While many state officials and elected leaders condemned a federal judge’s decision to curb Idaho’s wolf hunt and put wolves back on the endangered species list, conservation groups that brought that lawsuit welcomed the ruling.
“This decision is a significant victory for wolves, for the integrity of the Endangered Species Act, and for all Americans who care deeply about conservation,” said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife (DOW), one of the groups that sued the federal government for delisting wolves.
With the lawsuit won, DOW is now turning its efforts to forging a resolution with all the stakeholders affected by wolves, including ranchers and hunters. Suzanne Asha Stone, who works with the group in Idaho, backed a move by Montana Sens. Jon Tester and Max Baucus to hold discussions this fall on the future of wolves in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.
“This will be the first time that stakeholders from the region will be brought together for this purpose,” Stone told IdahoReporter.com. She said she’d like to see people focus on resolving conflict rather than continue to complain and further polarize the issue of wolves.
Tester and Baucus, like Idaho Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, opposed the federal judge’s decision to end state management of wolves, but are responding to it differently. While Idaho’s senators asked Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar to appeal the decision, Tester and Baucus asked Salazar for the meetings.
“Working through a collaborative process can bring resolution to this problem if all the relevant parties are engaged,” the two Montana Democratic senators said in a letter to Salazar.
DOW is also planning to end its program of paying ranchers for livestock killed by wolves. DOW has run its wolf compensation fund for more than 20 years using money from private donations, and paid out more than $140,000 in Idaho this year. Legislation passed by Congress last year should allow federal and state governments to pick up the tab. Idaho’s Office of Species Conservation has paid ranchers for some losses not covered by DOW.
Stone said she thinks people on both sides of the issue should try to stop engaging in a tug-of-war about wolves. “We need to put our collective energy to resolving the conflict,” she said.
[...] DOW leaders say the nonprofit wants to transition to new partnerships with livestock owners, and money from a new federal program could pay for wolf depredation. DOW has paid out more than $140,000 to Idaho livestock producers this year. [...]
[...] wolf managers in paying ranchers for their losses to livestock due to wolf depredation, but is ending that program in Idaho next month. Groen again denounced the group. “That was a commitment these groups made,” he said. [...]
[...] group announced on Aug. 20 that it would end its wolf compensation program for livestock producers who can verify that wolves harmed their animals. Defenders has paid more than $433,000 to Idaho [...]
[...] group announced on Aug. 20 that it would end its wolf compensation program for livestock producers who can verify that wolves harmed their animals. Defenders has paid more than $433,000 to Idaho [...]