Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Kylie Paul, Rockies & Plains Representative 

Wolverines may finally be getting the federal protections they need. In response to well over a decade of successful legal efforts by Defenders and a few of our partners, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced in February its proposal to list the wolverine as a threatened species in the lower 48 states under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Alongside the proposed listing, FWS also announced its proposal to designate the southern Rocky Mountains (southern Wyoming, Colorado and northern New Mexico) as an experimental population area for wolverines, which opens up the possibility of a reintroduction of wolverines to Colorado.

If approved, these proposals will give wolverines a fighting chance for survival in a warming world. There are only an estimated 300 wolverines spread across the entire western United States, and scientists predict they could lose up to two-thirds of their suitable snowy habitat by 2099 due to climate change. That’s why we’ve been busy over the past few months educating wildlife enthusiasts about this amazing critter and encouraging them to support wolverine conservation through the public participation process on this proposal to protect wolverines.

Film Screenings
Defenders of Wildlife collaborated with our conservation partners in Colorado and Montana to introduce the public to these mysterious, cold-loving critters through the PBS award-winning documentary, Wolverine: Chasing the Phantom. This informative documentary highlights the challenges facing the wolverine. These powerful carnivores are specially adapted for winter existence and survive in the rugged, snow-covered alpine environment by scavenging and storing food. Wolverines’ large paws act like snowshoes that allow them to stay on top of deep snow, and their crampon-like claws help them to climb up and over steep cliffs and snow-covered peaks. Unfortunately, these awe-inspiring creatures are not invincible – climate change is expected to melt away much of their snowy habitat over the next several decades.

Wolverines are incredibly rare, and even the researchers that dedicate their lives to studying this remarkable creature can go years without seeing a wolverine in the wild. Many biologists rely on wolverine tracks, scavenging sites and images they capture through remote cameras to learn more about this elusive critter. Fortunately, in Chasing the Phantom, the audience is offered a glimpse into the wolverine’s world through the eyes of researchers with the Glacier National Park Wolverine Project. Viewers also get up-close and personal, following the movements and behavior of two wolverines raised in captivity. They are beautiful, playful and ridiculously cute!

(c) Ken Curtis

Almost 300 wildlife enthusiasts attended the film screenings in Denver, Bozeman, and Missoula. Each screening was followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session with experts from a variety of backgrounds. In Denver, the audience was especially interested in the potential reintroduction of wolverines into Colorado. Bridget Fahey with the FWS and Eric Odell with Colorado Parks and Wildlife explained that some climate models show that Colorado – with the highest average elevation of any state in the Lower 48, including 54 peaks over 14,000 feet – will likely retain the continuous cold temperatures and snow cover necessary for the wolverine to survive, even as the climate continues to change. All of the panel experts, including Caitlin Balch-Burnett with Defenders, emphasized that getting wolverines on the ground in Colorado could be one of the greatest steps we can take to ensure that wolverines survive the effects of climate change.

In Bozeman, the producer and filmmaker of Chasing the Phantom, Gianna Savoie, joined the panel to share her experiences working on the documentary and how she created a film on such a remote creature. Bob Inman with Wildlife Conservation Society discussed wolverine biology and research, and I talked about the proposed listing of wolverines under the Endangered Species Act. The event in Missoula offered Mike Schwartz, a leading wolverine conservation genetics team leader, who discussed many of the incorrect myths about wolverines.

FWS public hearings
The FWS hosted three public hearings on their wolverine proposals in the southern and northern Rocky Mountains: Boise, Idaho; Lakewood, Colorado; and Helena, Montana. We reached out to our supporters in the area and encouraged them to attend – many took the opportunity to speak directly to the federal officials and biologists that will be involved in the final decision to list the wolverine under the ESA.

There was widespread support for wolverines at the public hearings, especially in Boise and Lakewood, where nearly all of the public comments were positive. Alex Marks, a Defenders member who attended the Lakewood hearing, commented:

“I wanted to testify at the Fish and Wildlife hearing about the dual proposals for the wolverine because I wanted to let the agency know how important it was for these proposals to move forward .… The ESA was established to both “stabilize” and “revitalize” any species in need of its protections.”

