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Wolf controversy improves despite pending lawsuits
By Richard Reeder
This document was published online on Monday, July 07, 2008
After 14 years of controversy, Game and Fish wolf project manager Mike Jiminez says the situation is improving.
“We are moving to a point of less controversy about wolves in this region,” he said recently during the Lunchtime Expedition series at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center. “People are adjusting to what's happening in the delisting process and are more satisfied with the results.
“When you look at the low turnouts at recent meetings, it's a sign that things are improving,” he added. “The tone of those meetings is less hostile than the early ones throughout the state.”
Jiminez believes this despite the fact that the delisting action in late March has been challenged in federal court by environmental and animal rights groups.
“The lawsuit has been filed and we've been waiting for the ruling,” he said. “It's taken a long time for the judge to rule since the first hearing. We don't know what that means.
“The publicity has distorted the work that has gone into this process,” he added. “Both sides are to blame for that and the high tension and feelings that have occurred.”
Jiminez speaks from years of experience in the reintroduction of gray wolves in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. He was the wolf project manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1997 to 2007.
“The Endangered Species Act was created in 1973 and wolves were listed at that time,” he said. “In 1994 USFWS was directed to create a plan to bring wolves back to this area.
“The plan always called for them to be in specific areas where they wouldn't create problems with livestock,” he added. “That's why the area around Yellowstone Park was chosen - because there are fewer livestock populations than other areas.”
Jiminez says many questions surround the reintroduction.
“The question has always been, ‘Why bring them back?'” he said. “But wolves are symbolic in the West.
“Historically it's been a negative impression that people compete with wolves,” he added. “But in the last 20-30 years that impression has changed.”
Jiminez said proponents of reintroduction have valid reasons for wanting wolves to thrive.
“There's a sense that people enjoy seeing and watching them,” he said. “And they say the wolf is part of a complete ecosystem.”
The wolf is sometimes characterized wrongly by opponents.
“The wolf is a selective predator. They prey mainly on the youngest and oldest animals and those that might be sick,” Jiminez said. “They will indirectly change the behavior of big game animals.
“Elk won't hang out in the open and the landscape will change as grazing habits change,” he added.
But there are also downsides to wolves.
“They will kill livestock because they adapt to what is available,” Jiminez said. “And wolves will restrict use of grazing land because they are preying on livestock. And they will kill pets.
“This has created a heritage of people who want to get rid of them completely,” he added.
The current plan of delisting is for each state to maintain 15 breeding pairs and at least 150 wolves. In Wyoming seven of the breeding pairs must be outside Yellowstone.
“The goal is to manage the wolf like any other game animal,” Jiminez said. “One of the tools we use to do that is hunting.
“We want to maintain a population that will allow for hunting in Wyoming,” he added. “The management of public hunting won't impact the animals in the park because rules prohibit hunting in Yellowstone.”
G&F has proposed a hunting season for fall 2008 with a quota of 25 wolves statewide in three hunting zones.
“This will be a strict quota. Once we reach 25, the season will end,” Jiminez said. “We've come full circle to where we can allow hunting.”
Jiminez said shooting wolves outside the trophy game area is not an unusual practice for G&F.
“Wolves are managed differently than cougars or bears because wolves cause many more livestock problems,” he added. “You have the shooting of coyotes and other small predators similar to the shooting of the wolf in the predator zone.”
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Great Article wrote on Jul 9, 2008 1:41 PM: