Judge puts wolves back on endangered species list, hunts halted

[kpete]

Source: Associated Press

by Associated Press

KTVB.COM

Posted on August 5, 2010 at 4:07 PM

Updated today at 5:04 PM

HELENA, Mont. — A federal judge on Thursday reinstated Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in Montana and Idaho, saying the government made a political decision in removing the protections from just two of the three states where Rocky Mountain wolves roam.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy said in his ruling that the entire Rocky Mountain wolf population either must be listed as an endangered species or removed from the list, but the protections for the same population can't be different for each state.

Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service turned over wolf management to Montana and Idaho wildlife officials but left federal endangered species protections in place for wolves in Wyoming, where state law is considered hostile to the animals' survival.

"Even if the Service's solution is pragmatic, or even practical, it is at its heart a political solution that does not comply with the ESA," Molloy wrote in his ruling.

Read more: http://www.ktvb.com/news/local/Federal-judge-puts-gray-wolves-back-on-endangered-species-list-100071859.html

[ejpoeta]

1. that'll piss off winky.

[tridim]

3. I bet her twitter is all a'flutter.

[villager]

22. Hell, it might piss off our current Secretary of the Interior

...who was also fine with allowing wolf-hunting again...

[Cattledog]

53. Obama's probably pissed too!

His Interior Dept took them off the list.

[katandmoon]

2. Great news. K&R.

[maryf]

4. Thanks

K&R ...

[glitch]

5. Another judge comes to the rescue of reason.

Bite yourself Salazar.

[flvegan]

6. Excellent!

[Skink]

7. I like Wolf Blitzer.

[boppers]

9. ...

:rofl:

[bitchkitty]

8. Because I just read this, a bad day is now a great day! n/t

[seattle_blue]

10. HA HA HA

Bark at the moon!

[Omaha Steve]

11. But what will Palin shoot now?

K&R!

[DesertFlower]

12. great news. nt

[InvisibleTouch]

13. Wonderful!! This is the best news I've had in ages.

I have a deep emotional connection to wolves, and my biggest (really my only major) disappointment with Obama is that he handed wolf protection to someone who had an anti-wolf agenda from the start. Good on this judge for seeing it as it is, and realizing wolves aren't anywhere near ready to come off the endangered list. Even if they were, the horrific hunts and poisonings are completely unacceptable. Now let's hope this ruling sticks and the Northern Rockies wolves can live and raise their families in peace.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

14. I am thrilled to hear this!

Wolves have been my favorite wild animal since forever!

Good for this judge.

I was very sad and angry when they were delisted...now that sorrow is gone and replaced by joy!


Recommended.

[backscatter712]

15. GOOD!!! 'Bout fucking time! n/t

[joe black]

16. And fuck you salizar

You puke ass.

[Jax]

33. Yes agree, fuck Salazar that right wing corporate fucking tool

Another stellar Obama appointment....not.

Right wing fucking corporate tool. Obama's favorite appointees.

[laughingliberal]

17. K & R nt

[Jefferson23]

18. They are so beautiful, we can't lose them. n/t

[Chulanowa]

21. They could be uglier than a pig's ass, and we'd still need them

[Jefferson23]

26. Of course, but they happen to be beautiful. n/t

[closeupready]

38. Yes, very much so.

:hi:

[Jefferson23]

41. Yep, and it feels good to hear good news for them, absolutely.

:hi:

[JTG of the PRB]

19. This is very good news.

I've loved wolves since I was a little, little kid (about age 5 or 6) giving a couple of dollars to the people in Yellowstone National park who were starting the process of reintroducing wolves to the area so many years ago. It's good to see that the wild wolf populations in the Rocky Mountains will be protected once again!

[burrowowl]

20. GO Judge Molloy!

[G_j]

23. good news for a change!

:applause:

[LaStrega]

24. *bump* k/r n/t

[Dogtown]

25. K&R n/t

[lonestarnot]

27. K & R!

[felix_numinous]

28. Now SPalin will have to find new prey to shoot from the air-

(How cruel to you have to be to shoot animals from an airplane? Gives me chills.)

The whole ecosystem of the Earth needs to go on the 'endangered list' --if that is what it takes to stop the poisoning and slaughter--IMHO!

[BrklynLiberal]

29. Yessssssssssssssssssss

Good news for those magnificent creatures...

[Jefferson23]

40. Those are great pics BrklynLiberal! n/t

[hamsterjill]

30. Wow! Two Appropriate Judicial Rulings In One Week!

This has been a good week!

