking, including opportunity for public comment, would be proposed to delist
wolves in Wyoming.
Who is the point of contact regarding wolf issues after wolves are
delisted?
The State wildlife agencies in Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Utah are the
primary contacts for wolves within the NRM DPS. In Wyoming the Service is the
primary contact. There will be no federal regulations and no specific federal authority for
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wolf management within the boundaries of the DPS, except in Wyoming and within the
National Parks. Wolves in national parks will remain under the management authority of
the National Park Service. On national wildlife refuges, the individual refuge should be
contacted. On tribal lands, the tribes have management authority, and they should be
contacted.
-FWS
Now everyone can be an expert. BTW a pack kills AT LEAST an elk every other day. So if you believe there are 400 wolves in MT and packs average 8 then that makes a minimum of 9,000 elk a year being killed by wolves in MT. So, Randy11 his numbers weren't that far off. And my guess is there are more wolves than we know. NEW Packs are being established all the time.
HK
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