Welcome Back, Wolves!

In one of the greatest species recoveries ever, the Gray Wolf was delisted from the Endangered Species list in the Northern Rockies today. Wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone in the mid-90s, where they had been extirpated (made locally extinct) decades before. The population, which was considered an experimental non-essential population (a term I've never liked), grew quickly, and expanded its territory. The USFWS reached its goal of 30 breeding pairs in 2002, and the numbers are increasing, annually. Currently, there are 1500 wolves and about 100 breeding pairs in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming--exceeding the recovery goals, by far.

Now that this DPS (distinct population segment) has been delisted, the USFWS turns over management of the wolves to the state wildlife agencies. The states are free to manage the populations as they see fit, including establishing wolf hunting seasons.

Once wolves wander outside of the designated area where they've been delisted, however, they will be granted protection under the Endangered Species Act again. The designated area includes Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, the eastern third of Washington and Oregon, and a small portion of north-central Utah.

While many environmental activist groups are up-in-arms about the delisting, there are many who are thrilled about it--especially Yellowstone managers who have seen an increase of 100,000 visitors per year since the wolves arrived.

Welcome back!