Bowing to pressure from ranchers and livestock groups, the Obama Administration removes the Gray Wolf from the list of Endangered Species on Monday May 4th. The revival of the wolf in North America is one of the true environmental success stories of the late 20th century, and many conservationists are holding their breath in anticipation of the consequences of this move.

Hard Luck Wolves

The Fish and Wildlife Service originally announced the decision to delist the wolf in January, under the Bush Administration, but the new administration decided to review the decision as part of an overall regulatory review when it came into office. Bucking recent environmentally friendly decision, the Obama Administration chose to continue the Bush ruling.

The impact will be felt at least as early as this autumn. According to the Associated Press, states such as Idaho and Montana plan to resume hunting the animals this fall, while as of this writing no hunting has been proposed in the Great Lakes region.

"The successful recovery of this species is a stunning example of how the Act can work to keep imperiled animals from sliding into extinction," said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar in March. "The recovery of the wolf has not been the work of the federal government alone. It has been a long and active partnership including states, tribes, landowners, academic researchers, sportsmen and other conservation groups, the Canadian government and many other partners."

A partnership that apparently ends tomorrow.

Science or Politics? You Decide

The Fish and Wildlife Service decided to delist the wolf in Idaho and Montana because they have approved state wolf management plans in place that will ensure the conservation of the species in the future. And yet hunting is immediately planned in Idaho and Montana.

At the same time, the Service determined wolves in Wyoming would still be listed under the Act because Wyoming's current state law and wolf management plan are not sufficient to conserve its portion of northern Rocky Mountain wolf population.

Gray wolves were previously listed as endangered in the lower 48 states, except in Minnesota where they were listed as threatened. The Service oversees three separate recovery programs for the gray wolf; each has its own recovery plan and recovery goals based on the unique characteristics of wolf populations in each geographic area.

Wolves in other parts of the 48 states, including the Southwest wolf population, remain endangered and are not affected by the actions taken today.

One Hunting Season from Decimation?

The minimum recovery goal for wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains is at least 30 breeding pairs and at least 300 wolves for at least three consecutive years, a goal that was attained in 2002 and has been exceeded every year since. There are currently about 95 breeding pairs and 1,600 wolves in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.

There are 190 breeding wolves. It is conceivable that one or two concerted hunts, conducted by professional hunters, backed by ranchers and corporate livestock interests could result in the decimation of the population.

The Fish and Wildlife Service believes that with approved state management plans in place in Montana and Idaho, all threats to the wolf population will be sufficiently reduced or eliminated in those states. Montana and Idaho will always manage for more than 15 breeding pairs and 150 wolves per state and their target population level is about 400 wolves in Montana and 500 in Idaho.

Let Secretary Salazar know what you think!

Write to:

U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240.

Or you can email: feedback@ios.doi.gov