Wolves
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Or does anyone really believe the wolf was delisted on the “best available science?” Species are supposed to be delisted based on the “best available science”. The recent controversy over the wolf’s delisting from the endangered species list is not just a flare up over competing values — wolves, love them or hate them. An…
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Family of wolf conservationists tell the grim facts of current state wolf management- While public opinion in favor of keeping wolves at least partially protected by the endangered species act, was ignored yesterday when the Department of Interior announced the national delisting of all wolves except the Mexican wolf, the New York Times and other publications…
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Wolf controversy is personal and cultural, not over biology- Except for the few people “on the fence” — those who have not chosen sides — the controversy over wolf restoration in the West is not really about wolves. When the wolves were first reintroduced beginning in 1995, there was some genuine debate over whether it…
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Interior Secretary Sally Jewell received two letters today from conservation scientists criticizing a draft Rule that would remove protections for wolves across the lower 48 states. One letter came from the American Society of Mammalogists, the other from 16 conservation scientists. Signatories include several scientists who conducted the research the government relied upon in the…
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Montana is said to be investigating- Gardiner, MT. Given the frequent stories of wildlife killing and hate that emanate from the Gardiner, Montana area, the latest find of 2 to 4 bison carcasses north of Yellowstone Park is raising worry about more illegal and legal wildlife killing in the area and/or the spread of domestic or wildlife…
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Hypothesis points to how profound indirect effects of human caused ecological changes can be- For a generation now lake trout (mackinaw) have greatly reduced the formerly hugely abundant Yellowstone cutthroat trout in Yellowstone Lake and in its tributary streams. This decline was made worse by the emergence of whirling disease, a parasite carried by people…
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In an op-ed published in the New York Times yesterday, researchers from Michigan Technological University and Oregon State University advocated for the genetic rescue of the island’s wolf population: As the lead researchers in the study of wolves and moose, we favor conservation or reintroduction. But more important than our view is the reasoning behind…
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On the 1st of May, Drs. John Vucetich and Rolf Peterson submitted written testimony in opposition to Michigan’s plan for a public harvest of gray wolves. I was asked to provide feedback on early versions of this text, and received permission to post the final version here. My hope is that it will generate some…