We were thrilled with the amount of support and positive feedback we have been seeing for the listing proposal and the Colorado reintroduction – it all bodes well for the future of wolverines in the U.S.!

Kylie Paul, Rockies & Plains Representative
Russell Talmo, Wolverine Project Assistant

It’s not every day that you get to see a wolverine. In fact, wolverine sightings are extremely rare, even if you live in wolverine habitat. That’s why Defenders and other organizations are enlisting the help of outdoor enthusiasts, backcountry users and wolverine fans across the West to report any wolverine sightings or observations of wolverine tracks. If you are traveling in the backcountry in the western United States (Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Utah) and see a wolverine or wolverine track, we want to hear about it. And the Backcountry Wolverine Watchers project makes it pretty simple.

Several research institutes have reporting pages on their websites that gather observational data on wolverines. These observations provide helpful baseline information for biologists in the U.S. and Canada about one of North America’s least-known carnivores. Defenders is working to help these organizations collect more observations, as we’re always working to raise awareness about the magnificent wolverine and its proposed Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection.

These elusive creatures spend most of their time in remote and rugged high alpine terrain in the West – some of the same places that backcountry skiers, hikers, horsemen and others visit year-round.  As a result, those backcountry users have the highest likelihood of spotting a wolverine or wolverine sign.  So, Defenders is spreading the word to local outdoor organizations and retailers and at outdoor-focused events, handing out wolverine identification cards [PDF] and an informational poster that explains how to identify and report wolverine sign to the websites that pool the information.  By reaching out to these recreation-loving folks that share an intrinsic appreciation for wild country and wildlife, we are raising awareness and gaining invaluable information. Plus, when a hiker or skier knows that they live and play in valuable wolverine habitat, they are more likely to ‘tread softly’ while they are out there.

Most of us have never seen a wolverine, so it can be pretty exciting if you do see one – or if you see something that you think is a wolverine. There are plenty of mistaken identifications out there – people commonly confuse badgers, marmots, small bears, and domestic dogs for wolverines. Even if you live in a western state where wolverines occur, it is darn unlikely that the creature you’re staring at is a wolverine. The best bet? Take a photo! Without one, it is really tough to verify what you saw. With that photo, record as much information as possible: color and markings, size, location (get GPS point or find it on a map), terrain, speed of travel, time and date.

One handy thing about the elusive wolverine — just like anything else walking in the snow — they leave tracks behind! So again, if you’re way up high in snowy, mountainous terrain and come across a five-toed track (canines and cats have 4 toes), look more closely. Characteristics of a wolverine track include: 4-inch wide print; five toes, chevron-shaped interdigital pad, and oval-shaped heel pad; and prints are close together compared to those of a wolf, lynx, or mountain lion since wolverines have shorter legs.

Again, most importantly, photograph the track so others can verify it. Make sure you include something in it for size scale (like keys, cell phone, pen or coins). Measure or estimate the size of individual prints and distance between tracks (length and width between tracks). Describe the track, the snow conditions and time since last snow, note time and date, and locate the area on a map – ideally, take a GPS point.

If you’re lucky enough to see a wolverine track or a wolverine itself, please then report it to the relevant site:
If you’re in the western U.S., go to The Wolverine Foundation.
If you’re in Canada, go to Wolverine Watch.
If you’re in Wyoming, go to Nature Mapping: Wolverine Project.

For more information about Wolverines and Defenders work to help protect them, or if you wish to comment on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed ESA protection, Click Here.

Kylie Paul, Rockies and Plain Representative

(c)Anna Yu/istockphoto

Wolverines are enigmatic, wide-ranging members of the weasel family (think otters, mink, and marten) that exist in high-altitude ‘islands’ of mountain ranges in the West.  Wolverines mostly disappeared from the landscape in the 19^th and 20^th centuries in part due to human activities like trapping and poisoning, and they are slowly recolonizing their former territory in the northern Cascades and Rocky Mountains.

