Thursday, April 30, 2015

#Wolf of the Day


Wolf looking back 
Wolf looking back by Tambako The Jaguar 
 
 

#Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale Annual Report (pdf)

2014-2015 Annual Report
 



Oppose Anti #Wolf legislation #Tweetstorm Tuesday May 12

By Rachel Tilseth, the founder of Wolves of Douglas County Wisconsin
on April 30, 2015
#TWEETSTORM Tuesday May 12 @Congress #KeepWolvesListed poster design by Britt Ricci
Tuesday May 6  #TWEETSTORM Event- original tweet (this will be my Tweet) @SenatorBaldwin @SenRonJohnson @RepRonKind oppose anti-wolf Legislation HR843 / HR884 #KeepWolvesListed
America’s wolves are under attack.
Big money, big hunt clubs are on the move to pressure congress to delist wolves nationwide and they don’t want that subject to judicial review. And this type of anti wolf legislation will allow states to manage wolves with reckless trophy hunts and this will  put wolves at risk…a species at the brink of extinction.
There’s now a third anti wolf bill being prepared in congress. 
Let’s make it very clear to Washington D.C. keep the dirty politics out of the Endangered Species Act. Our rare and endangered wildlife are not a bargaining chip for big money! #KeepWolvesListed join the #TWEETSTORM @ your US senator and @ your US House of Representative
When:
Tuesday May 12, 2015 send your tweet once anytime during the day.
Get involved! Join the storm! Follow the instructions below:
Who is my US House of Representatives, find out who they are here:http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
Who is my US senator, find out who they are here: https://www.opencongress.org/people/zipcodelookup
Use the following tweet on the day of the storm.
Use it only once during the day. You do not need to re tweet it.
Do not RT (re tweet).
In the @ part you must put your US senator and your US House of Representatives.
Here is my example: @SenatorBaldwin @SenRonJognson (they are my US senators) and @RepRonKind (he is my US House of Representatives)
Use this official tweet:
@(add Twitter name of your US senators here) @(add Twitter name of your US House of Representatives here) oppose anti-wolf Legislation HR843 / HR884 #KeepWolvesListed
This will be my tweet
@SenatorBaldwin @SenRonJohnson @RepRonKind oppose anti-wolf Legislation HR843 / HR884 #KeepWolvesListed
A review:
*Find out who your US reps are
*Follow them on Twitter
*Do the @ all of your US reps first then,
*Use the official tweet (don’t alter it) my tweet example: @SenatorBaldwin @SenRonJohnson @RepRonKind don’t sponsor any legislation to delist wolves nationwide, GreatLakes #KeepWolvesListed
*Do not RT (re tweet) Only tweet this one time during the day of the tweetstorm
And prior to this Tweetsorm share this blog of instructions with as many friends as you want.
Directions on how to use Twitter:
How to sign up for Twitter:
How to tweet:
What’s a #(hashtag) the day of the tweetstorm the hashtag will be #KeepWolvesListed
How do I follow my congressman on Twitter:
Make sure you are using your congressmens official Twitter account
Ex: @tammybaldwin is not her official Twitter account
Why this #TWEETSTORM @congress:
The following are several news article about big hunt clubs, cattlemen pressuring congress to delist wolves nationwide and to stop it from any judicial review …read the following news articles , click on a link to read about all the anti wolf legislation in n congress. http://www.postcrescent.com/story/sports/outdoors/hunting/2015/02/12/wolf-hunt-bills-federal-protection/23296255/
Our mission is to #KeepWolvesListed healthy, wild and not harassed by trophy hunts. Wolves are #Crucial to our ecosystems.
~WODCW
_______________________________________________________________________________
Read more on how nationwide wolf advocacy groups came together to #KeepWolvesListed here: http://wolvesofdouglascountywisconsin.com/2015/02/03/groups-petition-u-s-fish-and-wildlife-service-to-reclassify-wolves-from-endangered-to-threatened-status/

