The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced it will begin an immediate review of the draft wolf management plan released by the state of Minnesota today to ensure it supports the sustained recovery of gray wolf populations in the Midwest.
Although we have not yet had a chance to review the plan or the proposed legislation in detail, we are very pleased the draft plan has been completed, said Service Regional Director Bill Hartwig. The Minnesota plan represents one of the final chapters in a tremendous gray wolf success story, both here and across the nation. The combined efforts of the Service, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and other state and tribal conservation agencies have helped wolf population numbers in the Upper Midwest reach the recovery goals set back in 1978. Now we need to ensure the populations stay healthy and that these wolves never need the assistance of the Endangered Species Act again.
In June of 1998, U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt announced the Service would review the health of gray wolf populations in the conterminous U.S. The purpose of this review would be to determine what, if any, changes to Endangered Species Act protection were needed for the various wolf populations.
Prior to reclassifying or removing the animals from the protection of the Act, the Service must first carefully evaluate the wolf management plans submitted by state and tribal governments to ensure they support the long-term viability of wolves. An extensive public comment period would also be used to gather input from the public and other interested parties following a Service proposal. Any proposal to reclassify or remove gray wolves from the Endangered Species List would be published in the Federal Register.
When gray wolves were listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1974, Minnesota hosted the only remaining population of the animals in the lower 48 states (except for a small, isolated population on Isle Royale, Michigan). Since then, the Service has considered the effective management of gray wolves in Minnesota a critical component in its national gray wolf recovery effort.
The 1978 recovery plan, which was modified in 1992, called for delisting throughout the wolves eastern range once the Minnesota population stabilized and a second population (outside of Minnesota) of at least 100 wolves became established within 100 miles (or at least 200 wolves if farther than 100 miles). These population levels had to be maintained for at least five consecutive years. Based on the population figures released by the Minnesota DNR today, and population information from Wisconsin and Michigan, it appears these goals are likely to be met this spring.
With a wolf population nearly 10 times that of any other state (except Alaska), Minnesota holds a key to that future viability. Service biologists served as advisors to the Minnesota Wolf Management Roundtable during 1998 and provided background information to the Roundtable during their deliberations. The Service believes the recommendations developed by the Roundtable will promote a viable wolf population in Minnesota for the foreseeable future.
A final decision by the Service to remove wolves from the Endangered Species List or change their status will be made only after a complete review of all public comments and wolf management plans, including those related to the management of wolves in the western United States.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System comprising more than 500 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands, and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries and 78 ecological services field stations.
The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://www.fws.gov/r3pao/
