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Lawmakers aim to delist gray wolves as endangered


WASHINGTON � Some members of Congress say there are too many gray wolves in the United States.

In the first effort to change the Endangered Species Act in the new Congress, bills have been introduced in the House of Representatives and the Senate to remove the gray wolf from the list of protected animals. Proponents say that the national wolf population, estimated at 12,000 to 16,000, has recovered sufficiently.

In the House, the bill has been referred to the Natural Resources Committee, headed by Washington state Republican Rep. Doc Hastings. Although he's not a co-sponsor of the legislation, Hastings backs the idea.

"If they're not endangered anymore, then shouldn't some action be taken?" Hastings asked. And if an abundance of wolves is posing a threat to cattle, he said, "then there needs to be a way to deal with that."

In the Senate, the bill is headed to the Environment and Public Works Committee, chaired by Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer of California. She opposes the legislation, saying the bill "undermines the Endangered Species Act and threatens the continued existence of the gray wolf across this country."

Environmental groups are getting ready for their first big fight of the year.

Those who want to protect the wolves say they're important because they're the top predators in the food chain. They kill and eat large animals, including elk, buffalo, moose and deer, helping to keep their populations under control.

Rodger Schlickeisen, the president of Defenders of Wildlife, said the bills would set "a terrible precedent that will open the floodgates to legislation to strip protections for any other species that a politician finds inconvenient to protect."

"Grizzly bears, salmon, whales, polar bears and Florida panthers are just a few that could be at serious risk," he said.

In the House, the bill's chief sponsor is Republican Denny Rehberg of Montana, who says management of gray wolves should be left to the states. He introduced his bill last week. It has 15 co-sponsors.

"I heard from thousands of Montanans, and folks get it," said Rehberg, a rancher from Billings. "They know that states are better at managing our own local wildlife than the federal government thousands of miles away. Unless there's a darn good reason � and there's not � the federal government has no business getting involved."

In the Senate, the bill's chief sponsor is Utah Republican Orrin Hatch, who called his legislation the "American Big Game and Livestock Protection Act." Introduced Tuesday, it has seven Republican co-sponsors: Mike Crapo and Jim Risch of Idaho, John McCain and Jon Kyl of Arizona, John Barrasso and Michael Enzi of Wyoming, and Mike Lee of Utah.

"Gray wolves are no longer endangered," Hatch said. "Their numbers have rebounded to the point that they are now posing a significant threat to wildlife and livestock in Utah and other Western states."

Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, the chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, hasn't signed on to the legislation, but he wants the Interior Department to allow the hunting of gray wolves in his state as a way to protect elk and livestock.

Tester and Sen. Max Baucus told Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in a Tuesday letter that it was time to "re-engage" the governors after talks on the issue broke down last year.

The Montana Democrats say the election of Republican Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead offers a chance to break the stalemate.

Schlickeisen said most Americans "care very deeply about our nation's wildlife and want to see all animals protected from needless persecution."

"These bills would sacrifice wildlife belonging to all Americans just because a small minority of people don't like wolves," he said.

According to Defenders of Wildlife, there are roughly 7,000 to 11,200 gray wolves in Alaska and more than 5,000 in the Lower 48 states. There are an estimated 200,000 wolves in 57 countries, compared with a one-time high of 2 million.

The wolves once roamed throughout North America but were killed in most parts of the U.S. by the mid-1930s. Today the wolves are found mainly in Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Yellowstone National Park is one of the best places to see them in their natural habitat.

It appears that somebody "delisted" a wolf in my neighboring county last month.