Defenders and our colleagues have been fighting for nearly two decades to federally protect wolverines in the lower 48 states, where climate change threatens their future. We filed a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in 2000 requesting protection for the species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and took legal action in 2005 and 2008 when the agency did not move forward to protect the species. Then in 2010, FWS determined that wolverines did in fact warrant ESA protections, but the agency was precluded from taking further action due to higher priorities. Thankfully, on February 1, 2013, FWS finally proposed to protect wolverines in the contiguous U.S. as a ‘threatened’ species under the ESA!

The wolverine population in the lower 48 has long been a conservation concern for Defenders of Wildlife for many reasons:

• Wolverines are few in number. Biologists estimate there are fewer than 300 wolverines in the contiguous United States, and wolverines have one of the lowest successful reproduction rates known for mammals.
• Wolverines need snow. Female wolverines need deep snow that lasts through spring for dens in which they raise their young, but researchers predict wolverines in the lower 48 could lose two-thirds of their snow-covered habitat by the end of this century due to climate change.
• Wolverines need connections to other wolverines. The contiguous U.S. population of wolverines is small and fragmented, and is therefore vulnerable to a reduction of suitable habitat. To give the species a chance of adapting to the warming climate in the lower 48, they need a well-connected, robust population, including wolverines reclaiming currently unoccupied habitat.
• Some areas still allow wolverine trapping. Trapping of wolverines has been allowed in Montana, where up to five wolverines statewide could be trapped legally each year. This doesn’t sound like a lot, but trapping one reproducing female from a small mountain range could reduce the reproductive potential of that local population.

(c) Ken Curtis

Protecting wolverines under the ESA would benefit wolverines in many ways. A ‘threatened’ status prohibits killing or harming wolverines, so it will stop trapping of wolverines in Montana, giving them a better chance to expand into unoccupied habitat. It will help identify and designate habitat critical to long-term species survival. It requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to create a comprehensive recovery plan that discusses what specific actions need to be taken in order to restore the species. It brings public attention and hopefully public resources to wolverines – once folks get to know how impressive wolverines are, they’re that much more likely to help protect them!  It also brings to light the complex challenges of climate change that wolverines and other species face. Listing the wolverine should provide additional resources necessary for research and monitoring.

The USFWS has one year to decide whether to follow through and publish a final listing rule. They are holding a public comment period from February 4 to May 5, 2013, to give folks the opportunity to provide additional information on the proposal. Click here to review the proposal and submit a comment!

Here are some important points to mention:

• Wolverines need deep snow that lasts through spring for dens in which the females raise their young, but wolverines in the lower 48 could lose two-thirds of their snow-covered habitat by the end of this century due to climate change!
• Federal protection will help wolverines survive a warming world by removing threats such as trapping, giving them a better chance to expand into unoccupied habitat.
• Federal protection will provide the resources and attention needed for research and monitoring to better understand threats and help sustain wolverines into the future.
• To give the species a chance of adapting to the warming climate in the lower 48, they need a well-connected, robust population, including wolverines moving into quality former habitat that is currently vacant.  Wolverine reintroduction in high-alpine Colorado will help increase the chances of the species surviving in the lower 48 in a warming future.

Together we can speak up to make sure the wolverine gets the protection it deserves.

Kylie Paul, Rockies and Plains Representative

Oddly enough, fishers don’t eat fish. Instead, these solitary and highly elusive members of the weasel family prey on creatures such as showshoe hare, porcupine and other small animals. Fishers’ pre-European distribution ranged across the boreal forests of Canada, extending south into the United States in the Great Lakes area and along the Appalachian, Rocky and Pacific Coast Mountains. But their luxurious coasts made them a highly sought-after furbearer in the 1800s, leading to dramatic reductions in range and population. While their populations have grown throughout many northern forests in North America, there is still little information on their distribution and population status in the Rockies. Some biologists think they are the most imperiled predator in the northern Rockies, but it is hard to know for sure without more data. Earlier this year, Defenders participated in a program incorporating citizen volunteers and DNA sampling to better understand the distribution of these important creatures.

