Washington Wolf politics

[haus]

Fitkin's too busy! Duhhh... It's hard work identifying wolf packs.

'Damn digital camera's these days, just dont' make them like they use to you know! and you can't find a quality DNA tester anywhere!!! Gaawwwddd its such a nightmare! The DoW said they would handle the shipping and processing of our collected samples, I'm not sure why its taking them so long to get back to me?!!'......


 

[wolfbait]

Intellectuals And Wildlife Management
January 5, 2010
 
There exists a divide between the “educated” wildlife biologist and the hunter, fisherman, trapper and outdoors person. It is unfortunate that this divide prohibits better wildlife management. Let’s call the divide what it is. On the one side you have the college educated intellectual who can prove most anything he or she wants to using data and computer modeling. Generally speaking, these intellectuals look down their noses at the average “Joe” who spends far more time in the field than the biologist. And of course on the other sideof the divide, is the outdoor sportsmen, some of whom have spent countless hours and years witnessing first hand what’s going on in the woods. One would think putting the two together would be like dipping your chocolate into the jar of peanut butter. Such is not the case.

Today, Thomas Sowell writes:

Those whose careers are built on the creation and dissemination of ideas– the intellectuals– have played a role in many societies out of all proportion to their numbers. Whether that role has, on net balance, made those around them better off or worse off is one of the key questions of our times.

Sowell’s article of course is about the impact that intellectuals have had on the world’s societies – good and bad. Ideas are great and God only knows where we would be without those who can produce ideas. But as Sowell points out, only time can tell whether those ideas are for the better or the worse.

Wildlife management these days is born in the field of academia, where once it seemed more important to rely on the experience of the man in the field. With an ever shifting to the left within our educational industry, wildlife biologists are coming fresh out of school indoctrinated with a host of ideas, many of them idealistic and not grounded in sound scientific facts or matching what exists on the ground. With the passing of each successive generation it seems we are witness to snotty-nosed graduates bucking up against seasoned outdoorsmen. Instead of the forces working against each other, they should be working together as both sides can contribute valuable resources.

There is an organization in Idaho that has a website called Save Our Elk. Their mission is to educate and draw attention to the facts of what is really taking place in the field. Their goal is simple – saving elk. As part of their strategy, they send out emails containing news, stories, studies and just about anything to inform and educate. I am privileged to receive those emails.

It seems that one of the leaders of Save Our Elk, Tony Mayer, received an email from a professor at the University of Idaho, who works for the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, requesting that Mr. Mayer remove her from his “repulsive email campaign”. As Mr. Mayer pointed out, sometimes the truth is hard to take.

What is most disturbing and yet telltale about this action/reaction is that an academic of fish and wildlife, would be so close-minded to other thoughts and information being collected from those who spend so much time in the outdoors. Bear in mind that this person is responsible for some of the education and teaching that our young wildlife biologists are getting. Dare we question why these young biologists choose not listen to the crusty old veterans of the woods?

One gentleman responded to the professor’s lack of interest in “repulsive” facts this way:

Even if you don’t like, or disagree with, the message in the article, I would think that a mature, curious scientist, who had an interest in the “interface” between science and policy – particularly in the very area of her expertise -, would actively seek communication with an existing, robust, substantial community of interest, such as Idaho hunters. The opposite appears to be the case.

Steve Alder, President of Idaho for Wildlife, reminded his members that it took two years from the time that a seasoned outdoorsmen began informing the Idaho Department of Fish and Game that the severe winter of 1996-1997 had destroyed the state’s elk herd in the Lolo Region, until they were willing to admit he was right.

This same man informed the IDFG in the Spring of 1997 that they had lost over 50%,(Approximately 10,000) of the elk in the Lolo zone alone due to the horrible winter of 96-97 and he was quickly enlighten how wrong he was and that the elk had suffered an average winter kill and a warm thaw had saved the elk that year. This man was led to the computer where he was shown in the monitor that the elk were doing just fine.

The same has held true in reports of elk and mule deer being destroyed by wolves and other large predators. These people are valuable eyes on the front of where it all happens. This divide between idealistic computer modeling and true to life events in the field needs to disappear before more damage is done.

Alder also quotes one of those experienced outdoor sportsmen and what he had to say about wildlife management.