source


Living (and Making a Living) Alongside #Wolves by @Defenders of Wildlife

Range rider, © Tom Miner Project

What the return of the wolf can mean to the West

It was a cold, snowy day in January of 1995 when, lining the street near the Roosevelt Arch in Yellowstone National Park, local school children, environmentalists, biologists, ranchers, outfitters, tourists, and state and federal officials watched crates containing eight gray wolves carried into Yellowstone. Many in the crowd celebrated a great victory. Others looked on in dismay, fearful of what reintroducing wolves would mean for the future of their ranching and hunting heritage.
This renewed presence of the wolf in the West sometimes clashes with the multi-generational ranching operations that fill the landscape. The debate about wolves challenges relationships between friends and neighbors and between county, state, federal and tribal governments. Now, 20 years later, some ranchers have weathered the debate realizing that wolves are here to stay and are building operations that reflect the presence of this dynamic and cunning predator. Here is the story of one such ranch, the J Bar L Ranch, in the words of the owners and operators.

The J Bar L Ranch

The J Bar L Ranch sits in one of the most remote corners of Southwest Montana. We raise all-natural, grass-finished beef and sell it through our beef company, Yellowstone Grassfed Beef. Our cattle graze year-round in multiple locations surrounding Yellowstone National Park in an effort to have the right age of cattle, in the right places, and at the right times of year. We graze our cattle in a way that maintains wildlife habitat and diverse, healthy ecosystems. Our goal is healthy, productive rangeland, thriving wildlife populations and healthy, happy cattle.

With some of our herds grazing less than three miles from the Yellowstone, we know the challenges of ranching on a landscape shared with wolves and grizzly bears. Over the past few years, we have begun participating in community-based programs to combine grazing practices that improve range condition with methods to help minimize conflicts between livestock and predators.

(story continues below)

Range riders, © Tom Miner Project
Range riders keep the herd together, and keep a lookout for predators.

Following the Bison

For centuries past, bison roamed much of North America in the presence of large predators and human influence. The predators and people kept the enormous herds bunched together (since there is safety in numbers) and constantly moving. Our goal on the J Bar L is to have our cattle mimic these historic grazing patterns as closely as possible. The bison planted seeds with their hooves, pushed ‘mulch’ down onto the soil surface to minimize erosion, and fertilized the land with their dung and urine. By working together as a herd, bison stand their ground and defend each other from predators. None of this would be accomplished if they functioned as a scattered herd of individuals. Our goal on the J Bar L is to follow the ways of the bison. Doing this has given us greatly improved range conditions and few conflicts with predators.

One tool we use to accomplish this is low stress stockmanship. For six years, this practice has helped rekindle the herd instinct in our cattle, encouraging them to behave similar to bison by moving around more as a herd, and by sticking together in case predators are near. This differs from the traditional handling methods that encourage cattle to scatter out across the range.
Wolf © Tom Miner Project
A trail camera captures a shot of a wolf in the area. Images like this are a nice reminder that the methods the ranch uses allows the area’s wolves to remain safe in their own habitat.

In the past, we had noticed that most depredations occurred when cattle were scattered, alone and vulnerable when encountered by wolves. We have learned that if cattle are encouraged to stay together, they are less likely to run when encountered by a predator. To date, we have had no depredations by wolves in herds of cattle that are consistently bunched together.

By employing range riders, we have had the opportunity to be out with our cattle more often, and can remove sick or injured animals so they do not become a target for predation. It also means that when the livestock encounter wolves, we are more likely to be there to haze predators from the area. Hazing is a non-lethal technique that has been effective at discouraging wolves from targeting cattle, and keeps both wolves and cattle alive.

We also use portable electric fencing to keep cattle bunched together. This is another tool that encourages cattle to stay together as a herd, reducing the risk of attacks from predators. In 2014 we had an active wolf den near the pasture area, but using the electric fencing kept the herd together and the wolves away. All wolves and pups survived, and so did all the cattle – and with exceptional weight gain. Despite the consistent presence of wolves, we have not lost any cattle in areas where we are grazing cattle with temporary electric fence.

Living with Wildlife

Defenders helps ranchers put proven, nonlethal solutions into practice to prevent attacks on livestock, from using range riders to patrol for wolves to using electric fencing to keep grizzlies out of small pastures or chicken coop.