Given the relative lack of information available on the prevalence and habits of fishers, they have sparked a significant amount of curiosity and debate. Defenders petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide Endangered Species Act protections to fishers in the U.S. northern Rockies, and in 2010, the Service announced that our petition raised legitimate concerns and it would consider listing fishers in the northern Rocky Mountains. However, the agency held off after deciding there was insufficient data to show their population in the region has declined historically.

One of the snares set to collect hair samples.

To fill this data hole, researchers at the U.S.Forest Service (USFS) Rocky Mountain Research Station began monitoring fishers in 2007. They sample five-mile-square grids and place hair snares in likely fisher habitat within those grids to collect hair (and thus DNA) for genetic analyses. A hair snare is a triangular tube made of waterproof posterboard, similar to the kind used for real estate signs. Each side has bristle rifle brushes, and in between those brushes is an enticing raw chicken wing. Anything that wants the chicken has to squeeze past the brushes, leaving a few hairs in the bristles. DNA from these hairs is then used to identify species and individuals in a lab. In addition to being painless for the fishers, this relatively easy standardized protocol allows ordinary citizens to assist in the surveys.

The U.S. Forest Service partnered with such citizen volunteers to set up and retrieve fisher hair snares along Forest Service roads and trails throughout the Ninemile Watershed/Ranger District of Lolo National Forest in Montana. Earlier this fall, 13 citizen volunteers were trained and, working in pairs, set out more than 70 hair snares in possible fisher habitat within grids in the Ninemile. Three weeks later, more volunteers headed to those same snares to remove them and gather hair samples. I took part in the hair snare survey, and hope to be able to with with the USFS on similar efforts in the future.

Preliminary results of the hair snare DNA analyses showed that no fishers were detected in the Ninemile this past September. Other species whose hair was found in the snares included striped skunk, bushy tailed woodrat, snowshoe hare, red squirrel, northern flying squirrel, coyote and pine marten. While fisher weren’t detected with this survey, it doesn’t necessarily mean they do not exist there — it could mean that we just didn’t find them, and we may want to try again.

One thing is clear: this was a win-win for citizens and fishers alike. It allowed volunteers to get involved in wildlife work while also providing an opportunity to learn more about the distribution of these fascinating creatures.

Kylie Paul, Rockies and Plains Representative

News of wolverines, like the animal itself, tends to be scarce. So I was thrilled to see Gulo gulo pop its head up in the Denver Post a couple weeks ago.  According to the story, a lone wolverine known as M56 was photographed this spring in Colorado, one of the few remaining places in the lower 48 where wolverines might find refuge on a warming planet.

M56 arrived from Wyoming nearly four years ago — the first known wolverine in Colorado in 90 years. He was originally collared near Grand Teton National Park and traveled hundreds of miles in just a few weeks. Now, Colorado wildlife managers are watching him to see how he adapts to his new home.

Only 250 to 300 wolverines are estimated to exist in the lower 48, and they generally stick to remote mountains. Wolverines need deep snow that persists into late spring to provide shelter for their young, and the Colorado Rockies are one of the few places that may maintain its snowpack as climate change alters alpine habitats elsewhere.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is currently considering whether to list wolverines under the Endangered Species Act. A decision is expected in early 2013, and a final rule could be in place in early 2014. What happens then? For now, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is holding off on exploring opportunities to reintroduce wolverines. But state wildlife managers already have an excellent track record for similar efforts with other species. Between 1999 and 2006, the state successfully reintroduced more than 200 Canada lynx, and they have now established into a self-sustaining population. As of late September 2010, at least 141 lynx kittens had been born in the wild in Colorado since reintroduction began. With so few wolverines in the Rockies, it’s unlikely that M56 will be able to find a mate and start a family in Colorado without some extra assistance.