The late legendary Montana and Idaho Cowboy, outfitter, Outdoor writer and gun expert Elmer Keith, (1899-1984), in his biography, “Hell I was there”, (1979), wrote, “Here in this Country, (Salmon, ID region), Our biologists labor under the delusion that the predators kill off the old, crippled and sick game which could never be farther from the truth.” “These ecologist have never seen a mule deer out in the crusted deep snow up to its belly as it floundered along and a pack of coyotes or wolves crowding along beside eating the poor animal alive.” “First the guts hurtle out and they eat them up and pull them out.” “Finally the poor thing goes down and they literally eat him alive with no attempt to kill him clean first.” “With proper management, game can be brought back but it requires proper management by men who have lived with the game and understand it and not by some biologist with a four-year degree from college alone.”

Idaho is not alone when it comes to problems with wildlife management. Maine is currently in the midst of a major whitetail deer problem. Hunters have been complaining for several years that portions of the state didn’t have any deer. I think the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) agreed that in the northern, eastern and portions of western Maine, the deer herd was struggling. What I think they didn’t realize is just how bad it was. But those in the field knew. Is this a case of this same divide causing the demise of Maine’s deer herd because the “intellectuals” didn’t want to listen?

I remember that it was right after the deer hunting season in Maine, December 2006, when I first was notified by some disgruntled hunters in Northern Maine. They wanted to start a petition drive asking MDIFW to close down the deer hunting season until the herd had been rebuilt. Whether that would work is really immaterial. This issue is that the hunters already knew there was a problem and MDIFW hadn’t admitted it.

As a matter of fact, MDIFW wants to lay the biggest part of the blame for the decimation of the herd on the two back-to-back severe winters – the winters of 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. As you can see, the complaints I began receiving from unhappy hunters was prior to those two severe winters.

We can point fingers and spread the blame everywhere but it won’t do much good until we can shrink the divide. I have written about this before. The hunters, the trappers, the fishermen and everyone who ventures afield have to be the eyes and ears of the fish and game. Fish and game has to be accepting of this.

We can’t have academia refusing to consider facts because they find them “repulsive”, or probably more accurately defined as in disagreement with one’s ideals.

Intellectuals float ideas, some good and some bad. Those in the field come armed with what they see. Meshing these two together could be quite productive.

Tom Remington

http://mainehuntingtoday.com/bbb/2010/01/05/intellectuals-and-wildlife-management/

[WAcoyotehunter]

I agree with some of this stuff WB...and in general, I wonder about wildlife biologists that don't recreate (hunt/fish/camp/birdwatch...whatever) outside.  I have talked with bios before that say stuff like "this is just my job, when I'm off I don't want to be in the woods or thinking about it"    I don't understand that, and I wonder how much they really know about the woods and wildlife if it's not their passion.

[wolfbait]

WC, would you also agree that the wolf introduction with it's outcome to date, is not about biology, but instead hidden agenda's. Please read attachment.

[WAcoyotehunter]

There are likely some personal agendas involved.  I suppose they range from real interest in wolves, to career advancement, to hunting issues (both for hunting wolves and anti hunters).   Hopefully they can design a plan that allows us to get rid of troublesome wolves like the ones mentioned in the Gila.   

[wolfbait]

It's questionable how much actual benefit wolf recovery is for
   wolves. We do know wolf recovery benefits the people who make money
   off the animal. These are the special interest groups, biologists
   and researchers who study and promote the animal -- often at great
   taxpayer expense. Further, there are those who use endangered
   species as a surrogate for personal agendas such as anti-hunting and
   land control. There's also a conflict of interest involved: "Those
   who write recovery plans for wolves and other endangered species,
   choose the alternatives, conduct and edit the science, edit the
   comments and make all the decisions, are the same ones who benefit
   directly from their own contrived determinations."

 Wildlife management is an art science, not a specific science. A
   specific science is something that is specific and can be tested,
   tested and re-tested with the same results every time. Chemistry is
   an example. A chemist can mix one element with another element and
   get a certain and definite reaction every time. That is specific.

   Wildlife management is an art science in that there are so many
   variables that two biologists can look at the same studies and come
   up with different conclusions. Quite often wolf biologists do not
   agree with each other in their studies about wolves.

   This is the very reason for the need to review history. History
   helps biology and wildlife management become realistic.

http://www.aws.vcn.com/fact.html

[WAcoyotehunter]

You're right about the art science part of biology, however- a person trained in the habits and motivations of wildlife can make more accurate and precise (though still imperfect) decisions about management.  In any population there are going to be outlyers.  I'm not saying that it takes a 'trained' (college) biologist to make accurate assumptions and decisions, but it takes someone that understands the function of a natural system.

