Defenders of Wildlife Blog

Suzanne Stone, Northern Rockies Representative 

Last weekend, Defenders helped cosponsor the 28th Annual Edmonds Community College PowWow, and I was fortunate to be able to attend. This year, the international tribal gathering honored the “Teachings of the Wolves,” which have renewed importance both for Native American communities and those of us working to restore a gray wolf population to the Pacific Northwest.

Children at the Quileute school especially enjoyed meeting the ambassador wolf (©Joe Whittle)

Defenders recognizes the deep historic cultural ties that many tribal communities have with wolves. Wolves have been demonized by politicians as being uncontrollable threats to livestock over the years and many ranchers have remained resistant to implementing readily available nonlethal tools that can dramatically reduce or prevent livestock losses. Some politicians have used these conflicts as platforms for promoting anti-wolf campaigns in the Pacific Northwest region. Thus, the recent PowWow was a welcome break from the heated rhetoric attacking wolves and provided a rare chance to learn from tribal leaders who have strong cultural ties to wolves.

We have met several times with leaders of the Quileute Tribe, whose reservation is located on the Olympic Peninsula, a key future recovery area for wolves. Just a few years ago, we helped organize a Mission:Wolf ambassador wolf program for the Quileute school and village dance center. Almost all tribal members participated in the event, from the elders to young children, and celebrated by presenting their sacred wolf dance.

When we heard about the Edmonds PowWow event honoring wolves, it was obviously essential to have the Quileute there to share their stories, dance and drumming. The organizers of this event agreed, and our support enabled the Quileute representatives to attend the event.

Participants at the PowWow were especially honored that tribal elder Roger Jackson was able to attend the event and even danced their sacred wolf dance. He told stories about the Quileute wolf society and the ceremonies that have been handed down from generation to generation. PowWow participants from several tribes danced while drummers performed a traditional song – listen here:

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Tribal member Marco Black (©Suzanne Stone/Defenders)

Tribal member Marco “Jacob” Black, who was the inspiration for the Jacob Black character in the popular Twilight series, spoke about the tribe’s respect for wolves and told their origin story in which the orca transforms into the wolf on land. He spoke of the importance of honoring the elders and encouraged all the young people to speak in the manner of their grandmothers and grandfathers – with respect. Like wolves, their voices are the voices of their ancestors.

As wolves struggle to disperse and return once more to key parts of their historic range in the west, there is an urgent need for a strong community of support and understanding for this much maligned and often persecuted species. Many Tribal members relate to the plight of the wolf in very personal ways. They want to honor their cultural heritage by sharing their spiritual deep respect for wolves and other native wildlife. As in the teachings of native leaders, their wisdom in regard to our natural world is needed now more than ever.

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”
- Chief Seattle, Duwamish (1780-1866)

Two great friends of wolves: Quileute tribal elder Roger Jackson and Defenders’ Representative Suzanne Asha Stone

It didn’t have to be like this. On Friday, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced its plans to remove the entire Wedge Pack, and we found out yesterday that at least two had already been killed.

The state’s decision to take out up to eight wolves came on the heels of continued reports of cattle losses blamed on the Wedge Pack—some fairly, others not. We don’t fully understand the basis for this decision since some of our questions still haven’t been answered, but the state is moving forward nevertheless.

While we continue to support the state’s wolf management plan when properly implemented, it’s disappointing to see this pack being targeted unnecessarily. If the state had taken swift action after the first depredation reports to deter further attacks, this whole situation might have been avoided. This is the reason that we fought so hard to include nonlethal conflict management provisions in the plan, and it’s the reason we asked state officials last month not to pursue lethal removal of the pack.

Our bigger concern, however, is that we’re likely to see the same scenario play out in the future unless proactive steps are taken to prevent conflict before it happens. What will happen next year if a new pack moves in and unguarded cattle are still grazing in the area? From decades of work in the Northern Rockies, we have learned that lethal control alone doesn’t resolve these conflicts—it only perpetuates the loss of more livestock and more wolves.

Setting up electrified flagging, known as “turbofladry,” is just one of many nonlethal tools that can help prevent conflict between livestock and wolves.

While the state claims to have exhausted all their options, the root cause has still not been addressed. We have made numerous offers to the state to assist with implementing nonlethal deterrents and better animal husbandry practices. The state has used our equipment such as turbofladry in other areas, but it remains unclear what nonlethal measures, if any, were used with the Wedge pack.

