Wolf Weekly Wrap-Up

Join Us Next Week — Remotely Or In Person — for Workshops, Demonstrations and Tours of Idaho’s Wood River Wolf Project: Join us next Monday and Tuesday (in person if you live in Idaho, or remotely via phone) for a series of workshops and demonstrations on Idaho’s Wood River Wolf Project to learn about the non-lethal tools and techniques that have significantly reduced livestock losses to wolves in the project area for the past six years. In the Northern Rockies, more than 2,100 wolves have been killed to protect livestock since 1988. While regional researchindicates that lethal wolf control may serve to temporarily reduce losses, it fails to prevent futurelivestock losses, is expensive and ultimately not a long-term, sustainable solution. Using non-lethal tools, the Wood River Wolf Project has successfully protected up to 27,000 sheep annually grazing on Idaho’s Sawtooth National Forest, losing fewer than 30 sheep over the last six years with no government lethal control of wolves in the 1000 square mile project area over the duration of the project. Next Monday and Tuesday, we’ll be offering training, several workshops, demonstrations and field tours for anyone interested in learning more about our coexistence efforts. Get more details on the project and information about how to register.

Wolves Continue to Expand into New Areas in Oregon: Oregon’s wolves are continuing to move to new areas of the state! A few weeks ago we heard that biologists confirmed wolf tracks in the Cascade Mountains and this week, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed a GPS-collared male wolf in the southern portion of Umatilla County, around Mt. Emily. While biologists still need more details, preliminary data suggests that this wolf – OR-26 — has found a mate and likely has pups!

One Year after the Proposal to Remove Federal Protection for Wolves: Today is the one year anniversary of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal to delist most gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act – a proposal that conservation groups, concerned citizens, and many of the nation’s expert scientists believe is seriously flawed. Indeed, the delisting proposal has been highly contested throughout this 12 month period: written comments, public hearings, testimony, and findings from a panel of scientists commissioned by the Service have all called the Service’s delisting proposal into question for being shortsighted and based on flawed science. In commenting on the one year anniversary of this proposal, Defenders’ former President and CEO, Jamie Rappaport Clark said: “Prematurely removing Endangered Species Act protection for wolves before the species has reached recovery throughout its range is one of the most shortsighted and destructive proposals I’ve seen in my 30 years of experience working with the Endangered Species Act.” Final action on the Service’s proposal is expected later this year or early next year. See how you can get involved in the efforts against this proposal.

Help us Run Pro-Wolf Ads in Idaho: To combat the rampant anti-wolf rhetoric in Idaho, we’re planning to run a series of blockbuster ads in the Idaho Statesman, the state’s largest newspaper.It’s the next stage of our all-out campaign to alert the people of Idaho to the slaughter of wolves being carried out in their state. The wolf haters’ agenda is clear – to wipe out nearly 80 percent of Idaho’s remaining wolves in the next five years. And they’re doing it with taxpayers’ money. We know that many Idahoans don’t share this view. Once they know the truth, they will demand an end to the state’s extermination tactics. And that’s why getting the word is out is so critical right now. Please donate today to help us run this ad and to continue our all-out media campaign in Idaho!