DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE DENOUNCES SECRETARY
NORTON'S MOVE TO HAND OVER WOLF CONTROL TO IDAHO
State Government that Once Voted to Eradicate Wolves to Be Given Control over the Future of this Imperiled Creature
Contacts:
Suzanne Stone (208) 424-9385
William Lutz (202) 772-0269
Washington , DC - The federal government's plan to hand wolf management responsibilities over to the State of Idaho would likely lead to a big jump in the number of wolves killed in the state, Defenders of Wildlife said today. Noting that the Idaho state legislature passed, and Gov. Kempthorne signed, a 2002 memorial calling for the eradication of wolves in Idaho "by any means necessary," Defenders said handing over wolf management duties to the state at this time could be giving Idaho a license to kill wolves.
"Defenders of Wildlife supports enlisting the help of the states with wolf management where appropriate, but the federal government is poised to hand virtually all responsibility to a state that has essentially vowed to destroy the wolf. It is a recipe for disaster," said Defenders of Wildlife President Rodger Schlickeisen. "Idaho's wolf management plan to shoot first and ask questions later could jeopardize the future of the wolf in the region. We believe this action is blatantly illegal and are exploring options for stopping it in court."
Among the many problems associated with Idaho's plan for wolf management, Defenders points to the plan’s vagueness regarding specific actions that will be taken as part of wolf management, as well as the plan’s strong focus on wolf control to boost numbers of game animals sought by hunters. Defenders cited recent scientific evidence showing that wolves do not play a significant role in game availability.
"Many states such as Montana manage their wolf populations well with a conservation-oriented state plan, and Idaho could have easily joined their ranks if it had focused more on wolf conservation than on appeasing the anti-wolf zealots in the state," said Schlickeisen.
Defenders pointed out that, while wolf opponents claim that wolves are decimating elk herds and hurting hunting opportunities, analyses by state agencies show a stable elk population in Idaho . Claims are also made that wolves take a heavy toll on livestock producers. But federal statistics show that more livestock are lost to pet dogs and even predatory birds like eagles, than to wolves. Defenders of Wildlife has also set up a compensation program that pays ranchers for verified losses to wolves, as long as non-lethal alternatives are utilized to avoid conflicts.
"The fact is that, as large carnivores, wolves play an enormously important role in maintaining a healthy ecosystem that benefits us all. Suggestions that they take a huge toll on human activities like ranching and hunting are simply not true," said Suzanne Stone, Northern Rockies Representative from Defenders.
" Idaho is a national conservation success story when it comes to the wolf," said Stone. "Our nation has accomplished something in Idaho that is rarely done: bringing a creature back from the brink of extinction. It would be a tragedy for man and wolf alike if the state is allowed to turn back the clock on this enormous accomplishment."
Defenders of Wildlife is recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 490,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on endangered species issues.
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OVER 100 SCIENTISTS & ACADEMICS AGREE: ALASKA'S
BOARD OF GAME IGNORED SCIENTIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR RECENT PREDATOR CONTROL PROGRAMS
Report Cites Flaws in Board Process: Planning Teams, Study Plans
and Relevant Data Missing from Predator Control Programs
Anchorage, AK - The Alaska Board of Game's seven predator control programs are significantly flawed because they do not use scientifically-based standards and guidelines to design, implement, and monitor them, according to a recent report. The report, "Biological Standards and Guidelines for Predator Control in Alaska: Application of the National Research Council's Recommendations," was authored by Dr.Victor Van Ballenberghe and supported by 123 scientists and academic wildlife professionals, including Defenders of Wildlife.
The report evaluates how well the Board of Game incorporates the National Research Council's recommended biological standards and science-based management techniques into Alaska's recent predator control programs. Governor Tony Knowles commissioned the original study in 1995. The review was completed by the National Research Council in 1997 at a cost of $318,000.
"Arguably, most of the important biological standards and guidelines recommended by the National Research Council have not been followed. There is now less attention to experimental design and monitoring of results and more reliance on anecdotal and qualitative information," said Van Ballenberghe. "This approach risks unexplainable or unclear results at best, and wasted or failed efforts at worst."
"Management of bears and wolves, as with other wildlife, must be based on sound science if it is to be effective in achieving the desired goals, as well as in the use of tax payers' money," stated Dr. Dave Klein at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and member of the National Research Council study.
According to the report, the Board of Game simply ignored science-based information to implement one of its aerial killing programs. Van Ballenberghe wrote, "The Board of Game approved predator control in one area against the advice of the Department of Fish and Game biologists who indicated that they lacked key data to justify the program."
One-hundred twenty three scientists and wildlife professionals agreed with Van Ballenberghe's findings and signed onto a letter which was sent with the report to Governor Frank Murkowski and the Alaska Board of Game today. The letter calls for a return to "sound experimental design and monitoring so that the results of any predator control program can provide reliable data for policy and management decisions."
"It's our hope this collective effort will refocus the Governor's and Board's decision-making process on true science and objective evidence, and not on wild ideas and uneducated guesses," stated J. Christopher Haney, Ph.D., conservation scientist at Defenders of Wildlife.
Four recommendations are supported by all of the letter's signatories:
Implement predator control only within an adaptive management framework;
Monitor all predator and prey numbers following predator control using proper scientific methods to demonstrate clear outcomes;
Avoid implementing programs that are not likely to be successful;
Avoid using artificially-inflated historical peaks for game population levels as management goals.
The letter concludes that the track record of successfully managing high wildlife populations in Alaska is weak and warns that negative, long-term consequences may outweigh short-term increases in game populations.
A copy of the report can be found online at: Repot in PDF format
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A copy of the letter can be found online at:
Letter
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Contents
January 2006 Reports
Last updated on January 14, 2006