Rescuing Wolves: Threat of Misinformation

Abstract

After reading the Policy Forum “Rescuing wolves from politics: Wildlife as a public trust resource” (J. T. Bruskotter et al. , 30 September 2011, p. [1828][1]), I would like to set the record straight. First, state governments have not shown “hostility toward wolves.” Rather, each state wolf-management plan was vetted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and each seeks to maintain wolf numbers at or above 150% of official recovery levels. Second, although there always will be disagreement about what constitutes recovery of any imperiled species, teams of highly qualified scientists set wolf recovery criteria, and in the West, wolf numbers exceeded those goals by 500 to 600% before delisting. Third, although public opinion toward wolves is variable ([ 1 ][2]), state wolf-management regulations are totally different now than when wolves were deliberately exterminated ([ 2 ][3], [ 3 ][4]). State wolf management will be monitored by the USFWS, and the wolf can be relisted anytime if necessary; strict post-delisting monitoring plans are in place for this. Thus, the gist of the Policy Forum—that “courts must use the [Public Trust] doctrine to hold states accountable to their trust obligations” is redundant. The states, through their science-based wolf management plans, are already adhering to their public trust obligations as required by state laws for all wildlife species. Because wolves and wolf management are contentious, no government entity can fully satisfy all viewpoints. Thus, agencies compromise by setting regulations that ensure the conservation and survival of their populations while still attempting to assert some population control. Citizens assert their control over state actions through lobbying, elections, referenda, and other legal means ([ 4 ][5]), and that approach is well in place. 1. [↵][6] 1. J. T. Bruskotter, 2. E. Toman, 3. S. A. Enzler, 4. R. H. Schmidt , Bioscience 60, 941 (2010). [OpenUrl][7][CrossRef][8][Web of Science][9] 2. [↵][10] 1. S. P. Young , The Wolves of North America: Their History, Life Habits, Economic Status, and Control (Dover Publications, New York, 1944). 3. [↵][11] 1. M. J. Robinson , Predatory Bureaucracy: The Extermination of Wolves and the Transformation of the West (Univ. Press of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 2010). 4. [↵][12] 1. C. A. Jacobson, 2. J. F. Organ, 3. D. J. Decker, 4. G. R. Batcheller, 5. L. Carpenter , J. Wildl. Manage. 74, 203 (2010). [OpenUrl][13][CrossRef][14][Web of Science][15] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1207803 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: #ref-2 [4]: #ref-3 [5]: #ref-4 [6]: #xref-ref-1-1 View reference 1 in text [7]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DBioscience%26rft.volume%253D60%26rft.spage%253D941%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1525%252Fbio.2010.60.11.10%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [8]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1525/bio.2010.60.11.10&link_type=DOI [9]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000285328400010&link_type=ISI [10]: #xref-ref-2-1 View reference 2 in text [11]: #xref-ref-3-1 View reference 3 in text [12]: #xref-ref-4-1 View reference 4 in text [13]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DJ.%2BWildl.%2BManage.%26rft.volume%253D74%26rft.spage%253D203%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.2193%252F2008-485%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [14]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.2193/2008-485&link_type=DOI [15]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000274243800004&link_type=ISI