I think there are still a lot of well meaning biologists that have foremost interest in the wildlife and the habitat (I'd like to think that I am one).  Biologists are not exactly getting rich off their studies or any of the legislation or persuasion of the FWS. 

[wolfbait]

Quote from: haus on June 13, 2010, 01:37:02 PM
Quote from: WAcoyotehunter on June 13, 2010, 01:22:07 PM
The subspecies should be discussed.  That is one of the problems with translocating (not introducing to the state, but moving within) wolves from Eastern Wa to the Cascades...some people lump some people split...in this case we should probably think about it before wolves are moved from here to there.  It might not be appropriate for the wolves in PO county to be in the cascades, but there is little evdidence to tell us what was where... 


why wasn't this part of the conversation and why hasn't it been mentioned in the WWG proposals then? why would the WWG ramrod legislation that ignores such information and leaves out any window of opportunity for it to be discussed? If such possibilities are even remotely true then why is it being ignored by our states biologists? Why would it not be mentioned by them? You know a simple "hang on guys we see there are possibly some fundamental differences between the two packs, its possible the ecological impact could differ between the two if placed in western wa" why is that so hard to say?




September 8, 1991
Removing the wolf from the endangered-species list is the primary objective of Montana's recovery plan.
Although wolves generally prefer to prey upon elk and deer, and although attacks on humans almost never happen, livestock owners contend that they prey indiscriminately. But Fish and Wildlife Service figures indicate that domestic livestock are rarely killed by wolves.
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com:80/archive/?date=19910908&slug=1304367

Wednesday, February 5, 1992
The gray wolf, listed as endangered in every state but Minnesota and Alaska, disappeared from Washington in the early 1900s. But reports of wolf sightings in the wild North Cascades have increased in recent years. In 1990 biologists discovered two dens - the first time wolves had been sighted in the state since 1975.
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com:80/archive/?date=19920205&slug=1473981

Friday, April 17, 1992
State wildlife agents already have identified six packs of wolves in Washington's Cascades, and more are expected to migrate from Canada to the state's protected forests.
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com:80/archive/?date=19920417&slug=1486887

Copyright (c) 1992
It must also be remembered that the wolf is listed as an endangered or threatened species in all the 48 lower states and that plans are under way for wolf recovery in Utah, Colorado (Bennett 1994), Arizona, and New Mexico. Washington state may already have more wolves than Montana. Wolf reintroductions are being considered for New York and Maine (Van Ballenberghe 1992), and the red wolf has already been released in the Southeast. Under the present Endangered Species Act, wolves must be restored to every state with suitable habitat; at least, that is how the act is being interpreted by environmental organizations.
http://www.mtmultipleuse.org/endangered/wolfreport.htm

December 6, 1992
TWISP, Okanogan County - We may not be dancing with wolves, but they're here, their numbers are growing and it is possible to coexist with them in relative peace.
For example, 100 sightings were reported in 1981, and last year there were 200, ranging as far south as Mount St. Helens, Almak said.
Biologists are trying to write a wolf-recovery plan for Washington.
Originally planned as part of a recovery program for the northern Rockies, where wolves were brought in, the effort could become unique to Washington because of the apparently burgeoning population.
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19921206&slug=1528536


Copyright (c) 1997
In 1990, adults with pups were seen in the Hozomeen area. This was the first known reproduction of wild wolves in Washington State in at least 50 years! Since 1990, biologists have seen three separate groups of adult wolves with pups in the Cascades.
http://www.nps.gov:80/archive/noca/wolf.htm

Friday, November 1, 2002
WASHINGTON — Two conservation groups are calling on the federal government to restore gray wolves to Washington state, saying it's time to "hear the call of the wild again" in Western Washington forests.
Defenders of Wildlife and the Northwest Ecosystem Alliance said yesterday they have sent a petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, requesting that the agency restore and protect gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act.

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com:80/archive/?date=20021101&slug=graywolves01m

07/19/2008
A state biologist said Monday that he believes one or more packs of gray wolves are living in the Methow Valley...
Packers have made numerous reports of wolves in the high country in the past couple of years, and there have been increasing reports by residents in lower elevations, he said.
Fitkin said there have been reliable wolf sightings in the Methow dating to the early 1990s, but only sporadic, unconfirmed reports of wolf packs.
http://daily.sightline.org:80/daily_score/archive/2008/07/19/washingtons-wolves-are-back

 WDFW doesn’t want anything to do with remembering the first wolf recovery in Washington. Without the Mackenzie wolves it is not considered wolf recovery.