Conservation officers from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment in Gaylord are seeking information on the possible poaching of a wolf that occurred in Cheboygan County sometime between Jan. 14 � 19. The wolf was one of two pups that were radio-collared by the DNRE and U.S. Department of Agriculture�s Wildlife Services in October 2010 in Cheboygan County. The pups� movements had been radio tracked with the last live signal occurring on Jan. 14. Wildlife biologists with the DNRE then received a mortality signal on Jan. 19 and located the collar from the wolf pup alongside Riggsville Road, approximately five miles east of Interstate 75 in Cheboygan County. The animal has not been recovered. The DNRE is focusing its investigation in the wolf pup�s territory in the townships of Burt, Inverness, Munro and Mullett in Cheboygan County.

"Every wolf that is poached complicates our efforts and the efforts of other Great Lakes states to get wolves off the endangered species list and return management to the state natural resource agencies," said DNR Wildlife Division Chief Russ Mason. "Assistance from the public helps prove the point that Michigan takes wolf management seriously."

Anyone with information can contact Lt. Jim Gorno of the DNRE�s Law Division in Gaylord at 989-732-3541, extension 5100. A $ 1000 reward has been offered by the Defenders of Wildlife and a $ 500 reward is being offered through the Timber Wolf Alliance for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for killing the wolf.

The maximum penalty for poaching a wolf is 90 days in jail or a fine of up to $1,000, or both, plus reimbursement of $1,500 to the state for killing an endangered species. Poaching convictions also usually include a suspension of hunting privileges for a period of three years.

Wolves are a federally protected species in Michigan and cannot legally be killed except in the defense of human life. For more information on wolves in Michigan CLICK HERE. Anyone with tips about this incident or other hunting violations should call the DNRE's Report All Poaching line, 24 hours a day, at 800-292-7800. Information can be left anonymously. The DNRE is committed to the conservation, protection, management, and accessible use and enjoyment of the state�s environment, natural resources, and related economic interests for current and future generations. For more information, CLICK HERE.

Another reason to disagree with Barbara Boxer. Like I needed another reason.



ddj

LOL I still say turn a mated pair loose in Washington D.C.

This is not going anywhere, but hopefully it will be the catalyst for serious attempts to resolve the problems associated with wolf management. If by some miracle, it were to pass it will be vetoed. Even if the veto were overridden by congress, it would still result in another round of litigation by protectionist groups and drag things out for another few years without a timely resolution. The only hope is for all concerned to negotiate in good faith--something that has yet to happen.

What bothers me here is Tester� the coward is again dragging his feet. He�s a liberal Democrat �need I say more. He�ll never go against those who butter his bread ($). The only way for him to get on board will be when his feet are held close to the fire of accountability in Montana. Hopefully, Denny Rehberg will win Tester�s seat in 2012. Senator Rehberg would be a needed change for Montana.

FOR THE RECORD, there is something that people need to know about wolves. There are endless after-action battle accounts from the American Revolutionary War, which detail wolves being a huge consequence to wounded soldiers. Wolves were notorious for scouring the battlefields, killing, and feasted on gravely wounded soldier left after nightfall. Many accounts describe the screams and pleadings from the wounded as they were assaulted and killed by wolves. This can be found in the writings of Washington, as well as many other fine officers of the time. These occurrences were documented by both sides, too.

My point about all that is �since wolves were at Bunker Hill, and Princeton, and all the other battle locations, then why aren�t they being re-introduced there? It�s their historical stomping grounds. Apparently big-game wasn�t their only food source. I�m sure there are lots of tender morsels walking around New York to self-sustain on, at least for awhile.

Don�t hold your breathe. The liberal freaks will scream foul, and fabricate some invented stupid statement or end up claiming wolves are only western predators, not EASTERN.

Montanans, as well as Idahoans, are already handling wolf-mediation, admitted or not. The sell outs in Washington know this, but as usual they�re behind the curve and slow to catching up to reality.

I can offer to help live-trap excess wolves, FOR FREE, but only if they�ll send them to New York.

Stone

That kind of de-listing is proven to be very effective. Way to go!

Wisconsin has implemented a similar "Delisting" plan. Since the tree huggers and bunny cops have joined forces, it's the only option left.