In the meantime, there is much ground work to be done. We’ve partnered with other conservation organizations and researchers in the Rockies to form a loose coalition. Our goal is to raise the profile of wolverines in the state and increase public support for potentially restoring the species to the wild. There are many options and stakeholders with a voice in the potential reintroduction matter, and decision-makers will try to balance those voices. We hope wolverine conservation will rise above the fray.

We’ll need your support in January and February when we expect the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to make its decision regarding endangered species protections for wolverines. Stay tune to see how you can help! And just for fun, check out this amazing NATURE episode about wolverines from PBS called “Chasing the Phantom:”

Watch Wolverine: Chasing the Phantom – Preview on PBS. See more from Nature.

Kylie Paul, Rockies and Plains Representative

Wildlife overpass on Highway 93 through the Flathead Indian Reservation

The Flathead Indian Reservation in northwest Montana is home to an abundance of wildlife, including grizzly bears, wolves, peregrine falcons, elk, bighorn sheep, fisher, lynx and wolverine. But a busy U.S. highway cuts through the reservation, and has long been a source of vehicle collisions dangerous to both humans and wildlife. Thankfully, in the last several years, the highway underwent a major construction effort that includes an impressive 41 wildlife crossing structures and 16.6 miles of wildlife fencing — all on a 56-mile segment of highway! These structures aim to make drivers and animals safer by reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions. They also help keep habitats and populations connected by providing opportunities for wildlife to cross the highway safely using underpasses. There’s even an overpass specifically designed for grizzly bears.

This progressive step toward mitigating the highway impacts to wildlife did not occur overnight, nor was it a typical approach for the transportation department. In fact, it came after more than 10 years of disagreement. And the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) who live on and govern the Flathead Indian Reservation were a driving force that led to such consideration of wildlife in the highway reconstruction.

A black bear uses a wildlife underpass along High way 93.

In the 1990s, the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) proposed widening U.S. Highway 93 through the Reservation. Tribal members were concerned about the impact that the expansion could have on their landscape, culture and natural resources. They insisted that the new design that takes the wellbeing of wildlife into account. CSKT and MDT could not reach an agreement for several years. Then, in March of 2000, the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) met with both parties and they all eventually identified the need to take an approach that recognized the “Spirit of Place” — the landscape, water, plants, animals and native people. The design of the roadway needed to incorporate the idea that the road is a visitor, and should respond to and be respectful of the land and how the CSKT people relate to it. In December of 2000, the CSKT, MDT and FHWA signed a memorandum of agreement for this project that included measures to mitigate the road’s impacts to wildlife and other natural processes, and to improve human safety through a reduction in wildlife-vehicle collisions.

Now, after CSKT defended their beliefs to help wildlife coexist in their landscape, insisting that highway planners incorporate safe passage for wildlife, U.S. 93 North contains more wildlife crossing structures than any other continuous stretch of highway in North America!

A family of river otters travels through one of the wildlife underpasses.

Despite the magnitude of this initiative, it seemed that most people throughout the region weren’t fully aware of it. Most knew that a big wildlife bridge over the road was constructed, but were unaware of the 40 other wildlife crossing structures they were driving over in the form of underpasses or tunnels. And these structures aren’t just sitting there — researchers in 2010 recorded more than 12,000 wildlife crossing events in the structures by more than 20 species!

To gain support for projects like this one and encourage more of them across Montana and the rest of the country, the need for outreach was obvious, so the tribes joined forces with Defenders of Wildlife, MDT and researchers at the Western Transportation Institute, and the People’s Way Partnership was born. Defenders’ role has been to coordinate and help find funding for the Partnership’s outreach efforts, such as presentations to students, organizations, agencies and the public; a student poster drawing contest; brochures; outreach posters and more. Our involvement with the tribes and the Partnership has been successful and rewarding, and we look forward to continuing our outreach efforts to increase support for more sustainable highway practices for wildlife throughout the West and the United States.