Gray Wolf Will Lose Protection

The Obama administration announced Friday, March 6, 2009, it will take the gray wolf off the endangered species list in Montana and Idaho. It was left a predator under federal protection in Wyoming. Taking it off the list in these two states will allow there to be a hunting season for the animal. The Bush administration announded this in January but put off the adoption of the law so the Obama administration could use it.

Jenny Harbine, a lawyer with EarthJustice in Montana, has sued to keep the protection of the gray wolf. She is against the killing of these animals. Idaho's govenor stated in 2007 he favored the wolf population being cut from 800 to 100 and he would be the first to buy a wolf hunting license. Idaho has agreed to keep its wolf population of 500, Montana to keep its to 400. If the population drops below 150 the wolf will be relisted as endangered. Environmentalist sued last year to stop the law that wolves be removed from the list. They said without the protection the number of wolves was not abundant enough for different regions, which is necessary for survival. A judge agreed and stopped the delisting. The Fish and Wildlife Service then dropped the argument for more study on this. Environmentalist say they will take the issue back to court.

Wolf management plans in Idaho and Wyoming assume protection; whereas the one in Montana falls short, so the wolf will remain on the list. In Wyoming the wolf is seen as a predator and can be shot on sight if it were delisted. The controversy began last year when people chased down wolves on their snowmobiles and shot them from plans.

If I lived out west where there were wolves I would want there to be a hunting season for them. The question I would like to propose is, what if your child was in the backyard playing and a wolf came and attacked the child. Or, if your beloved pet you've had for years was killed by a wolf, would they still be in favor of saving the wolves. Yes, these are beautiful creatures but there has to be control over the population of them.