The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that its 3-year countdown to wolf recovery will start in the year 2000, meaning that the Service is now in its second year which allows for a possible future proposal to delist the gray wolf possible in 2003. This new recovery information came with a recent confirmation by the USDA Wildlife Services and the Nez Perce Tribe of a recently discovered Gold Fork wolf pack, south of McCall, Idaho. The discovery of this pack, the 30th known pair to successfully raise pups in 2000, made 2000 the first year of the 3-year count down toward reaching the northern Rocky Mountain wolf recovery goal.
The wolf population in the northern Rocky Mountains will be considered "recovered" when there are 30 breeding pairs of wolves evenly distributed throughout western Montana, central Idaho, and the Greater Yellowstone area for three successive years. After the wolf population reaches recovery levels and, as required by the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is assured that state wolf management practices would adequately conserve the wolf population, the Service will propose that wolves be removed from the protections of the Endangered Species Act. The delisting process includes extensive public involvement and the opportunity for comment which could begin in early 2003.
U.S. Department of Agriculture
