Rocky Mountain Gray Wolf Delisted; Includes Eastern Washington , Oregon

Columbia Basin Bulletin

April 4, 2008  

The northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf on Friday, March 28, was officially removed from the federal list of endangered species.

The states of Idaho , Montana and Wyoming will assume full management authority for the continued conservation of the gray wolf.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service say this wolf population has exceeded its recovery goals for the past several years and is now thriving. There are now more than 1,500 wolves and at least 100 breeding pairs in Montana , Idaho and Wyoming . The federal agency and states will cooperatively monitor the wolf populations for the next five years.

As part of the delisting action, the USFWS designated the northern Rocky Mountain wolf "distinct population segment" as that area that includes all of Montana , Idaho , and Wyoming , the eastern third of Washington and Oregon , and a small corner of north-central Utah .

Friday's action will not affect the status of any wolves outside of the northern Rocky Mountain wolf DPS. Wolves outside the boundaries of the Rocky Mountain DPS and Western Great Lakes DPS (where it was delisted in 2007) will remain listed as endangered.

A dispersing wolf would attain the status of the area it is in. For example, if a wolf dispersed to Colorado , it would be considered endangered, whereas a wolf that moves into either DPS would be a delisted wolf and under the management of the states.

Once a species is delisted a state or tribe has sole management responsibility. The ESA mandates the USFWS to monitor the wolf population for at least five years after delisting. Should the wolf population again become threatened or endangered, it could be protected under the ESA again.

In Idaho , wolves north and south of Interstate 90 now will be managed as big game animals. But federal officials still play a part in wolf depredation issues.

"We are excited as managers to assume their management," said Cal Groen, director of Idaho Fish and Game. "The Commission and I thank staff, the Office of Species Conservation, the Nez Perce Tribe, and the many others who helped in this recovery effort."

The Idaho Fish and Game Commission adopted a wolf management plan on March 6. State management plans, laws and protocols will govern wolf management in Idaho . No hunting seasons have been set.

Wolf hunting seasons and bag limits will be based on the Wolf Population Management Plan and developed over the next two months, then adopted by the Fish and Game Commission on May 22. The first wolf hunting season in Idaho will be planned for fall 2008. Rules are expected to be released in July.

In addition, the Idaho Legislature has update state law to allow people to kill wolves harassing or attacking their livestock and pets. The law does not require a permit from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game director under these conditions, but the incident must be reported to the director within 72 hours.

In Idaho , wolf packs range from the Canadian border south to Interstate 84, and from the Oregon border east to the Montana and Wyoming borders. Dispersing wolves occasionally have been reported in previously unoccupied areas.

During 2007, biologists documented 83 resident wolf packs in Idaho . A minimum population was estimated at 732 wolves. In addition, 13 documented border packs counted for Montana and Wyoming had established territories straddling the Idaho state boundary and probably spent some time in Idaho .

In Washington State , wolves remain protected as a state endangered species throughout Washington .

The delisting decision included wolves in the eastern third of Washington state east of highways 97, 17 and 395 from the Canadian border to the Oregon border.

Wolves remain federally listed as an endangered species in the western two-thirds of the state.

"Today's federal action means that in the eastern third of the state, WDFW is the lead for wolf management, including response to suspected wolf depredation of livestock," said Harriet Allen, WDFW's manager of threatened and endangered species.

WDFW will continue to work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services and the USFWS to investigate suspected wolf sightings, livestock depredations, or other problems, Allen said.

Where wolves are under federal protection, the private non-profit group Defenders of Wildlife funds compensation for livestock owners who have confirmed losses due to wolf depredation. There is currently no funding for losses to wolves where the species is not federally listed.

However, establishment of a state compensation fund for confirmed wolf depredation could be included in a state Wolf Conservation and Management Plan, which has been under development since January 2007. The plan is being developed in consultation with a 17-member citizen working group and is scheduled for completion by early 2009. For more on the plan process, see http://wdfw.wa.gov/wlm/diversty/soc/gray_wolf/index.htm

In Oregon , a radio-collared gray wolf was confirmed in January. Credible public reports of wolf sightings continue, and biologists are finding tracks and other wolf sign in northeast Oregon .

With the delisting of wolves in a portion of eastern Oregon , and as wolf activity in Oregon increases, state officials say they are ready to take the management reins. Oregon adopted a wolf management plan in 2005 and has been implementing it since.

"Oregonians are in a fortunate position to already have a Wolf Conservation and Management Plan in place, so we're ready to conserve and manage wolves," says Russ Morgan, ODFW wolf coordinator. "But there seems to be confusion about how the plan deals with depredation by wolves. We want to set the record straight so livestock producers are clear on what tools are available to them."

While a few individual wolves have been present in low numbers in northeast Oregon for months and possibly even years, to date no documented -- or even suspected -- depredation of livestock has occurred. Biologists are routinely conducting field surveys for wolves and are flying to search for radio-collared wolves known to be missing from Idaho . While no confirmed breeding pairs of wolves exist in Oregon yet, the state will continue to use radio monitoring to document breeding in the future.

With federal de-listing in the eastern portion of the state, wolves will still be protected by the state's ESA until ODFW documents the existence of four breeding pairs for three consecutive years east of the Cascades.

"Even after federal de-listing, Oregon 's management strategy will initially be focused on conservation measures so that wolves may someday be de-listed from the state's ESA," said Morgan. "We share concerns about losing livestock to wolves and are committed to working closely with livestock producers to keep conflict levels down.

We don't expect depredation of livestock to be a large issue in the near term while the wolf population is low," Morgan said. "But keeping the northeast Oregon ranching community aware of the wolf situation, and the legal methods that can be used to respond to depredation, is one of my top priorities." 

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