 I am still wondering why WDFW will not address the fact that WDFW already had wolf recovery started in the 1980's and 90's. What seems to be the problem in being honest with the people of Washington?

[bearpaw]

Wacoyote, one of the reasons I like you is that you are a biologist who has a sincere interest in your work and you will listen to other sports folks opinions, sometimes you get a little upset, but you are human, and what is really important is that you don't leave the table because you think you are holier than thou. Obviously not every person is going to agree on every issue and sometimes I don't agree with everything you say, such is life...LOL     Needless to say, I wished that you worked for the WDFW in their wolf program, perhaps there would be some balance.

The greenies love nature and wildlife just as us hunters do. There are many who get into the biologist field, that is just the way it is. However what I see happening in WDFW is that it seems top managers are not keeping a balance in management. It seems like there must be mostly managers and bios with a non-hunting or even anti-hunting stance who have control of the wolf program in particular. The Draft Wolf Plan they have presented to the public reeks of preservationism and anti-hunting motives. They seem to be totally ignoring the facts that are coming out of Idaho and Montana areas that have been overun and severley hurt by mismanagement of wolves.

The simple fact is: Only by making a huge fuss can the hunting public and rural residents in Washington hope to get a reasonable wolf plan.

[Special T]

Wacoyote if the Bio's that are in charge of the wolf programs shared info and wanted a discussion like BP said i think there wouldn't be as much heat in the discussion... I agree with BP that you show more fortitude than most when we are  with each other...

[wolfbait]

Sunday, August 30, 1992 -
Wolf Fight Overlies Wider Conflicts -- Yellowstone Plan Opens Question Of Who Will Control Future Of The West
Hearings are also scheduled in Helena, Mont., Seattle, Salt Lake City and Boise. Boise and Seattle were selected because the Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Plan also identifies central Idaho and the Northern Cascades as possible reintroduction areas.

Since the plan was drafted in the 1980s, wolves have naturally migrated into Washington without human help, and there have been wolf sightings farther south every year along the Continental Divide in Montana. It is possible that wolves eventually could migrate to Yellowstone without assistance, but many biologists have said it's unlikely.

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19920830&slug=1510070


Saturday, June 23, 1990 - Page updated at 12:00 AM

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Second Finding Reported This Year Of Gray Wolf Den In North Cascades
Times Staff: AP

State and federal biologists yesterday reported the discovery of the second gray-wolf den found in the North Cascades this year.

Scientists found two pups Monday in a remote area of the Okanogan National Forest. The pups and an adult wolf were heard by seven biologists the next day.

``I guess it's about as confirmed as you can get,'' said Ed Isenson, Washington Department of Wildlife spokesman. ``To say we're excited is an understatement. Two wolf dens in Washington after their eradication decades ago is truly a happy event.''

The sighting, northwest of Winthrop, Okanogan County, was in an area near the Pasayten Wilderness Area, in the Okanogan National Forest. Isenson said the biologists uttered wolf calls and saw two wolf pups cross in front of their vehicle headlights.

Sightings of adult gray wolves have been reported for years, the most recent sighting being 15 years ago.

On May 23, biologists confirmed the existence of a wolf den in the Ross Lake National Recreation area, about 40 miles northwest of the Okanogan discovery.

The biologists in the first discovery have yet to see the wolves. They installed infrared cameras in an attempt to photograph the wolves but as of yesterday had not photographed any, a Forest Service official said.

Copyright (c) 1990 Seattle Times Company, All Rights Reserved.

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19900623&slug=1078636

 





Friday, May 25, 1990 - Page updated at 12:00 AM

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Corrected version

Wolves In Cascades -- First Sighting In 15 Years
By Hal Spencer

AP

OLYMPIA - Wolf pups are living in a den deep in the North Cascade Mountains, the first sighting in 15 years in a state where wolves were virtually exterminated decades ago, biologists said today.

``This is a marvelous surprise. We're very excited about it,'' said Ray Ryan, deputy director of the state Department of Wildlife.

The gray-wolf den was discovered Wednesday by state and federal biologists in the Hozomeen area of Ross Lake National Recreation Area near the British Columbia border, officials said.

``We don't know how many pups there are because we didn't want to disturb the den by getting close

enough to count them,'' said Ed Gastellun, assistant superintendent at North Cascades National Park.

