What prompted 10 enviro groups to settle on wolves?

The ongoing courtroom saga of the gray wolf took a rather unexpected turn two weeks ago with the announcement of a settlement between the federal government and 10 of the 14 conservation groups who sued to have the animals relisted under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2008. The agreement created a divide between those 10 groups and their non-settling peers, raising questions as to why—after years of tense litigation—some environmentalists sought compromise. "It's certainly something that required a lot of care and thought on our part, and is a result of a long series of conversations we had both internally with our partners and of course with the Department of the Interior," says Andrew Wetzler, land and wildlife director for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). "If we didn't act and act quickly, wolves would very likely have ended up in a much worse place." It's no coincidence the settlement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) came as Congress considers legislation to delist wolves. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester introduced a delisting bill for populations in Montana and Idaho; Rep. Denny Rehberg proposes removing ESA protections for wolves nationwide. Fearing the passage of such a bill would create a Pandora's box not just for wolves but for other endangered species, settling groups moved to preempt that worst-case scenario...more