Unfortunately, we do not have control over the fate of this pack, and it’s too late now to save them. But we stand ready to partner with the state and local ranchers to help make sure the Wedge Pack doesn’t die in vain. This is an important lesson for us all about the value of working together in advance to prevent conflict. In order to coexist over the long run, we need the willing participation of all stakeholders—state wildlife managers, national forest managers, ranchers and the conservation community. That’s the best and only way to ensure a future for wolves in Washington.

What You Can Do

Next Friday, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is hosting a public meeting in Olympia.  Part of this meeting will be used to address the department’s handling of the Wedge pack situation.  If you are able to attend this meeting, please plan to be there.  Those arriving in time to register will have three minutes to express their concerns to the commission.  Click here to see meeting details.

Help save Wyoming’s wolves – Thanks to all our members and supporters who have already signed our petition to the Obama administration. So far, more than 62,000 of you have weighed in, and we’re getting closer every day to our goal of 100,000 signatures. It’s not too late to sign or share with your friends on social media. Just click here.

Stop the war on wolves!

Our ask is simple: tell the Obama administration to maintain federal protection for Wyoming’s wolves until the state comes up with a better management plan. It’s important that we keep the pressure up because the delisting could come any day now. As this AP story suggests, a lawsuit from environmental groups could be waiting in the wings. But we’d much rather have the President take the lead on stopping this reprehensible plan in its tracks, before it ever has a chance to take effect.

With the hunting season scheduled to start in October and unrestricted killing allowed across more than 80 percent of the state, more than 100 wolves could be wiped out within a few months of delisting. The time to act is now! America’s wildlife heritage is a stake! Wyoming’s wolves need your help today!

Wolf pups galore! – Luckily, it’s not all bad news for wolves in the region. This year’s litter of pups appears to be doing very well in central Idaho and eastern Oregon. The Idaho Mountain Express reports that there are at least three packs in the Wood River Valley. This week, our field crew retrieved more than 100 new photos from Defenders trail cameras of the newly dubbed Pioneer Pack near Sun Valley. There appear to be at least four to five pups and three adults that were photographed while feeding on an elk carcass. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has had success getting pictures of pups lately too. They’ve documented at least two pups in the Umatilla area, officially making this group of wolves a pack and breeding pair. They also documented at least five pups in the Imnaha pack, one of the state’s oldest.

Here are a few of the best shots:

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Pioneer pack gray and black pups

Alpha female and two black pups

Alpha female and pups

Umatilla pups in Oregon

Imnaha pups in Oregon

Record number of elk calves in NW MT – Remember those stories we kept hearing about how wolves were decimating all the elk, especially in places like Montana’s Bitterroot Valley? Well this year Craig Jourdonnais, a biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, documented 56 elk calves per 100 cows! According to this AP report, the ratio hasn’t been that high since 1976. The cause? Jourdonnais says it’s all about the weather, not wolves.

We’ll miss you, Tom — It’s with great sadness that we honor the passing of wolf expert Tom Meier. Tom helped lead wolf recovery efforts in Montana with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from 1996 to 2004, before returning to Denali National Park to conduct research for the National Park Service on predator-prey interactions. He was a true icon and will be missed. Read more in the Fairbanks News-Miner.

State will manage for long-term, sustainable wolf population

OLYMPIA, Wash. (Dec. 5, 2011) – The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission approved the state’s final wolf recovery plan on Saturday, charting a course toward the long-term sustainability of its growing wolf population.

The following is a statement from Suzanne Stone, Northern Rockies representative for Defenders of Wildlife:

This wolf was caught on camera in the Cascade Mountains about 100 miles from Seattle.

“The approval of this plan is a clear reflection of broad public support for the return of wolves to the landscape. Washingtonians recognize that wolves play a vital role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and can provide an economic boon through wildlife tourism. The Washington Wildlife Commission is to be commended for taking this important next step for wolf conservation.

“The plan strikes a reasonable balance between protecting the state’s nascent wolf population and addressing potential conflicts with livestock. Above all, the plan will ensure the continued recovery of wolves across the state as well as the long-term future of a healthy, sustainable wolf population.

“The return of wolves to the Northern Rockies has been an incredible conservation success story, and the state of Washington is now helping to write the next chapter. Wolves are making a comeback in Washington today thanks to more than 15 years of dedicated efforts by Defenders of Wildlife and others who made the historic reintroduction of wolves possible.”

Background:
Washington’s Department of Fish and Wildlife began developing their wolf recovery plan in 2007, and the state’s first breeding pair was documented in 2008. As of July, there were five distinct wolf packs in Washington, including one breeding pair. The wolf plan provides for the recovery of at least 15 breeding pairs (an estimated 97-361 wolves) spread across three regions of the state. The plan also includes provisions to compensate ranchers for confirmed and probable livestock losses and prioritizes nonlethal management strategies in the early years of recovery.