Glad to see there are still some judges out there with a little common sense!

[Blue Owl]

31. Keep Sarah out of small planes

n/t

[Frisbee]

43. Personally, I think the more time...

SP spends in small planes the better. Just don't give her a gun or a parachute.

[Myrina]

32. ... Montana, Idaho and Wyoming. No Alaska.

:(

[T Wolf]

34. The individual states cannot be left in charge of environmental issues because they are

too easily controlled by local, parochial (hunting) interests.

These animals are incredible as anyone who has studied them can tell you.

My connection with / love for wolves has been lifelong (wonder why).

Thank you Judge Molloy.

[nyc 4 Biden]

35. k&r. great news!!

[progdog]

36. Wonderful news.

Thanks for posting it.

[closeupready]

37. Majorly Excellent! K&R

:woohoo:

[Kajsa]

39. This is great news!

Another great ruling comes down the pike!

:woohoo: Thanks, Kpete!

[Tyrs WolfDaemon]

42. Great news

This is great news for our brother wolves. Now if we can get our wolf brethren to learn how to fly helicopters...

:evilgrin:

[Taverner]

44. Betty, my Beagle, says thanks!

:)

[happyslug]

45. I do NOT like this ruling....

I have NOT read the actual decision, but with language as "Rocky Mountain wolf population either must be listed as an endangered species or removed from the list..." I have fears. The fear is basically that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may do as the judge suggests as one of its options, DE-LIST THE WOLF FOR THE WHOLE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION. Thus opening up hunting not only in Montana and Idaho but also Wyoming. Be careful what you ask for, you may get it.

Remember the reason Wyoming was NOT including in the de-listing is that Wyoming made it clear they will kill ALL of the wolves, Montana and Idaho were going to restrict how many wolves would be killed, both states are on record as wanting to EXPAND their wolf population, but also wanting to control that gorwth. Given the Nature of all three states sooner or later Hunting will be permitted (or done illegally) just to respond to the people who lose cattle and sheep to Wolves. Now, Wolves tend to drive out Coyotes. Coyotes take more sheep and calves then wolves. The problem is NOT, as a whole, that Wolves will lead to less loss of Sheep and Calves, but that ONE rancher loses his sheep and/or calves to a wolf. How do we compensated that rancher? How do we protect such a rancher from loss, when the rancher can NOT shot a wolf the rancher sees doing the damage?

Any effort to re-introduce the wolf MUST include the local ranchers. Without their support the whole concept is untenable. All any rancher has to do is shot any wolf he sees on his own property, making sure NO game official in on his property, and then let the body rot. Another technique is to poison a dead calf body and leave the wolves eat it and thus poison the wolves.

Now, most of the Rocky is Federal Lands, but as a general rule the only people on it are people tied in with the cattle and sheep grazing on those lands. No way for the Rancher to keep out Federal Officials in such situations, but all you need to do is wait and do it when and where the Federal agents are NOT.

Minnesota has wolves, the last state in the Union to have Wolves prior to wolf being re-introduced into Yellowstone National Park and now the Rocky Mountains near that park. For decades the State of Minnesota has paid Farmers who suffered harm do to wolves for their losses. This discourages the farmers from shooting the wolves (If a wolf pack causes to much problem it is either moved or killed by the game commission). A similar policy has to be adopted by the Federal Government when it comes to Wolves, but so far the Federal Government has refused to do so and so has the states (outside of Minnesota) that have wolves.

Sooner or later some sort of hunting of wolves is going to be permitted, just to keep down the losses to the local ranchers. If the fees are high enough it can pay for the damages wolves cause to such ranchers (and such payments can switch such ranchers from opposing wolves to supporting wolves for right now the rancher gets no money of sheep or calves are lost to wild dogs or coyotes, both of which will drop if wolves are introduced).

Just pointing out Hunting of Wolves may be one of the ways we can get wolves re-introduced to the entire west (and maybe even the east). Hunting can provide the revenue, if the fees are high enough AND the number of wolves are low enough to permit continued growth in the total number of wolves.

[truebrit71]

48. They are back on the endangered species list. Period.

The FWS has no standing to de-list them.