To date, no wolves or bears have been killed on or off of the ranch as a result of our ranching business. We are proud of this legacy of conservation, stewardship, and love for the landscape we call home. If you appreciate our efforts, one simple way to advance this kind of ranching is to purchase our beef online at www.yellowstonegrassfedbeef.com. We ship the frozen beef conveniently to any location in the US.

We would like to thank Defenders of Wildlife for their support and encouragement as we try to redefine the ranching model to one that includes coexisting with predators and takes a holistic approach to management. Wildlife, cattle and communities can all thrive together.

Commission asks staff to look at delisting wolves partially and statewide (OR)

8 hours ago  • 

SALEM — The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission today decided to direct ODFW staff to develop two options for delisting wolves from the state Endangered Species Act: one that would delist wolves in eastern Oregon and one that would delist wolves statewide.

The state’s wolf plan calls for initiating a process to delist wolves from the state Endangered Species Act when Oregon reaches the conservation objective of four breeding pairs for three consecutive years in eastern Oregon. This objective was met in early 2015.

The Commission heard ODFW staff’s Biological Status Review of wolves and also heard public testimony from 38 people. “This is a success story,” said Russ Morgan, ODFW Wolf Coordinator in his presentation of the Biological Status Review. “Not very many years ago, we had no known wolves in Oregon. Now we not only have wolves, but the population is healthy and growing.”

“I am very confident that we are going to have a healthy, sustainable population of wolves in Oregon,” said Commissioner Holly Akenson. “We have the protections and the desire to maintain a wolf population in Oregon.”

Much of the public testimony was against a delisting, and commissioners noted that the option of no action also remained on the table. Noting other staff job tasks, commission Chair Finley informed the public that this two-option approach would require a substantial investment in time and that a final proposal may not be available until the fall.

The commission's next meeting is scheduled for June 5 in Salem.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Possible #Wolf Killed Along I-90, East Of North Bend, WA

THE CARCASS OF THE ANIMAL BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN A WILD WOLF WAS RECOVERED SOUTH OF THE "T" IN TEANAWAY ON THIS WDFW PACK MAP FROM EARLIER THIS YEAR. (WDFW)


What may have been a wild wolf was struck and killed by a vehicle between North Bend and Snoqualmie Pass in eastern King County.

A U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service official in Portland says this morning that yesterday WDFW notified them that a wolf may have been hit on I-90, and that state employees recovered the carcass of the uncollared, untagged and black-coated female “suspected” wolf.

USFWS spokesman Brent Lawrence said the animal was located between mile markers 41 and 42, which is between Exit 38, the road to the Washington State Fire Training Academy and Exit 42, which leads to the U.S. Forest Service’s Tinkham Campground.

Posters on Hunting-Washington also report seeing a wolf in that general vicinity on Monday.
The carcass has since been sent to a federal forensics lab for DNA testing and cause of death determination, according to Lawrence.

USFWS has jurisdiction over the species in the western two-thirds of the state, where wolves remain federally listed.

WDFW’s wolf observation map includes numerous citizen reports from further west in Washington, but this could represent the most westward confirmed advance of the species, a not-unexpected development, but one also of note. “Wolves are able to cover long distances, and expansion into the western part of Washington is not unexpected,” said Lawrence. “In other areas of the country with healthy wolf populations, wolves are occasionally struck by vehicles attempting to cross roadways.”
WSDOT and other partners have been working to build wildlife-friendly passages on the east side of Snoqualmia Pass.

As it stands, if confirmed as a wild wolf, it would be at least the fourth that’s been struck and killed by a vehicle in Washington. Others include one near Tum Tum west of Spokane in 2008, another on the north side of Blewett Pass in 2013 and the other Ruby Creek female in Pend Oreille County last year.

This time of year sees loners leave their packs. Recently, one from Northeast Oregon tripped through South-central Washington before turning south and recrossing the Columbia; currently it is somewhere in Oregon’s Central Cascades. Another Beaver State wolf is reported in Malheur County.

The Teanaway Pack of northwestern Kittitas County is the closest to where yesterday’s carcass was recovered. It has had gray pups, and while wolf coats come in different shades, several packs in Northeast Washington and Northeast Oregon are known to produce black pups. Presumably some in southern BC do too.

