New county ordinance bans wolf release with little hope of enforcement
by Donna Rescorla, The White Mountain Independent
posted on Wolf Crossing [here]
HOLBROOK - The Navajo County Board of Supervisors passed a new ordinance - that has little chance of enforcement - for the message it sends.
An ordinance prohibiting the release of wolves and specifying criminal penalties for violations was proposed by Board Chairman J.R. DeSpain at the May 6 supervisors meeting.
”I want to give you some background,” he said, holding up a copy of the Pioneer newspaper. “They reported that in New Mexico cages were built for the children who were waiting to catch the bus because of the fear of being attacked by wolves.
”It’s pretty ironic to have to cage kids to protect them from wildlife. This ordinance is in conflict with the federal program to release to the wild, but we are the Board of Supervisors for Navajo County and have the right to protect our citizens.”
He said the new habitat proposed by federal Fish and Wildlife would open up all of Arizona for the release program.
”I’m a rancher from the Winslow area, and I want to go on record as being with you,” Jim O’Haco said. “I’m against enlarging the wolf areas in central Arizona. Wolves are killers, predators. … [more here].
May 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment | Topic: Wolves
Three states have requested intervenor status in the northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf delisting lawsuit brought by 12 so-called environmental groups against the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which officially removed the wolf from the federal list of endangered species in March.
The USFWS requested a two-week extension of time to file a brief opposing the wolf-lovers motion for preliminary injunction to prepare their briefs, compile expert witnesses and agency program declarations, and obtain internal departmental review of their brief.
Federal Judge Donald W. Molloy denied that motion, so the USFWS has only 11 days to respond to the wolf-lovers request for emergency injunctive relief and the judicial repeal of the wolf delisting. He has yet to rule on whether he will allow the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, Idaho Fish and Game, and Wyoming Fish and Game to intervene.
In his ruling Judge Molloy noted that the USFWS and the intervenors have had over 60 days to prepare for the lawsuit. In truth, the Federal and state agencies have known for years that this was coming. Despite the lengthy debates and discussions in the respective state legislatures, and the involvement of the respective state governors, it appears that none of the states are prepared for the lawsuit they knew was inevitable.
From a commentator:
When you trust bureaucrats to do your bidding for you, this is what you get; the same rank amateurs that reintroduced wolves and the same gross incompetence that “managed” the wolf program for the past 13 years.
How about this for a concept; the bureaucrats have planned all along to take a dive in this court fight so they can keep the wolf on the Endangered Species list and keep the money coming into their bureaucracies.
That may be too harsh a conclusion. In the next few days we may find out the degree to which the states are legally prepared.
In the similar but unrelated suits brought by 13 eco-antagonists against the USFWS and the Mexican gray wolf program in New Mexico and Arizona, it appears that neither state is in any way prepared or even concerned and they have no plans to intervene. With only the USFWS to defend them, local citizens beset by feral wolf-dogs in their communities may find that the Federal Government does not really give a damn about human concerns, rights, well-being, or public safety.
Ranchers, farmers, rural residents, and hunters across the West are woefully unorganized and unprepared for the machinations of the eco-nazis. That is our weakness and may be our downfall.
The solutions, organization and preparation, are what Wildlife and People and SOS Forests are trying to promote, without significant or sufficient success. Most of you who are reading this are getting royally screwed, but it is your own fault for failing to join with and invest in this movement. You snooze, you lose. We all lose.
May 8, 2008 | Leave a Comment | Topic: Homo sapiens, Wolves
On March 28, 2008, the US Fish and Wildlife Service de-listed the northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf. The gray wolf has been on the endangered species list for 35 years. The USFWS determined, after an exhaustive process that took many years, that the gray wolf population had recovered and was no longer in danger of extinction. From the USFWS press release [here].
Today, Friday, March 28, 2008, the northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf is officially removed from the federal list of endangered species. The States of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming will assume full management authority for the continued conservation of the gray wolf. This wolf population has exceeded its recovery goals for the past several years and is now thriving. Presently, there are more than 1,500 wolves and at least 100 breeding pairs in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. The Service and States will cooperatively monitor the wolf population for the next five years.
