Reintroduction of wolves into Idaho

Reintroduction of Wolves Designated as Experimental

Section 10 j suggests that an experimental population of wolves be introduced to certain parts and under certain conditions and that this population be carefully regulated. They are seen as 'threatened' rather than 'endangered'.

This experimental population rule has been implemented successfully in other states such as in North Carolina and Wyoming. In this scenario, two experimental population areas will be established in parts of Montana and Idaho as well as through all of Wyoming and another in most of central Idaho and in parts of Montana.

Natural Recovery (No action)

No action to control or regulate wolf population would be implemented. Instead wolves (currently 65 wolves) that occupy Montana would be adjudged endangered and they would be encouraged to proliferate naturally and to spread to other areas including central Idaho and Yellowstone National Park.

There would be some restrictions in place, although the focus would be on encouraging the wolves to freely procreate and expand. To that end there would be land use restrictions that include motorized vehicles and livestock grazing.2

No Wolves

No wolves would be allowed whatsoever.

Wolf Management Committee Recommendations

The states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho would congregate and accomplish wolf recovery as a nonessential experimental population under state law and special regulation that would be more liberal than those currently allowed under the ESA.

Congress would be moved to appeal the ESA. The joint states would implement only a few land use restrictions. There would be federal compensation. Wolves would be naturally recovered in Central Idaho and parts of Wyoming and reintroduced to Yellowstone. Wolves would be controlled 3

Reintroduction of Wolves Designated as Nonexperimental.

10 breeding pairs of Wolves would be moved as a nonexperimental entity to Yellowstone and parts of central Idaho. There would be no regulation even if livestock are killed and all focus would be on regeneration of wolves. Livestock, inf act, would be moved to make way for wolves. If wolves attack repeatedly, wolves would be moved. Given these condition, wolf population will recover rapidly4.

Part 2: The management of the wolves from the information given it the congressional hearing. Congress decided that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) will reintroduce the gray wolf (Canis lupus), that is currently considered an endangered species, into Yellowstone National Park, which is located in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.

Congress also decided to follow Alternative One namely that the wolves would be classified as experimental wolves according to section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (Act).

Congress chose to do this since they adjudged the gray wolf populations to be expunged from most of the Western United States and that only a small population of the gray wolves remain in the extreme northwestern Montana, and in part of Idaho, Wyoming, and Washington where migrating wolves from Montana and Canada accidentally settled.

The objective of the reintroduction idea is to reestablish a viable wolf population in the Yellowstone area, which is one of three wolf recovery areas identified in the Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Plan.

Potential results of the project were evaluated in an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that was completed in May 1994, and the project will not conflict with public uses of park lands, wilderness areas, or surrounding lands.