IN OTHER WOLF news today, WDFW released a trail camera image of one just north of Hozomeen Campground in the Ross Lake National Recreation Area in January. The agency also reported on inconclusive investigations into a reported attack on a dog in Okanogan County and sightings on the east side of the Southern Cascades.

#Wolves of the Day (Wow!)



Images via BoredPanda, courtesy of Troy Moth at troymoth.com



Tuesday, April 28, 2015

#Wolves of the Day


Wolf looking at the side 

Wolf looking at the side by Tambako The Jaguar 

Eastern Wolf - Parc Animalier de Sainte-Croix April 2015 30 
Eastern Wolf - Parc Animalier de Sainte-Croix April 2015 30 by Ralf Reinecke 


Fewer than 50 wolves reported inside Denali National Park

Posted: Tuesday, April 28, 2015
FAIRBANKS — Denali National Park and Preserve’s wolf numbers hit a new low this spring with an estimated population of 48 wolves inside the park, according to a Park Service study.

The National Park Service estimates the park wolf population twice each year using radio-collared wolves and an analysis of a handful of un-collared wolves believed to live in and around the park. The study dates back to 1986. This spring’s count is the lowest since an estimate of 46 wolves in fall 1986. It’s the lowest on record for any spring count.

Opponents of wolf hunting and trapping have long used the study to advocate for re-establishing a buffer zone to ban wolf hunting and trapping on state land adjacent to the national park. In 2010, Alaska’s Board of Game removed a wolf hunting and trapping-free buffer zone in state land adjacent to the park.

In a status report on the wolf survey last week, the park’s Chief Wildlife Biologist Steve Arthur attributed the population decline to two non-human factors. Low snowfall made it easier for caribou and moose to flee wolves, he said. The numbers also dropped because of better tracking technology from GPS collars, he said. The tracking technology expanded biologists’ understanding of the wolves’ home range, which is used to calculate the wolf population estimate. 

Two of the nine wolves who died in 2014 and early 2015 were killed legally by trappers or hunters, according to the survey. That’s about the same proportion as other recent years. A total of about nine wolves died. Besides the two killed by humans, two wolves were killed by other wolves, one died from old age, one drowned, one starved and two died from unidentified non-human causes, according to the survey. At least 14 pups born in 2014 survived into the fall.

The Alaska Board of Game has rejected several petitions to re-establish the wolf hunting and trapping buffer zone around Denali National Park, most recently at its meeting last month. The state game boards takes a wildly different approach to wolf hunting regulations than the National Park Service. In addition to allowing hunting and trapping, the state pays Fish and Game employs to shoot some wolves from helicopters as part of its intensive management program. The program’s designed to increase moose populations by keeping predator numbers low. 

The state doesn’t track wolf populations as closely as the park service but estimates the statewide population is between 7,000 and 11,000. Wolves have never been threatened or endangered in Alaska. 

Park Service to begin researching options to boost Isle Royale #wolf population

Matt Sepic ·
In this photo released by Michigan Technological University, a gray wolf is shown in Isle Royale National Park in 2006. 

Monday, April 27, 2015

Northern MN sees jump in #wolves killing dogs


Posted: Apr 27, 2015 9
 
DULUTH, Minn. (AP) - Six dogs have been killed by wolves in northern Minnesota in the last five weeks, outpacing last year's total for the entire state.
Minnesota Public Radio News (http://bit.ly/1DteBnz ) reports most incidents have happened near Duluth. Four other dogs have been seriously hurt.
Controls on gray wolves in Minnesota have been limited since a federal judge put the animal back on the endangered species list in December. Now, Minnesota residents can only kill wolves in defense of human life.
Minnesota also can't hold managed wolf hunts, but if an attack on pets or wildlife is confirmed, federal officials can trap and kill wolves within a half mile of where it happened.
State officials say residents near wolves shouldn't panic, but should take precautions, such as feeding pets inside and fencing yards.

Information from: Minnesota Public Radio News, http://www.mprnews.org

source

Georgia park welcomes first red #wolves born in 2015 (images)

WALB.com, South Georgia News, Weather, Sports
Apr 27, 2015 
By WALB News Team 
ALBANY, GA (WALB) -
A South Georgia state park welcomed the first red wolf pups born in the United States for 2015, and officials there are hopeful that it could help restore the critically endangered species.