As part of the Service’s delisting action, it designated the northern Rocky Mountain wolf Distinct Population Segment (DPS) as that area that includes all of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming, the eastern third of Washington and Oregon, and a small corner of north-central Utah.
On April 28 (30 legal days later) twelve so-called environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the USFWS to force them to with draw the delisting and relist the northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf as Threatened and Endangered.
The twelve are: Earthjustice, Defenders of Wildlife, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, The Humane Society of the United States, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, Friends of the Clearwater, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands Project, Western Watersheds Project, and Wildlands Project.
May 5, 2008 | Leave a Comment | Topic: Homo sapiens, Wolves
A month ago the New Mexico Association of Counties passed a unanimous resolution opposing the reintroduction of Mexican gray wolves into the state. Although the resolution and vote were reported by Wolf Crossing [here], the story did not appear the MSM (main stream media) until yesterday [here]. From the Daily Times (Farmington NM):
AZTEC — Members of New Mexico Association of Counties recently banded together to oppose the reintroduction of Mexican gray wolves into New Mexico.
“These wolves were kicked out of Arizona,” said Tony Atkinson, chairman of San Juan County Commission. “They’re not wild.” …
“The New Mexico Association of Counties shall oppose any rule or proposed rule related to the reintroduction of the Mexican gray wolf that does not provide the opportunity for continual involvement of New Mexico’s county elected officials in the decision-making process,” the resolution stated. …
County officials have repeatedly expressed their concerns about people’s safety, their own exclusion from the planning of management of the federal programs under whose purview wolf regulation lies, inability to address problem wolf behavior and related livestock issues — including “insufficient compensation” to ranchers.
“The nonessential experimental population reintroduction has not proven successful based upon the proposals to amend the current management stipulations that require wolves to establish home ranges within the designated recovery area and require initial wolf releases from captivity only into the primary recovery zone,” the resolution stated.
New Mexico Association of Counties represents all of the state’s 33 counties.
The entire resolution is available at Wolf Crossing [here].
Read more
May 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment | Topic: Homo sapiens, Wolves
The conservation group that photographed the Orogrande Slaughter [here] has done the same in the North Fork of the Clearwater River in North Central Idaho.
The Idaho Fish and game had closed the road in February and March to keep snowmobilers from harassing and causing undue stress and trauma to the wintering elk caught in very deep snow. IFG did not, however, prevent wolves from slaughtering elk and whatever else they could find.
In April, on the first day that the Idaho Fish and Game gave the green light to the Clearwater National Forest to re-open the road, the conservation team was on the ground taking pictures and documenting the wolf predation. Special thanks go to Lewis and Sharon Turcott and others for their incredible efforts providing these pictures to the public.
Warning: the photographs are graphic. The North Fork Clearwater Wolf Kill is [here]
April 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment | Topic: Deer, Elk, Bison, Wolves
Here are 2 of the first 5 wolves taken near Big Piney and Pinedale, Wyoming. A law enforcement officer released these pictures. The wolves were taken legally.
April 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment | Topic: Wolves
Is this what we want for our “ecosystems”?
Posted at Wolf Crossing [here]
Last weekend a woman witnessed a pack of wolves attack and kill two of her dogs just outside of her window, near Ashton, ID. She tried to scare them off and they ignored her (she’s probably lucky they did since she wasn’t using the correct deterrent).
Our ancestors did their best to get rid of the problem and then we re-created the problem that we are going to have to address, AGAIN.
This incident occurred east of Ashton. The wolves traveled down the reclamation road last night and killed 9 dogs. This one survived the night. The photo was posted by Dr. Griffel. DON’T LOOK IF YOU HAVE A WEAK STOMACH. Idaho Dog Attack — CAUTION GRAPHIC.
April 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment | Topic: Wolves
by Roni Bell Sylvester, Good Neighbor Law [here]
The wolf program has nothing to do with any promised esthetics of a “seeing experience” for the mire handful of individuals who would deliberately SUV, hike, walk, crawl, ATV, wheelchair, RV or Harley into a wolf den.
Each “look see” probably costs us taxpayers $10,000. Can we afford this show?
When Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt announced a wolf initiative in 1994, it is said by many including a U.S. District Judge, that Babbitt misinterpreted the law, exceeded the authority of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and ignored the concerns of the Indigenous whose homes were on the very land he wanted to plant wolves.
Why did he do this? Study the history of ESA, and you’ll clearly see how it has been mis-skewed by an elite few to gain control over the usage of our land and water.
After all, he who gets control over land and water gets the gold! It’s all about money. All takeovers of land, water, company or private property, follow the same formula. Depending on the structure of the organization, this formula works by: finding something “to save;” waiving public debate; ignoring shareholders or members; pretending they found this thing “to save” on your land; disturbing you to such extent that you (now spent financially, physically and mentally) throw up your hands and cry out, “I can’t handle this anymore. I give up!”
Yesterday, the take-over artists enlisted the federal government’s help. Today, they receive welfare from, and dictate marching orders to, our federal government.
In the case of Endangered Species, the once well-used spotted owl has been replaced by the wolf, polar bear, the overpopulated and very common meadow mouse, and a myriad of critters.
Since 1994, untold numbers of ewes, lambs, calves and other livestock and pets, have been lost due to wolf killings. I doubt whether Bruce Babbitt or any wolf follower drone has suffered a wolf kill. With that as a given, their lack of comprehension regarding the financial and mental toll these kills have on those who have incurred such losses should absolutely disqualify them from any decision making process.
Meanwhile Babbitt now enjoys money and status as head of the World Wildlife Foundation. Together with Al Gore, his new something “to save” is the entire earth from sea to shining sea and everything above and below. After all, he who gets control over land and water gets the gold!
It’s not about a “seeing experience” for the many. It is instead, all about money… for a few.
Can you imagine the killing these wolves are making?
April 18, 2008 | Leave a Comment | Topic: Wolves
By TY HAMPTON, Shoshone News Press [here]
SHOSHONE COUNTY - Nearly a week after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ruled to remove gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains from the federal endangered species list, Idaho Fish and Game confirmed that at least five elk carcasses found over the past month in the Mullan area are thought to be wolf kill.
Wallace Fish and Game Conservation Officer Josh Stanley reported that three carcasses were found along a popular snowmobile path up Dead Man’s Gulch with two others near the fish hatchery, all killed by wolves. An additional two elk fatalities are in question.
Stanley said wolf tracks were discovered near the recently found carcasses with similar wounds that indicated death by wolf rather than mountain lion.
“We are just now beginning to see wolves visually in the Mullan area,” Stanley said. “And what we’ve found is just what we can see. There is no telling what has occurred up in the mountains.”
Stanley said ever since the wolves were reintroduced to the region they have met, reproduced, and formed new packs in concentrated areas. He added that a pack has been known to travel between Mullan and St. Regis, Mont.
“That will only last for so long before we have a pack in Mullan,” Stanley said. “I really believe the Coeur d’Alene drainage will have its own pack soon if the trend continues.”
Stanley called the wolf kills a new and growing mortality source for elk in the area, citing winter conditions and the occasional mountain lion for the bulk of local elk fatalities.
April 12, 2008 | Leave a Comment | Topic: Deer, Elk, Bison, Wolves
By Mike Satren, Outdoors editor, Coeur d’Alene Press [here]
Clash of worldviews pits rural versus urban
When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted its Feb. 21 conference call to brief the media that wolves would be delisted from the Endangered Species Act on March 28, USFWS leaders and Interior officials patted themselves on the back.
“Gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains are thriving and no longer require the protection of the Endangered Species Act,” said Interior Deputy Secretary Lynn Scarlett. “The wolf’s recovery in the Northern Rocky Mountains is a conservation success story.”
Many of the rural folks in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming don’t share this rosey view now and they didn’t like it back when the Canadian grey wolves were first turned loose in central Idaho in 1996 and 1997.
They counter that the real conservation success story was much earlier during the 20th century when hunters and fishermen put their tax money where their mouths were. Angry at the severe depletion of herds and flocks caused by the unchecked market hunting of the 19th century, President Theodore Roosevelt - supported by sportsmen - worked to pass laws to implement game regulations throughout the states heralding an era of wildlife abundance.
April 4, 2008 | 2 Comments | Topic: Wolves
