The Scientists Have Spoken on Wyoming's Wolf Plan

Helena, MT – The scientific review of Wyoming's proposed wolf management plan is complete and those comments have been sent back to the state. Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho all need to have plans approved by the US Fish and Wildlife Service for the wolf to be removed from the endangered species list. Federal Wolf Recovery Coordinator, Ed Bangs, says not surprisingly, the reviewers zeroed in on three big issues in the states' plans. 1) All three states say federal money is needed to pay for management. 2) Wyoming's desire to classify wolves as predators in much of the state and leave them open to unregulated killing. 3) Idaho's plan is just a general policy plan and not an implementation plan, like Montana's and Wyoming's. The states will have this week to respond to the reviewers' comments. Then Bangs will recommend to his superiors whether they should accept the plans or reject them and ask for revisions. The Wyoming Game and Fish is posting the scientific reviews on its website.