Let's work together to ensure the future of Idaho's wolves

Wolf recovery in the West has been the most successful program that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has ever accomplished under the Endangered Species Act. Today there are more than 1,650 wolves in Idaho and Montana, Wyoming, and a couple more in Oregon, Washington and Utah. In 1994, only 15 years ago, there were none. I say this as one who doubted for many years that wolves could ever recover. But now a pack can be found in most of the formerly vacant drainages in central Idaho, filling nearly all of their original home grounds...Each of the environmental groups that has filed a lawsuit should accept that the wolves have recovered. Not to accept that is just disingenuous. Conservationists must be honest or nothing. More to the point, however, is that refusing to accept this remarkable win endangers the law, the ESA, that protects all of the other endangered species. What Defenders of Wildlife has done in filing a lawsuit may serve the narrow legal issues but it fails to serve the wolves, the integrity of the ESA and the people of Idaho and the West. The lawsuit should be negotiated to a conclusion that benefits the wolves...read more