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Oct 18, 2007 3:09 pm US/Mountain
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Environmental Groups Don't Want Gray Wolves Killed
CBS4 Gives Ad Campaign A Reality Check
DENVER (CBS4) ―
There's a new political ad from an environmental group that depicts helicopter gunners hunting down wolf puppies. It packs an emotional punch and is bound to get your attention.
Ad Begins
"If the Bush administration has its way, nearly 600 wolves could be gunned down in the northern Rockies."
THIS IS TRUE
The claim is technically true, but it's also misleading. It comes from the Natural Resources Defense Council and it opposes a plan by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to make it easier for states like Idaho, Montana and Wyoming to cull their wolf populations. The group also opposes a move to take the gray wolf off of the endangered species list in the northern Rockies.
Sources:
NRDC Action Fund: Bush Administration Takes Aim at WolvesU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mountain-Prairie Region Endangered Species Programming the Northern Rocky Mountain Population (NRM) of Gray Wolf as a Distinct Population Segment and Removing this Distinct Population Segment from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened WildlifeGray WolfGray Wolf Biology Questions and AnswersThere is of course more to the story. When the federal government re-introduced wolves back in 1995, 1996 the goal was to build a stable population of at least 300 animals, and that mission has been accomplished. In fact, it's gone so well, there's now more than 1,200 gray wolves in the northern Rockies. Consequently Idaho, Wyoming and Montana want the federal government to back off, and the states want to manage their own wolf populations. The states say they need to cull wolves when they attack livestock or over-hunt the elk herds in certain areas.
How would the states do that? By shooting, trapping or issuing hunting permits.
So here's the spin. The shrill sound of the ad ignores the fact that the states are required to preserve a sustainable wolf population. Meaning they're here for good. The minimum requirements must preserve at least 100 wolves (10 breeding pairs) per state, but are likely to be managed at a higher level because the states' fear falling below the threshold would invite federal oversight.
The ad also fails to mention that wolves inside the national parks like Yellowstone and Glacier remain fully protected.
Ad Continues:
"You can help stop the massacre. Go to www.stoptheguns.org"
THE BOTTOM LINE
The bottom line is environmental groups believe the eco-system in the northern Rockies would benefit from more wolves, not less.
There's lots of evidence to show wolves make for healthier game herds and support a number of diverse species, but states say they have a right to manage their wildlife problems as they see fit, and for now the federal government seems inclined to agree.
Other Source material:
This report also relied on phone interviews with members of the NRDC, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and wildlife managers in Montana and Idaho.
Interior Department Announces Delisting of Western Great Lakes Wolves; Proposed Delisting of Northern Rocky Mountain Wolves DOI Announces Proposed Delisting of NRM Wolf PopulationProposed trophy game area for WyomingFAQ from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regarding planNRDC Press Release on call off the guns campaignIdaho Wolf Management
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