NEPA process could take several months
Wildlife Services has agreed to conduct an Environmental Assessment as required by the National Environmental Policy Act. This could take several months and the August 12th hearing would be cancelled.
BREAKING: Feds Call Off Oregon Wolf Hunt.
Natural Oregon
Comments
Anyone have an answer:
If an EA is required by the National Environmental Policy Act, is WS now required to do an EA in all states where they are undertaking control actions? The removal of complete packs here in Montana would seem to necessitate an EA.
Ouch. The last line in the story:
“And finally, still no word on the fate of the alpha male of the Imnaha pack. His tracking collar stopped transmitting May 31 and he’s not been seen or heard from since.”
I’m unclear how often EA’s would be required, but I’ve been told that WS has in the past fulfilled the requirement in the RM region and then gone on to kill a lot of wolves.
That’s at the heart of WWP’s lawsuit against WS. They have done categorical exclusions for Idaho and I’m sure other states as well which aren’t adequate. They should do an EIS rather than an EA.
Ken, is WS saying that they did an EIS at some point in the past..a programmatic EIS…so they don’t need to do one for each and every wolf recovery plan?
Interesting…most of the agencies now just do the EIS since an EA is almost NEVER done correctly…but then again, we have had 8 years of Bush, and CEs flying fast and furious…so not surprised. And WS is just morally bankrupt…should be completely disbanded and functions re-examined and re-assigned.
I would think that Wildlife Services would have to do at least a new programmatic EA or hopefully a full EIS for wolf killing in idaho, mt, wyoming as well as OR, WA, UT, and perhaps CO as wolves fan out on their own.
Also ESA consultation with FWS would be in order since the wolves were listed, unlisted and now listed again, grounds for reinitiation of consultation and there was recently unaccounted for take of those referred to as non-essential experimental wolves as well as those considered natural, fully covered populations (north of I-90 in ID and MT) from permitted hunts in Idaho and Montana plus ID’s special wolf hunt in northern ID for outfitters and guides.
They would also need to quantify the take (natural and human induced) as well as all Wildlife Service’s take by poison, trapping, and aerial shooting.
Lots of paper work should slow them down or hopefully stop them for quite awhile throughout the Northern Rockies, not just OR. Where’s a lawyer when you need one?
I have been studying wolves for 15 + years and in that time i have researched conflicts between man and animals.It does not make a bit of sense that the wolf is so hated when cougars, bears , even bison have attacked even killed people and there are so many of them and so little amount of wolves.I respect ranchers and there concerns about predation. my uncle was in the logging industry and the spotted owl problem/issue came up..thats what happens when you have a life or job that revolves around wildlife or the enviorment.Cattle and sheep were brought over from europe.They are not native to the U.S. .wolves are..so we must accept losses..We moved into the animals home. They did not move into ours!!DEAL WITH IT !!!!
Does this mean the “hunt” in Utah could be called off as well? Or will it remain “kill on sight”?
Ralph???
The words in the article say it all “both cattle and wolves have moved into higher pastures on public lands”
The key words here PUBLIC LANDS, I see the Wolf as having rights to public lands as a natural inhabitant of this land. Wolves are not bought and or sold for profit, wolves were not brought to this land from another place, wolves are not owned by a rancher or a person. As the land in question is not owned by us either.
Wolves will persevere through time, as man and his fences, and his belongings are washed away by his tidal self righteous ways. Man will want what is good for man, not good for all.
We must remember to honor and look upon all living beings with our God given eyes of compassion.
Respect, is all it takes, respect the land, its inhabitants, its wonders, and what is left is all we need, as man.
Respect the Wolf, and all of its energies will be returned to us, 10 fold: social order, loyalty, guardianship, balance, respect for family, and a strong spirit.