courtesy of the Associated Press
by Matthew Brown
Federal wildlife officials have signaled their preliminary approval for Idaho’s petition to kill up to 60 endangered gray wolves from packs that have been preying heavily on big game herds in the upper Clearwater River Basin.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a draft environmental review Thursday in which it proposed to approve a wolf hunt plan in the Lolo zone that had been submitted last August by Idaho Fish and Game. A similar petition from Montana – to remove 12 wolves in the Bitterroot Range – remains pending.
Wolves in the Northern Rockies are listed as an endangered species under a federal court order, but state and federal officials have been looking for ways to curb their population.
The Idaho and Montana hunt proposals stem from a 2008 rule change by the Fish and Wildlife Service that allows states to remove wolves if they are harming deer or elk herds. Federal officials must sign off on the any proposed hunts following a scientific review.
The rule is under a court challenge by wildlife advocates. A hearing in the case is set for next month in Missoula, before U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy.
Teklanika Nature Photography 