Cindy Barry, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said biologists ``heard the yips of the wolves'' and could tell from the sounds that some were pups and some were adults. ``They didn't actually see the wolves,'' she said, but officials still consider it a sighting.

Gastellun said the last wolf sighting in Washington occurred in 1975 when two wolves were killed. Biologists confirmed a sighting of wolf tracks last year.

Gray wolves are classified as endangered in the lower 48 states, except for Minnesota, where they are listed as threatened. Alaska has several thousand wolves and a continuing controversy over methods to control their numbers to boost the population of moose, on which they

sometimes feed.

``This sighting confirms that we have the habitat for wolves,'' Gastellun said. He said wolves feed largely on small animals such as squirrels.

``It's an exciting time for the park and for this area. It's only the third area in the lower 48 where they live.'' The others are Isle Royale in Minnesota and Glacier National Park in Montana, he said.

Gastellun said the sighting will spark temporary closures of parts of the area, probably through June. ``The next 30 days are critical for the pups, and for protecting the den,'' he said. ``The closures shouldn't be controversial since we get relatively few users, and fishing doesn't open until July 1.''

Biologists suspect the wolves migrated from Canada, and have suspected for years that they are present in the North Cascades, a state biological report said.

The federal Endangered Species Act under which wolves are protected makes it illegal to kill, harass, harm, pursue, trap or capture wolves.

Published Correction Date: 90/05/26 - This Associated Press Article About The Apparent Reappearance Of Gray Wolves In The North Cascade Mountains, Included Erroneous Information On Where The Wolves Are Known To Live In The Lower 48 States. Those Three Areas Are Isle Royale In Michigan, Northern Minnesota And Glacier National Park In Montana.

Copyright (c) 1990 Seattle Times Company, All Rights Reserved.

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19900603&slug=1075265



Sunday, June 3, 1990 - Page updated at 12:00 AM

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Northwest Briefly

Rare Wolf Pups To Be Isolated, Photographed
Times Staff: Times News Services

Wildlife biologists hope to capture the first wolf pups known to have been born in Washington in decades - but only on film from unmanned, infrared cameras set up near the den site in the North Cascades.

State and federal biologists in May located the gray wolf den containing pups by howling at them and getting distinctive barks and howls in return. It is the first confirmation in 15 years that wolves are living in Washington, says Harriet Allen, state biologist.

More importantly, she said, ``it's the first wolf den, first indication of breeding since the early 1900s. We've always thought there were transient wolves in the Cascades based on tracks.''

Biologists will not attempt to get close enough to see the den in the Hozomeen area of Ross Lake National Recreation Area for another month for fear of disturbing the she-wolf and causing her to move her pups.The road into the Hozomeen has been closed to all traffic until June 14.

Copyright (c) 1990 Seattle Times Company, All Rights Reserved

Friday, April 17, 1992 - Page updated at 12:00 AM

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http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19900603&slug=1075265



Originally published Thursday, July 24, 2008 at 12:00 AM

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DNA confirms wolf comeback
State wildlife officials say genetic tests have confirmed that two animals captured last Friday in western Okanogan County are wild, gray...

By The Associated Press

OLYMPIA — State wildlife officials say genetic tests have confirmed that two animals captured last Friday in western Okanogan County are wild, gray wolves.

Before releasing the wolves — a male and a lactating female — biologists fitted them with radio collars to track their movements.

The state Fish and Wildlife Department also noted Wednesday that a remote camera operated by a private group has photographed the radio-collared male wolf at a location where six pups also were photographed.

Wildlife officials say this is the first documented resident wolf pack in Washington since the 1930s.

Wolves are considered endangered in Washington state.

Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008069663_wolfreturn24.html

The list of wolves in the 1980's and 1990's keeps growing, I especially like this part, (It is the first confirmation in 15 years that wolves are living in Washington, says Harriet Allen, state biologist.)

This sighting confirms that we have the habitat for wolves,'' Gastellun said. He said wolves feed largely on small animals such as squirrels. 

Sounds like the wolf push was going on in the 80's and 90's also

[wolfbait]

Sunday, June 9, 1991 - Page updated at 12:00 AM

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Olympic Revival For Wolf? -- N. Cascades Sighting Stirs New Discussion
By Mary Ann Gwinn

The wolf, that embattled symbol of the wild, is back in the North Cascades. And, spurred by recent confirmed sightings of gray wolves, a movement is building to reintroduce the independent predator into Olympic National Park.