Two adorable pups, named Boone and Belle were born on March 29th to parents Ayita and Finnick at Chehaw Park.

They join two other pups named Flint and Faith to parents Waya and Patriot on April 4th.

“I would assume that the pups will be out and about within the next two weeks. As they get older and braver, the pups will begin to adventure around the exhibit and become more visible. Right now they can be difficult to see,” said Zoological Manager, Ben Roberts.

The pups will remain at Chehaw for a couple of years and may then be reassigned to another facility in order to start their own pack and help this rare species flourish once more.

The park said just 100 red wolves roam their native habitats in eastern North Carolina, and nearly 200 red wolves are maintained in captive breeding facilities throughout the United States. So the two male and two female pups represent a welcome increase in the overall population.

Red wolves in the U.S.

Red wolves are one of two wolf species found in the United States and were once common throughout the southeast. Unfortunately, by the 1960s their population was virtually gone. They were officially listed as endangered in 1973.

At that time, an effort was made to round up as many of these wild animals as possible. A total of 17 pure bred red wolves were found in Texas and Louisiana and 14 of those became the breeding stock for the current population.

In 1980, the species was listed as extinct in the wild. By the end of the decade, there were enough captive red wolves to begin looking at releasing them into the wild.

Red wolves are smaller than gray wolves and larger than coyotes, with adults ranging in weight from 53 to 84 pounds. Red wolves have tall pointed ears and long, slender legs with large feet. They stand about 26 inches at their shoulder and are about 4 feet long from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail.

For more information about red wolves and Chehaw Park, call (229) 430-5275.
Two adorable pups, named Boone and Belle were born on March 29th. Two adorable pups, named Boone and Belle were born on March 29th.

Adult red wolf and parent to Boone and Belle, named Finnick, seen in his habitat at Chehaw Park. Adult red wolf and parent to Boone and Belle, named Finnick, seen in his habitat at Chehaw Park.

A newly born red wolf pup gets its first checkup. A newly born red wolf pup gets its first checkup.

Two red wolf pups cuddle with each other as they rest. Two red wolf pups cuddle with each other as they rest.

Two baby red wolves wrestle and play with each other. Two baby red wolves wrestle and play with each other.
 
 
 

New Lone #Wolf Wanders Into Central Oregon

File photo of a grey wolf. (AFP PHOTO / JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN        (Photo credit should read JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN/AFP/Getty Images)
File photo of a grey wolf. (AFP PHOTO / JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN (Photo credit should read JEAN-CHRISTOPHE VERHAEGEN/AFP/Getty Images)
BEND, Ore. (AP) – A new lone wolf has been tracked into Central Oregon.

The Bend Bulletin reports the wolf’s GPS tracking collar indicates the wolf left the Imnaha Pack in Northeast Oregon weeks ago. The wolf program coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the young male gray wolf wandered into Washington before returning to Oregon and going into the Mount Hood National Forest

John Stephenson says the wolf just started taking off in the past few weeks.

State scientists captured and collared the wolf they call OR-25 last year. It is now about 2 years old, which scientists say is about the right time for them to start wandering.

Two other solitary young males from the Imnaha Pack have trekked into Central Oregon in previous years. One became the first wolf seen in California in nearly 90 years.

source

State urged to lift #wolf protections (This is horrible!)

The delisting goal of having four breeding pairs for three years in a row has been reached
 

 

PORTLAND — Oregon should move forward with the process that could remove the gray wolf from the state’s endangered species list, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission decided Friday. The commission will look at two options: delisting the wolves statewide or partially, in eastern Oregon only. The option of not delisting also remains.

The decision came as the number of wolves and breeding pairs have increased in the state. By 2014, there were 77 wolves in 15 known packs.

The state’s wolf plan calls for initiating a process to delist the wolves when the conservation objective of four breeding pairs for three consecutive years in eastern Oregon is reached. That objective was met in early 2015. “This is a success story,” wolf program coordinator Russ Morgan said in a statement. “Not very many years ago, we had no known wolves in Oregon. Now we not only have wolves, but the population is healthy and growing.” 

