State considers designating wolves reintroduced to Colorado as experimental

From the Aspen Times:

As Colorado Parks and Wildlife continues its meetings and process to reintroduce grey wolves back to the Western Slope, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is beginning its process to introduce a 10(j) rule at the request of the state. On Wednesday, leadership from Parks and Wildlife and the Fish and Wildlife Service met in Silverthorne to continue public engagement about the process.

Under a 10(j) rule in the Endangered Species Act, the Fish and Wildlife Service may designate a population of a listed species as “experimental” if it will be released into suitable natural habitat outside the species’ current range.

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Netherlands: Increasing number of wolves Veluwe are ‘no danger to people’

From DutchNews.nl in the Netherlands:

Visitors to the Hoge Veluwe have recently spotted two wolf cubs in the nature reserve, bringing the number of known packs in the Netherlands to four but, expert says, people have little to fear from their increasing number. The fear of wolves stems from folklore,’ wolf expert Glenn Lelieveld told NU.nl. ‘At one time rabies and lack of food would drive wolves to attack people. Neither is now a problem and Netherlands has enough wildlife to sustain the wolf,’ he said.

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Ontario, Canada: Arctic wolf’s on loose in Port Colborne, cops warn

From the Toronto Sun:

Niagara Regional Police are warning residents to be aware that an escaped white Arctic wolf is roaming the area and is to be avoided.

The wolf escaped its enclosure Tuesday morning by digging under a fence at a property in the Main St. W. and Cement Rd. area.

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California Wolf Packs Welcome 11 New Pups in ‘Conservation Milestone’

From Newsweek.com:

Two California wolf packs have welcomed 11 new pups in a “conservation milestone.”

According to a quarterly report published by the California Department of Fish and Game, two of California’s existing wolf packs—the Lassen pack and the Whaleback pack—have welcomed a flurry of pups into their families this year.

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Colorado: U.S. Fish and Wildlife seeks feedback on environmental impact of gray wolf reintroduction

From the Craig Daily Press in Colorado:

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will host a public meeting in Craig on Aug. 4, to collect feedback from local stakeholders on an Environmental Impact Statement.

To assist the reintroduction of gray wolves in Colorado, Fish and Wildlife is initiating a process to develop an experimental population rule to provide the authority and flexibility needed to manage the reintroduced wolves under the Endangered Species Act.

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Montana wolf population stable through 2021

From NBC Montana:

HELENA, Mont. — According to a report from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, wolf numbers and distribution continue to be stable across the state.

“What the data shows us really isn’t surprising,” said FWP director Hank Worsech. “Our management of wolves, including ample hunting and trapping opportunities, have kept numbers at a relatively stable level during the past several years.”

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ODFW approves killing four wolves in eastern Oregon

From KEZI.com:

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has approved killing up to four uncollared wolves in eastern Oregon’s Baker County, where officials say the Lookout Mountain wolf pack attacked four cows in 14 days.

Oregon Public Broadcasting reports the state has confirmed that wolves killed or hurt the cows from July 14 to July 26, and it approved a kill permit for the affected livestock producer.

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Colorado: Stakeholder group outlines recommendations about when wolves could be killed

From the Steamboat Pilot & Today:

An advisory group working on Colorado’s wolf reintroduction process believes if wolves are actively attacking livestock, they can be killed by wildlife agents and, in some cases, livestock producers.

Initially, producers would need to obtain a permit to take a wolf that is attacking livestock, but when populations are large enough to be delisted — at least 150 wolves sustained for two years — no permit would be required.

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Herrell pushes bill to pay back New Mexico ranchers for livestock attacked by lobos

From the Carlsbad Current Argus in New Mexico:

Ranchers in New Mexico were fearful that efforts to restore the iconic lobo in their state could devastate herds of livestock.

U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-N.M.) said the federal government should pay back ranchers whose livestock is attacked by lobos in southern New Mexico as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service planned to introduce more wolves into the wild.

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Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission rejects proposed wolf rule

From the Methow Valley News:

Washington’s wildlife commissioners have chosen not to enact a new rule that was developed with the goal of reducing the number of wolves killed under state orders due to conflicts with livestock.

The rule would have designated areas of “chronic conflict” and required state wildlife officials to verify that livestock owners in those areas have taken appropriate measures to prevent conflicts before the state kills wolves after attacks on livestock.

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