A.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced that it will delist wolves in the Northern Rockies. The decision will take effect in late March. Legal challenges, however, are already underway and they may temporarily prevent delisting. Some suggest that the challenges will be swiftly resolved while others feel successful delisting could be delayed two or more years.

A.The gray wolf is recovered. The Endangered Species Act is intended to recover imperiled species so they are no longer in jeopardy. Delisting means that Montana will be able to fully integrate wolf management into its other wildlife management programs. FWP has committed to conserve and manage wolves so that they will never again be threatened with extinction. The management program will balance a variety of public interests with wolf biology and other wildlife populations.

A.The Northern Rockies Recovery Plan requires that a minimum of 300 wolves and 30 Breeding Pairs are well distributed across Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. There are also connectivity requirements aimed at safeguarding the ability of wolves to travel throughout the Northern Rockies Recovery Area to find other wolves with which to breed.

A.FWP and the respective Indian Tribes are the lead agencies for wolf conservation and management in Montana. FWP will continue to implement its federally approved plan and add management tools, such as public hunting and state-led law enforcement. Montana's Indian Tribes will be responsible for managing wolves within their reservation boundaries.

USDA Wildlife Services will still be responsible for investigating injured or dead livestock to determine whether wolves were responsible. Wildlife Services will also continue assisting FWP with resolving wolf-livestock conflicts through both lethal and non-lethal approaches.

FWP coordinates management and regularly exchanges information about wolves, wolf population status, and management with other state and federal agencies and Tribes. FWP works closely with Idaho Fish and Game, the Nez Perce Tribe, the National Park Service, the Blackfeet Nation, and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Data and other information are routinely shared, particularly the frequencies of missing collared wolves. All the agencies have a shared role in documenting and assuring sufficient wolf numbers and connectivity requirements are met. Such coordination will continue after delisting.

A.Montana's plan and laws are well regarded among the public, conservation groups, and wildlife professionals. The plan is flexible and the Montana's laws are aimed at careful and responsible conservation and management. Montana intends to maintain its wolf population and to honor its commitment to the people of Montana and elsewhere.

A.FWP estimates that it will cost between $900,000 and $1million per year to conserve and manage wolves in Montana. No single source has been identified and Montana expects to use a combination of sources, including wolf hunting licenses sales, and other funds. FWP will continue working with the Montana Congressional delegation to maintain federal funding. National interest in conserving these popular species like wolves and grizzly bears brings a national responsibility to help fund their management.

A.Upon successful delisting, the line separating the northern Endangered Area and the southern Experimental Area will no longer exist. Montana will have one legal classification of wolves as a “species in need of management.” This classification means that wolves are protected under state law and can only be purposely killed legally under three conditions:

• legal hunting or trapping during an official season
• if the wolf is killing or threatening to kill (biting, wounding, harassing chasing, attacking) livestock
• to protect human life.

A.Upon successful delisting, the federal regulations in both the Northwest Montana Endangered Area and the southern Montana Experimental will no longer apply.

All Montana landowners and livestock producers will be able to non-injuriously haze or harass a wolf, or kill a wolf that is killing or threatening to kill livestock or domestic dogs on both public or private land. Such incidents, however, must be reported to FWP. The flexibility to protect livestock and domestic dogs is provided in Montana law and is in the defense of property statute that pertains to mountain lions or black bears caught damaging private property. Similar to lions and black bears, a wolf seen actively biting, wounding, chasing, harassing, or attacking livestock could be killed. Citizens are to report the incident to FWP.

A.Although Montana's FWP Commission recently adopted a wolf-hunting season structure, any wolf season is contingent upon federal delisting.

A.In light of of legal challenges, Montana's wolf-hunting licenses will not be available until Montana is assured a season will occur. While a season structure has been adopted, license sales and a hunting season would not occur until wolves are successfully delisted and litigation is resolved.