Oregon’s current wolf population descends from animals introduced in Idaho in the 1990s. The state predicts the wolf population will increase at a rate of 7 percent a year, and the probability they will go extinct is low. That’s because there is plenty of habitat and wolves continue to expand their range.
The Oregon Cattlemen’s Association has been pressing for the commission to delist wolves. While taking wolves off the state’s endangered list would not open up hunting, their rising numbers would allow ranchers to shoot more wolves when they attack livestock.

But conservation groups say wolf numbers are still too low to justify lifting their protections. Most of the three dozen people who spoke at the commission meeting were against delisting, said Fish and Wildlife spokeswoman Michelle Dennehy.

Delisting wolves from the state Endangered Species Act would not affect a federal endangered listing that includes the state’s western two-thirds. Commissioners will draft a proposal by June and vote on it in August. The commission’s next meeting is scheduled for June 5 in Salem. 


#Wolf sanctuary celebrates 10 years (These images will swell your heart!)


 
 
 

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. -- One of the largest wolf sanctuaries in the country is right here on the First Coast. Big Oak Wolf Sanctuary is located on 5-acres of property, tucked behind a rural dirt road in Green Cove Springs. The faith based wolf rescue and sanctuary isn't open to the public, but our Lisa Robbins got an exclusive tour of the property.

The land is home to 60 wolves and wolf dogs, most of which have been neglected or abused. "A lot of them are terrified when they get here. They've experienced the worst of humans." John Knight and his wife developed the sanctuary 10 years ago after their two wolf pups multiplied into several. "We had Sampson and Spirit and planned to get the property and just have those two," he said.

The sanctuary is home to 60 wolves and wolf dogs, most
Soon after, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and other agencies started asking them if they could take in more animals. "Those two, turned into 60," he said. There's 24 enclosures averaging 7,500 square feet. Each enclosure is equipped with pools for the animals to use and cool off. Knights said the animals are free to behave how they're intended to.
Knight maintains there's a high demand for the animals from people who have no experience dealing with them. "When they come here, we extend to them the grace to be who and what they are and slowly but surely, they start coming back to life."

The sanctuary is home to 60 wolves and wolf dogs, most
The animals are extremely intelligent and full of life, he said.
" Some are shy. They experience rejection, fears, hurt feelings, apprehensions."

The sanctuary isn't open to the public because Knight strongly believes the animals shouldn't be exhibited. The Knight's don't make a profit from their work but somehow, they always manage to make ends meet. "I'm surprised sometimes we can make it another day because it pretty much all day."

He said they rely on donations from the public. Between food, veterinary bills, and maintenance, monthly expenses can top out at $5,000. He hasn't taken a paycheck in 10 years. Knight has dreams to move to a bigger property and continue his faith-based goal of saving as many wolves and wolf-dogs as possible.

The sanctuary is home to 60 wolves and wolf dogs, most
In the past decade, they've saved more than 100 animals. "They're loved no matter what they do," he said.

Click here to learn more about Big Oak Wolf Sanctuary.Click here to donate to the organization's Go Fund Me account.

source

 The sanctuary is home to 60 wolves and wolf dogs, most
 
The sanctuary is home to 60 wolves and wolf dogs, most
The sanctuary is home to 60 wolves and wolf dogs, most 
 The sanctuary is home to 60 wolves and wolf dogs, most
 
The sanctuary is home to 60 wolves and wolf dogs, most 
 The sanctuary is home to 60 wolves and wolf dogs, most
 
 

Red #Wolf Coalition "Speak for Wolves 2015" Update


Hi everybody,
We are about three months away from our event in West Yellowstone, Montana and we have some exciting news to share with you! Kim Wheeler, Executive Director of the Red Wolf Coalition, will be joining us for a presentation on the perils of America's red wolf. The presentation is scheduled to take place Saturday afternoon August 7, 2015 inside the Union Pacific Dining Lodge.
Canis rufus, one of the southeast's rarest predators, was once found along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, west to central Texas and north to the Ohio River Valley. By 1980, this majestic animal was functionally extinct in the wild due to habitat loss and systematic extermination. Thanks to captive breeding, a recovery program was started in 1987 in northeast North Carolina.
Learn more at redwolves.com
 

