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Northern Rockies Wolves

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James Navarro

Northern Rockies and Yellowstone Area Wolf Management and Policy

Legal Action for Wolves

August 3, 2011 - Judge Donald Molloy reluctantly upholds the constitutionality of wolf rider. While Defenders was not a party to this lawsuit, it is clear from Molloy's decision that he had serious doubts about the constitutionality of the wolf rider and considered it a clear violation of "the spirit of the ESA."
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More than 30 years of protection under the Endangered Species Act has allowed wolves to regain their natural place in Greater Yellowstone and the northern Rockies. But that recovery is now at risk.

Wolves were reintroduced to central Idaho and Yellowstone National Park in 1995 under the federal Endangered Species Act. The ESA requires that federal protection can only be removed once all factors guarantee the wolf population will be sustained by state regulations and plans.

In early 2009, the USFWS notified the state of Wyoming that it no longer had an acceptable wolf management plan due to a lack of adequate regulatory mechanisms ensuring wolves protection under state law, and in April, the state of Wyoming filed a lawsuit challenging that decision. On May 4, 2009, the Obama Administration published the final delisting rule removing Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains Distinct Population Segment except in Wyoming.

Defenders and 12 other conservation groups again filed a federal court lawsuit challenging the federal government’s decision. An injunction was also filed to stop the killing of hundreds of wolves in Montana and Idaho in planned fall hunts. Unfortunately the effort to stop the planned hunt was unsuccessful with 72 wolves killed in Montana and 188 killed in Idaho in the 2009-2010 fall/winter wolf hunt.

In August 2010, the U.S. District Court in Montana restored federal protections for wolves in the Northern Rockies under the ESA. The court ruled in favor of Defenders, agreeing that a species could not be delisted in only a portion of its range based on political boundaries.

In fall 2010, numerous legislation was introduced in Congress attempting to remove wolves from the Endangered Species List and hand management over to the states. Legislation included the Returning Wolf Management to the States Act (S. 3919) introduced by Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), James Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Enzi (R-Wyoming), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and John Barrasso (R-Wyoming). This bill was ultimately blocked in the Senate.

However, on May 5, 2011, wolves were delisted following Congress’ passage of a delisting rider attached to a budget bill, and the 2009 delisting rule went into effect immediately. Wolf management was turned over to states in part of the Northern Rocky Mountain Distinct Population Segment (DPS); this included Idaho and Montana along with parts of Oregon, Washington and Utah, but kept wolves listed in Wyoming. A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of this congressional rider was unsuccessful. On August 8, Wyoming issued their draft wolf management plan (PDF) for a 30 day public comment period, and elisting of wolves in Wyoming could occur as soon as February 2012.

Wolf hunts in Idaho and Montana commenced in August 2011 allowing hundreds of wolves to be killed in each state. Idaho even allows wolves to be caught in leg hold traps and snares. The wolf hunt in Idaho began August 30, and many areas of Idaho have no quota on the number of wolves killed. Montana will allow for 220 wolves to be hunted—killing potentially 40% of the current wolf population.

How You Can Help

If you're a resident of the northern Rockies or Pacific Northwest and support having a healthy wolf population in the region, please contact Suzanne Asha Stone at suzanne.stone@defenders.org or by telephone at (208) 424-9385 for more information about how you can help.

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Idaho Wolf Management and Policy

On May 22, 2008, Idaho's Fish and Game Commission adopted a regulated wolf hunt that will allow up to 428 of Idaho's 700+ wolves to be removed. Idaho's governor has publicly announced his intention to kill more than 80% of the state's wolves, which would leave just over 100 wolves in Idaho. That's too extreme. It's time for Idaho to manage wolves in a responsible and sustainable manner. But this time, we need a process that brings together a balance of stakeholders to craft wolf and livestock management plans based on solid science. For those who share a deep respect for our natural resources, we can work together to make this a reality. We have another chance to get it right this time.

Wyoming Wolf Management and Policy

Wyoming's wolf management plan would allow 16 of the existing 23 packs of the wolves in the state to be killed on sight. To accomplish this goal, the state would authorize poisoning, trapping and shooting within 90% of the wolf's current home range outside of the national parks.

Learn more at:

Wyoming Wolves

Wyoming Wolf Management Plan

Defenders of Wildlife’s Comments on the Wyoming Wolf Management Plan