A symposium in Seattle yesterday, sponsored by the pro-wolf Greater Ecosystem Alliance, addressed the pros and cons of the prospect of bringing the wolf back to the Olympic Peninsula, part of its historical range.

But speakers from Montana, Washington and British Columbia offered a frank assessment of the politics of making such a reintroduction on the Peninsula, an area reeling from the effect of accommodating another endangered species, the spotted owl.

"Wolves bring controversy wherever they go," said Steve Fritts, head of Rocky Mountain wolf recovery efforts for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "They're very symbolic. People's basic values start coming out."

On May 24, a sighting of a gray wolf in the Hozemeen area of the Ross Lake National Recreation area was confirmed by several North Cascades National Park employees. The wolf was later photographed by a Washington Department of Wildlife employee.

In the same area in May 1990, researchers got vocal responses from two adults and several pups, though the den was never found.

The den was the first documented case of wolves reproducing in the state since the early 1900s. Biologists believe wolves may be roaming elsewhere in Washington, including the Methow Valley, the Okanogan National Forest and the Selkirk mountain range in northeastern Washington.

Wolves and grizzly bears have now been documented in the North Cascades - grizzly tracks found by biologists near Mount Baker and Cle Elum last year confirmed the presence of the bears.

Experts believe a rebounding wolf population in British Columbia is responsible for the new wolf immigrants. In Montana, the wolf population is increasing at a rate of 40 percent a year.

Wolves once roamed the length and breadth of Washington state. On the Olympic Peninsula, "it's likely one or more packs occupied each of the major drainages," said Maureen Finnerty, superintendent of Olympic National Park. The last known wolf in the park was trapped and killed in 1930.

The park could offer wolves a comfortable living. Abundant prey roams there, including elk, deer and a surplus of mountain goats. Wolves could rapidly repopulate the area, because a wolf can generate six to nine pups each year. Finnerty suggested that the park could support as many as five packs of 7 to 10 animals each.

But wolves would almost certainly roam beyond the boundaries of the park in the winter, looking for elk in lower elevations. Moving beyond the park boundaries would send the wily wolf into a political mine field.

Wolves do display a certain amount of political savvy. They do not normally attack humans. (The sole exceptions have been a couple of rapid wolf attacks, plus a few cases of minor injuries involving what Fritts called "mistaken identity." Wolves pounced on people, but realizing what they were tangling with, the wolves always ran away.)

But they do kill livestock and pets, and their biggest human adversaries have been ranchers.

Ranching on the Peninsula is limited, and Gov. Booth Gardner last month signed a proclamation encouraging the reintroduction of the wolf to the Peninsula.

But embattled logging communities may not feel very hospitable toward the wolf after recent land-use restrictions imposed to protect the spotted owl, said John Pierce of the wildlife department's "non-game" program.

Fritts, a Montana resident, said wolves pose almost no threat to logging, except for keeping a mile radius of undisturbed territory around their dens three to four months out of the year. A large wolf population coexists with intensive logging on Vancouver Island, said Ralph Archibald of the B.C. Ministry of Environment.

Any move to reintroduce the wolf to the Peninsula awaits the completion of a wolf recovery plan for Washington state and an extensive public-comment program, said Pierce. That will take at least three to four years.

But Finnerty said there's another problem. While the independent animals have recolonized areas of their own accord, they have never been reintroduced successfully with human help.

Copyright (c) 1991 Seattle Times Company, All Rights Reserved.

http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19910609&slug=1287917


(June 9, 1991, The den was the first documented case of wolves reproducing in the state since the early 1900s. Biologists believe wolves may be roaming elsewhere in Washington, including the Methow Valley, the Okanogan National Forest and the Selkirk mountain range in northeastern Washington.

Wolves and grizzly bears have now been documented in the North Cascades - grizzly tracks found by biologists near Mount Baker and Cle Elum last year confirmed the presence of the bears.

Experts believe a rebounding wolf population in British Columbia is responsible for the new wolf immigrants. In Montana, the wolf population is increasing at a rate of 40 percent a year)

 

[denali]

Interesting reading,  thanks Wolfbait

[Special T]

WC and WB I find the unique information you both provide interesting... I like the way the conversation is going. very informative.. 

[haus]

Wacoyote if the Bio's that are in charge of the wolf programs shared info and wanted a discussion like BP said i think there wouldn't be as much heat in the discussion... I agree with BP that you show more fortitude than most when we are  with each other...

His mind hasn't been warped by years of drinking the koolaid  maybe he's been saved. WC you owe us a beer, especially WB.