Wolf’s comeback in U.S. triggers debate on protection levels

SALEM, Ore. — The gray wolf is on track for a remarkable comeback after being almost exterminated in the contiguous United States, but a Trump administration proposal to take the iconic symbol of the wild off the endangered species list has exposed divisions among states.

California says it opposes delisting the wolf, while Washington state said it agrees. The federal proposal also exposed a rift among top officials in Oregon — one of several states where wolves have established breeding packs after wandering across state lines.

The debate highlights clashing interests and differing philosophies, with ranchers fearing more livestock will fall prey to wolves and conservationists worrying that wider hunting of the predators might be around the corner. Hunting and trapping wolves is already allowed in Montana and Idaho.

At the center of the debate is, how much more help do wolves need?

Washington Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind told the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently that protecting thriving wolves could expose the Endangered Species Act to legislation weakening protections for species in actual danger of extinction.

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said Thursday it's critically important to maintain wide-ranging recovery areas for wolves across the West.

“The challenge is, it's not like wolves pay attention to statewide boundaries,” Brown said.

Her comments came a day after she slapped down a stance by Curtis Melcher, director of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. He wrote to federal officials on May 9, saying his agency supports delisting wolves because the animals no longer meet the definition of an endangered or threatened species.

Brown said her office had not been informed that Melcher would take the stance. When she learned of it, she put on the brakes.

“The state of Oregon and its agencies do not support the delisting of wolves from the federal Endangered Species Act across their range in the 48 contiguous states,” Brown wrote in a letter to U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt.

A total of 6,500 wolves are believed to roam Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Rocky Mountains and Pacific Northwest. Additional wolves inhabit Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maine, Missouri, Ohio, Utah and Vermont.

Collette Adkins, carnivore conservation director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said more than a half-dozen states have no wolf protections on the books.

In his letter, Melcher said Oregon had 137 wolves at the end of 2018 — a 10% increase over 2017. He also said Oregon is committed to ensuring the progress of the species while minimizing livestock losses.

However, his advocacy of federal delisting of wolves brought howls of complaint when it was publicized.

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, an Oregon Democrat, told Melcher in a letter that he was “shocked and appalled.”