Support Speak for Wolvse 2015

Please consider making a generous donation to this year's event by visiting our Support Page. Another way to support us is by purchasing an event T-shirt.
Thank you very much for your time and dedication to the recovery of America's beautiful wolves!
Sincerely,
Brett Haverstick
Organizer

Sunday, April 26, 2015

#Wolf of the Day


Boltz 01 
Boltz by Bikeman476 
 

The state of MN #wolves is not good


The state of the state, according to Gov. Mark Dayton’s recent address, is “good.” The state of the Minnesota wolf, however, is “threatened.”
Due to the recent federal court ruling placing Minnesota’s gray wolves on the endangered species list as “threatened,” and due to the use of outdated methods and risky state management, wolves in Minnesota – and our nation – are truly at a crossroads.

Minnesota is fortunate to be the home of the largest and only original wolf population remaining in the lower 48 states. Wolves are critical for healthy grasslands, forests, and successful vegetation growth after wildfires. For many Minnesota Native American tribes the wolf holds a sacred cultural role.

Wolves are not like deer. Wolves live in packs and depend on each other to survive. Scientific studies show that the human killing of wolves produces unpredictable effects including pack instability and an increased number of wolf-livestock conflicts. Funding of nonlethal prevention methods for farmers with wolf livestock conflicts could help our state; the only state with its original wolf population that never went extinct, and help our farmers let wolves live.

When the gray wolf was first removed (delisted) from the endangered species list in 2012, individual states took control of wolf management. These states, including Minnesota, immediately implemented reckless recreational wolf hunting and trapping seasons.

Howling for Wolves thinks science, not politics, should guide our wolf plans and policies. We signed and support the petition presented to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that calls for the permanent reclassification of gray wolves as a threatened species. With federal protection of wolves, we can develop and implement smart, science-based plans that keep wolf packs stable and prevent most wolf conflicts with livestock and pets.

The “threatened” classification allows for continued federal funding and oversight of all wolf management and recovery efforts, and further allows for the development of a national recovery plan for the species. It also provides the USFWS regulatory flexibility to permit state and local wildlife managers to address specific wolf conflicts. Finally, it keeps the issue out of the court system and provides a process by which wolves and their respective states’ plans are monitored.

Congressional action is not necessary; it would circumvent the court process, it would ignore the best available science, and it would remove federal oversight.

So while the state of Minnesota is “good,” our elected officials have the opportunity to make it even better. Maintaining wolves’ listing as “threatened” would be a positive step for the future of wolves and Minnesota.

Hackett is president and founder of Howling for Wolves, a Minnesota-based wolf advocacy organization.

source 

AZ files motions to protect interest in #wolf recovery


Posted: Sunday, April 26, 2015 
Arizona files motions to protect state’s interest in Mexican wolf recovery, as posted in current Wildlife News: “The state of Arizona, on behalf of the Arizona Game and Fish Department, today filed two motions aimed at protecting the state’s interest in the Mexican wolf reintroduction program and successful recovery of the endangered wolf subspecies that inhabits east-central Arizona and New Mexico.
Arizona filed a motion to intervene in the lawsuit Center for Biological Diversity vs. Sally Jewell. The suit concerns the recently-revised 10(j) rule that governs the management of Mexican wolves in Arizona and New Mexico. The state filed the motion to intervene to defend its trust authority over wildlife conservation in Arizona and its involvement in the revision of the 10(j) rule.
The state also filed a motion to dismiss the suit based on the court’s lack of subject matter jurisdiction because the plaintiffs are unable to demonstrate that their interests have suffered due to the revised 10(j) rule. “Given that the new rule governing Mexican wolf recovery provides more habitat and potential for population growth than the rule and permit it replaced, the plaintiffs cannot demonstrate that their interests have suffered as required by law,” said Arizona Game and Fish Commission Chair Robert Mansell.
The revised 10(j) rule increases the Mexican wolf population objective from at least 100 animals to a range of 300 to 325. It also eliminates the previous recovery area where wolves could live to a three-zone area that eventually expands their range ten-fold. “The new 10(j) rule is based on sound scientific principles and helps address critical stakeholder concerns that have long been the primary obstacles to successful recovery of wolves. It’s a positive step in the right direction,” said Mansell.

