Stevens County (Washington) official suggests state pay for wolf losses

Stevens County official suggests state pay for wolf losses. Seattle Post Intelligencer

“NEWPORT, Wash. — The state has yet to release its plan for managing wolves, but a Stevens County commissioner suggests Washington should pay the county $2 million to cover potential losses in case one of the animals ever shows up.”

Poison

Here is a photo that I took at the base of the Sevin Devils near Riggins on public land.

Possible wolf sighting in Colorado.

A wolf at the door. Possible wolf sighting in Rocky called “credible” by officialsThis would be at least the 3rd report of a wolf in Colorado.   There was a collared female wolf from the Swan Lake Pack of Yellowstone National Park hit near Idaho Springs, Colorado a few years ago.  Her journey was at least 450 miles as the crow flies but realistically much more.

They’re at it again.

Ron Gillet’s Idaho anti-wolf coalition which suggests there are really over 9000 wolves in Idaho and over 900 packs, is gathering signatures for a ballot initiative to essentially remove wolves from Idaho and to force Idaho to throw out its Fish and Wildlife Service accepted plan for wolf management.  

Read the story here:  Anti-wolf group responds to state management plan. Coalition wants all wolves out of Idaho

If they get their way then the Federal Government will take over management of wolves and provide them with the same protections they have now.  The State of Idaho IDFG is planning to hunt wolves and possibly reduce the number from the present number (around 700+) down to 104 wolves.  In Idaho there are estimated to be 3000 mountain lions and approximately 20,000 black bears.  It doesn’t seem responsible to manage for such a low population level.

From the September 14th Gray Wolf Recovery report. Interesting stuff highlighted in red.

Carita Bergman, wildlife biologist for Alberta has taken a position on the Queen Charlette Islands with Parks Canada in B.C.  Good luck and thanks for all your assistance.  She forwarded a great map showing that a GPS collared wolf from western Alberta dispersed through NW MT and has settled in central Idaho.  It traveled about the same distance (400 miles) & came from the same general area as the one that dispersed to the Halfway Pack west of Helena, MT couple of years ago.  The collar is scheduled to blow off in a month.  

You can read the whole report here: http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/wolf/weeklyrpt07/wk09142007.htm