A.Upon successful delisting, FWP decisions to address wolf-livestock conflicts will be made based the state’s federally approved state plan, which describes an incremental management approach guided by wolf numbers, the location of conflicts, depredation history of the pack, potential for additional losses, and pack size. Tools available to individuals include, ability to non-injuriously haze or harass wolves, kill wolves seen actively killing or threatening to kill livestock, and kill permits for confirmed depredations. FWP will still work with USDA Wildlife Services for a coordinated agency response when appropriate.

A.Through the year, FWP seeks to verify new wolf activity, determine if packs den, whether they had pups, and whether at least two pups survived to the end of the calendar year.

At the end of each calendar year, FWP takes a snap shot of the minimum Montana population. FWP prepares an annual report that lists the minimum total number of wolves, the number of packs of two or more wolves and the number of Breeding Pairs, as required by USFWS. To estimate the total minimum number of wolves, FWP adds the sum of the sizes of each pack and any lone wolves that can be accounted for. FWP has been investigating alternative methods to monitor and estimate the population with equal reliability. In the future, FWP hopes that through a variety of approaches, population monitoring will be more cost effective.

In addition, FWP monitors all wolves handled for routine health and disease, which yields information about overall health of the animal, old injuries or wounds, and parasites. Also, through collection of tissue sample and radio telemetry, FWP is also able to monitor wolf dispersal and genetic diversity.

A.A “status review” is when USFWS evaluates the potential threats to a species long-term survival. A status review could be triggered if the numbers of wolves and Breeding Pairs declines, triggering concerns about whether state efforts to maintain the wolf population are adequate.

A.Four scenarios would lead the USFWS to initiate a status review and analysis of threats to determine if relisting was warranted, including:

1. if the wolf population falls below wolf population recovery levels of 100 wolves and 10 Breeding Pairs in either Montana, Idaho, or Wyoming.
2. if the wolf population segment in Montana, Idaho, or Wyoming falls below 150 wolves or 15 Breeding Pairs in any of the states for three consecutive years.
3. if the wolf population in Wyoming outside Yellowstone National Park falls below seven Breeding Pairs for three consecutive years.
4. if a change in state law or management objectives would significantly increase the threat to the wolf population.

A.For as long as federal funding is made available, FWP and the respective Indian Tribes will continue as the lead agencies for wolf conservation and management in Montana. FWP would continue to carry out its federally approved plan to the extent possible, although hunting would not be possible.

USDA Wildlife Services would still investigate to determine the cause of injured or dead livestock and would continue assisting FWP with resolving wolf-livestock conflicts through both lethal and non-lethal approaches.

Gray wolves across northern Montana would still be classified as “endangered.” Gray wolves across southern Montana would remain classified as “experimental.”

A.Across the northern Montana Endangered Area, citizens are not allowed to harass or kill wolves on private lands or federal lands. Citizens are encouraged to contact Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and USDA Wildlife Services to learn more about wolves in the area and about proactive ways to discourage wolves from harassing or killing livestock.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently revised the federal regulations that pertain to the southern Montana Experimental Area. The revised 10(j) regulations that took effect February 27, 2008 expand what private citizens are able to do to protect their stock animals or domestic dogs.

Private citizens (recreationists or landowners) on private or public land can now haze, harass, or kill a wolf that is actively biting, wounding, or killing or a wolf that is seen actively chasing, molesting or harassing stock animals or domestic dogs.

• stock animals are: horses, mules, donkeys, llama or goats used to transport people or their possessions.
• no permit is required
• report the incident to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) within 24 hours
• physical evidence of the wolf attack or that an attack was imminent is required (injured or dead livestock, broken fences, trampled vegetation and wolf sign)

Livestock owners are still able to take wolves seen actively chasing, biting, wounding, harassing or attacking livestock on public or private land. This provision did not change.

Once delisting takes effect, all federal regulations expire and replaced by state law. However, for as long as wolves are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act, these federal regulations remain in effect.