Current work in wildlife, rivers, public lands, and climate

Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Group Presses for Wolf Recovery in Southern Rockies

Petition Seeks Wolf Reintroduction and Habitat Protection Under Endangered Species Act
Contact: WildEarth Guardians

DENVER – Today, WildEarth Guardians filed a petition under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) requesting that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) develop a recovery plan for wolves in the Southern Rocky Mountains-an expansive region including much of western Colorado, northern New Mexico and south central Wyoming. The petition also calls on the FWS to designate critical habitat for the species in the Southern Rockies.

“The time has come for the government to repatriate wolves to the Southern Rockies,” said Rob Edward, Carnivore Recovery Director for WildEarth Guardians. “This plan already has popular public support, and we hope our petition jump-starts political support for restoring these majestic animals.”

The petition urges the FWS to develop a recovery plan that focuses on the reintroduction of wolves to at least four core areas, identified by biologists as being excellent habitat for wolves in the region (see Figure 5 in Appendix A of the petition). The petition also identifies numerous threats to wolf habitat in the region, including roads on public lands and increased development that would further fragment habitat. Based upon the scope of these threats, the petition calls for the government to designate critical habitat for the species, which could protect unoccupied wolf habitat so that wolves could be successfully restored there.

Edward indicated that the petition represents a new front in the effort to restore wolves to the region. “The Southern Rockies need wolves, and wolves need the Southern Rockies,” said Edward. “Without wolves here to keep nature in balance, ecosystems are spiraling into ever more degraded conditions. One need look no further than Rocky Mountain National Park to see what happens without wolves to keep the elk moving,” said Edward, referring to the fact that Rocky Mountain National Park is planning to cull hundreds of elk each year in order to protect aspen and willow trees from intense browsing.

The Southern Rocky Mountains represent a significant gap in the wolf recovery effort. Once restored to the region, wolves would again be present in a swath stretching along the spine of the continent, from the Arctic to Mexico. WildEarth Guardians believes that wolf recovery can be accomplished quickly in the Southern Rockies, given that the region supports the largest elk population and one of the largest deer herds in North America. The only step needed to help wolves gain a foothold is a restoration plan and a commitment to protect and restore important wolf habitat. WildEarth Guardians sees this petition as a significant step toward that goal.

A PDF copy of the petition can be downloaded by clicking here.

For more information, contact:

Rob Edward, Carnivore Recovery Director, WildEarth Guardians / (303) 573-4898 ext. 762, redward@wildearthguardians.org