[happyslug]

49. The AGENCY that controls the Endangered Speies List IS the FWS

The US Fish and Wildlife Service as well as the National Marine Fisheries Service are held responsible for classifying and protecting endangered species...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_species

A species can be listed in two ways. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) or NOAA Fisheries (also called the National Marine Fisheries Service) can directly list a species through its candidate assessment program, or an individual or organizational petition may request that the FWS or NMFS list a species.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_Species_Act

The Actual Endangered Species list:
http://www.fws.gov/endangered/

The power to list also includes the power to de-list.

[Robbien]

51. In this season alone, so far in Idaho six thousand people signed up to kill a wolf

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2012556159_apidgraywolvesidaho1stldwritethru.html?syndication=rss


There is no way on earth the wolf population will ever recover enough to satisfy the hoards of people who want to kill them. Hunting cannot be the reason for allowing wolves to exist.

[happyslug]

54. So, the key is the number of license issued NOT requested

Just because hunters placed a "bid" for a license does NOT mean they will get one. Those are two different numbers and the reports are that Idaho and Montana were keeping the number of license to what they considered a number that would NOT affect the long term survival of Wolves in their states.

[bread_and_roses]

52. Do these ranchers pay full value for grazing on public lands?

If not, maybe they could learn to remember that "public" means all of us, and vast numbers of Americans place a high value on preserving the environment, which means preserving apex predators. That land does not "belong" to the ranchers, no matter how many generations of their families have used it - if it's federal land, it belongs to all of us.

I have no problem with compensating ranchers for losses from wolves - it can hardly break the federal budget, although I think a few cattle or sheep is a small price to pay for the right to use OUR land for their profit. However, humans being what they are, if paying them will encourage compliance, I am happy to pay my portion (taxes) for our common good.

As for the trophy hunters, they can rot in hell.

[happyslug]

55. As I said a few sheep or calves are acceptable, unless it is ALL of your sheep or calves

Yes, the land are mostly federally owned, but the ranchers have a property right when they bid for the right to graze their sheep or cattle on those lands. That property right can be extinguished at any time by Congress, by just leaving the present grazing lease run out and forbid such leases from being re-issued.

As to helping the Ranchers, while they have such rights (And based on the Politics of this Nation such grazing rights will continue) you have to protect them OR they will do what is in their economic best interest i.e. kill the wolves. The issue is HOW to pay for such compensation especially at the state level. I do NOT see the state spending general revenue for such compensation and thus the license fees is the best way to get the money needed. It may be distasteful but what source of revenue do you suggest given that general funds of both the state and Federal Government is NOT available for payments? Fees from the hunting licenses is a good source, given that neither the State nor the Federal Government will use general tax revenues for such purposes.

[bread_and_roses]

56. The Feds - ie us, we the people - can pay

It is simply a matter of choice. What we put in the budget. Compensating ranchers for wolf kills is not going to break the National Budget. Or raise the "lease rate" for these lands some fraction of a cent across the board. Years ago I read something about these "lease rates" and how low they are - especially in relation to the environmental damage done by cattle and sheep. I don't know what they are now and am not going to go look it up - the point is not the exact amount, but that these ranchers graze there on our sufferance. Or reduce our rate to Blackwater some fraction of a cent. It's a matter of choice, and there is always plenty of $$ for killing and Corporations. Letting trophy hunters kill wolves is hardly the only way to raise the money.

It is idiotic to allow designation of endangered status by State anyway, if that's the way it's done - and yes, I'm largely ignorant of the protocols of the status and don't intend to study up on it - I've given up on the notion that these minor tinkerings of our devastation of the earth have much meaning or impact. But wolves don't abide by State lines - the species is either endangered globally or at the least on this continent or it's not. It's one world. It is insane to say "wolves are endangered on this side of this imaginary line and not on that side."

I understand your point is not rah rah kill the wolves but rather a "practical" approach to conservation. I just don't happen to agree that it's practical or necessary. And trophy hunting is antithetical to the only approach to conservation of species that will in the end work - though I don't think there is time enough left for most endangered species for it to take effect. And that is that each and every species on this earth has the same right to exist as we do. We can hunt for food if we need to - just as other apex predators hunt for food. We have no right to kill for pleasure or convenience.

[jpak]

46. Wah OOOO OOooo ooooooooooo

:thumbsup:

[Botany]

47. Good news because this shit has to stop

First Idaho killed in public hunting .... the guy is a real estate broker from the city .... this wolf
was not hurting his livestock. BTW if you are a rancher and wolf keeps killing your stock you
can shoot it.

[Bryn]

50. I've always wanted to hug a wolf

K&R

They're such magnificent animals.

[catgirl]

57. K & R!!!