Groups declare intent to file lawsuit over delisting of wolves
By MIKE STARK Of The Gazette Staff
Just hours after official notice was published of the federal government's intent to take Northern Rockies' gray wolves off the endangered-species list, 11 environmental groups Wednesday announced plans to sue.
The 1,500 wolves in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming remain genetically isolated and under threat from state plans that would, after delisting, allow hundreds to be killed, the groups said.
Lifting endangered-species protection jeopardizes years of work to return the population to the Northern Rockies, they said.
"We're on rock-solid ground to say we don't have enough wolves to have recovery," said Doug Honnold, an Earthjustice attorney in Bozeman who is representing the environmental groups.
Earlier in the day, a notice appeared in the Federal Register to delist the wolves, a long-awaited step in a program aimed at restoring the predator to the Yellowstone ecosystem.
Under the rule, federal protections will be lifted March 28 and management will be passed to wildlife agencies in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.
Each state has agreed to maintain at least 15 breeding pairs and 150 wolves. All three have expressed an interest in hunting wolves.
The total number in the Northern Rockies will probably be between 900 and 1,250, federal officials said last week.
Environmental groups said the number of wolves should be between 2,000 and 5,000 and that the Yellowstone wolf population's genetic health would be better if it could connect with wolves in central Idaho, northwest Montana and elsewhere.
"Instead of maintaining the current level, we'd be going backward," Honnold said.
Wednesday's letter to Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dale Hall was required notice of the group's intent to sue in 60 days.
Federal officials have assumed for years that their delisting proposal would be challenged in court.
"This is not unexpected," said Sharon Rose, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Denver. "I think we feel good about the delisting and confident in the material we've shown. We'll go forward."
The notice was sent on behalf of Defenders of Wildlife, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, The Humane Society of the United States, Jackson Hole Conservation Alliance, Friends of the Clearwater, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Oregon Wild, Cascadia and Western Watersheds Project.
Published on Thursday, February 28, 2008. Last modified on 2/28/2008 at 12:42 am
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Ahhh, the honesty of these people, their word is worth nothing....less than nothing. They wanted 300 wolves we are raising many many times that , probably upwards of 2000, but actually they wanted mroe, enough to keep the residents under their control for years to come.
The whole environmental movement is about a desire to be unelected kings and rule people with an iron lawsuit. Bet they are careful to pick the judge they file it under too.
The econazies are at it again. They can't get their way at the ballot box, but they have lot's of money to sue. Where do they get their money? A lot of it comes from silicon valley and the recently rich suffering from affluenza wanting to ease their consciences.
My advice to Earthjustice and their well intentioned counterparts is to just give it up. We are not in a time where logic will trump fear, reason will overcome resource management through superstition and greed. Spend your limited legal resources of fights you can win, on improving and protecting habitat. Someday the wolves will be back, with us, or without us.
These people will NEVER NEVER agree to delisting a da*n thing. I will be so glad when people get tired of their tax dollars being spent to fight these endless court battles for a minority of control freaks with too much time and money on their hands and start demanding our judiciary and legislatures put an end to their constant litigation.
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