Federal Law Protecting Wolves In Idaho, Montana, Wyoming Changed 
Friday, January 25th, 2008

This is bad news for wolves.  This month, federal officials changed the 10j law regarding Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, on behalf of the Bush administration, removing the wording that would have protected more than half of the wolf population in the Greater Yellowstone and central Idaho regions, from being killed.

The Final Revision of the Special Regulation for the Central Idaho and Yellowstone Area, released January 9th, 2008, allows "states and tribes with approved wolf management plans and the people in those States more flexibility in managing nonessential experimental wolves."

The wording "nonessential experimental" means, simply put - wolves that are not necessary to the population of their species; killing them would not, according to the current administration, wreak any havoc in the circle of life.

The administration also is considering the removal of certain species of wolves from the Endangered Species Act (under which gray wolves are currently protected).  If that happens, the 10(j) rule will not even apply, as it is applicable only to listed species.  If and when wolf species are delisted, there are no federal regulations regarding their safety at all.


1.  FOR:  If you are for the 10(j) change and/or the removal of wolf species from the Endangered Species list, you may contact U.S. Fish and Wildlife at contact@fws.gov to express your opinion.

AGAINST:  If you are against the 10(j) change and/or the removal of wolf species from the Endangered Species list, you may e-mail contact@fws.gov, and/or sign this quick & easy petition online, to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, on behalf of the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund.

2.  To keep informed on this issue, we've found Ralph Maughan's Wildlife News to be more regularly updated than many large wildlife organizations.  Go bloggers!

Thanks to Rebecca Young with Care2 for sending us this story!

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