The Arizona Game and Fish Department is also working with the Arizona Attorney General’s office to challenge the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s failure to develop an updated Mexican wolf recovery plan that incorporates Mexico, which has historically held 90 percent of the habitat for Mexican wolves.”

For more information on Mexican wolves, visit www.azgfd.gov/wolf.

source


Saturday, April 25, 2015

#Wolf of the Day


Denali, Looking Back 
Denali, Looking Back by Bikeman476 
 

OR #Wolf Protections at Risk of Removal

By Kelly House | The Oregonian/OregonLive
on April 24, 2015











The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider removing the gray wolf from Oregon's endangered species list.

During a meeting Friday in Bend, the state commission directed Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife staff to initiate the delisting process. That doesn't necessarily mean the wolf is leaving the list. What it does mean: Staff will study the possibility of delisting wolves, then return to the board for a vote in several months.

Commissioners asked fish and wildlife staff to develop proposals for two scenarios. Under one scenario, wolves would leave the endangered species list statewide. Under the other, only Eastern Oregon wolves would be delisted.

Friday's decision to consider removing state-level protections for Oregon's wolves was triggered by the animal's continued recovery in Oregon. Under the Oregon Wolf Plan, the state fish and wildlife commission can consider delisting wolves after four breeding pairs are found in the state for three straight years.

That bar was met January, when the department announced more than four breeding pairs had made it through 2014. There are 77 known wolves in the state.

While state officials grapple with state-level protections for the apex predator, U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Washington, has introduced a bill to remove federal Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in Washington, Oregon and Utah. The bill would also prevent states from providing protections to wolves that are stronger than those found in the federal Endangered Species Act, the Associated Press reports. 
 
In Oregon, only wolves west of west of highways 78, 95 and 395 receive federal protections.

Since gray wolves crossed the border from Idaho into Oregon, their range has been limited mostly to the state's northeastern quadrant. But in recent months, OR-7 and his pack have established themselves in the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, while another wolf has been roaming south of Klamath Falls. The week, ODFW confirmed the presence of a lone wolf near Adrian, a town in Malheur County which until now had not seen wolf activity.

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#Wolf Weekly Wrap-Up by @Defenders of Wildlife

Mexican gray wolf, © Jim Clark/USFWS
Two More Mexican Gray Wolves Released into the Wild: This week, wildlife biologists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released two captive Mexican gray wolves into the Arizona wild. The hope is that this pregnant female and her mate will contribute some much needed genetic diversity to this critically endangered population of wolves. Recovery efforts began in Arizona and New Mexico in 1998, after the species was pushed to near extinction in the 1970s. Today, thanks in part to the success of this captive breeding program, there are 109 wolves living in the wild in the Southwest. Defenders wants to see more wolves released into the wild to increase the genetic diversity – just like the Service did this week. Next, the Service needs to develop a detailed, long range plan for releasing many more wolves, and a science-based recovery plan, for which these rare wolves have waited almost 40 years.

© ODFW

Oregon Officials Consider Reducing Protection for Wolves: Today, the Oregon Wildlife Commission is hearing from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife about the status of Oregon’s wolves. Under the state’s Wolf Management Plan, ODFW is required to present a biological status review of wolves to the Commission after the state has successfully maintained at least four breeding pairs for a period of three years in eastern Oregon, a benchmark that was passed earlier this year. Based on the information presented, the Commission will evaluate several policy options, including whether state Endangered Species Act protections are still warranted for the species. A final decision is not expected before August 2015.

Wolves are not fully recovered in Oregon and Defenders strongly believes that removing or weakening protections for wolves is premature. Oregon has a great deal of unoccupied wolf habitat and significant threats to the species remain. Losing protections would make it easier to kill wolves and reduce emphasis on proactive, nonlethal methods to reduce conflicts with livestock operations. Defenders’ staff will testify in front of the Commission, and are working to help ensure that it conducts a neutral and unbiased review of the information presented, and makes a decision for wolves that is based on the best available science, not on politics.

Melanie Gade

, Communications Specialist

Melanie handles press coverage for wildlife in the Pacific Northwest and Rockies and Plains, as well as Defenders' national work on the Endangered Species Act.