Learn more about what Defenders is doing for wolves in the Northern Rockies

Read WDFW’s press release announcing approval of the plan

Visit WDFW’s wolf management page

Get weekly updates on wolf news on Defenders blog

Final vote on Washington wolf plan

A wolf in the Teanaway pack in central Washington.

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is expected to approve the state’s final wolf recovery plan this weekend. The plan has been in the works since 2007 and would provide for the recovery of at least 15 breeding pairs (an estimated 97-361 wolves) divided into three parts of the state, including the Cascade Mountains and even the Olympic Peninsula. If approved, the plan would usher in a new chapter in the successful return of wolves across the Northern Rockies. Read more at the Spokesman Review. Thanks to all Defenders supporters who weighed in on the recovery plan!

Wolves on Oprah?

It’s not every day that you get to see your picture in Oprah magazine. Still, Defenders’ own Susannah Woodruff tried to downplay her newfound celebrity status when her name and photo appeared in the December issue. Susannah took freelance writer Polly Brewster into the Wyoming backcountry in search of wolves when she was still working as a biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The adventure made such an impression that Brewster decided to include it in her feature story, along with a quote from Susannah. Here’s an excerpt from the story about Brewster’s love of wolf-watching:

The next morning I went out with Jimenez’s assistant, Susannah Woodruff, to track the Washakie pack, which lives on the eastern side of Shoshone National Forest. We bushwhacked through a thick grove of pine trees, and every time we heard something moving in the distance I grabbed at the bear spray on my right hip; grizzly scat was everywhere, mounds of it every 50 feet. Unlike wolves, grizzlies, which can weigh up to 1,500 pounds, are known to attack humans.As the forest thinned out we found elk and bear tracks that led to a meadow surrounding a crystal blue lake. This was a perfect rendezvous site—a place where pups are left to play while adults hunt. Woodruff stepped ahead of us, raised her hands to her mouth, and let out a low howl. It gave me goose bumps.”I feel like I should tell them or something,” says Woodruff. “Like, guys, you’re missing an awesome spot.” Her cell phone rang. It was Jimenez. She listened for a minute, then flipped the phone closed. “We’ve got to go scare off some wolves. They’re chasing cattle on a ranch near here.”

Susannah scanning for wolves in Wyoming in her days as a biologist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Half an hour later, when we reached the ranch, there were no wolves in sight and, more importantly, no dead cows. Woodruff put an antenna up on top of the truck and pulled out a signal receiver to see if she could locate any radio collars. No such luck. She had a hunch that the wolves were due west, where a day earlier she’d seen some pups lazing in the sun.

We hiked across the pasture, then through aspen groves and clusters of pine trees. In a last-ditch effort she decided to check the woods below the main road we’d driven in on. Moments later she ran out of the woods. “Tracks,” she whispered. “Lots of them.”

We followed the prints, then lost them. I knew our mission was to scare off the wolves; I just wished we’d caught a glimpse of them. We’d been hiking for almost six hours straight. Woodruff called it quits. My legs ached, but my heart ached more. I wanted to tell her to just leave me out there—I would wait for them.

We hiked up to the truck, and right there on the dirt road was a big, fresh wolf track.

Visiting biologist films whirlwind western wolf tour

Brad Purcell is a bit of a jokester, but he also happens to be a brilliant emerging conservation biologist and one helluva amateur filmmaker. Brad studies dingoes in Australia and spent part of his summer volunteering with the Wood River Wolf Project to learn more about coexistence techniques. Dingoes are believed to have descended from gray wolves and share many characteristics with their ancient cousins. Brad’s hoping to learn how he can apply the nonlethal management strategies we use with gray wolves in the Northern Rockies to promote coexistence with dingoes down under. Check out his fast and furious highlight reel from his trip out West:

(CAUTION: loud music and bad dancing!)

Budget cuts may have silver lining

Federal agencies are all in a pinch with serious budget cuts looming, but the new era of belt-tightening may result in at least a few positive developments. Here’s an example: One of the agencies that has lost funding is Wildlife Services, the program that is responsible for killing hundreds of “problem wolves” every year. Cuts to their budget has meant less money for predator control in places like Idaho, where Wildlife Services guns wolves down from the air in response to livestock depredations. Now the Idaho Cattle Association is looking for new funding streams to pay for additional predator control. But as Rocky Barker pointed out on his blog over at the Idaho Statesman, this could be the perfect opportunity for the livestock industry to take a fresh look at nonlethal management techniques like the ones Defenders has been successfully promoting for years.

USFWS protects more than 375,000 acres in Idaho and Washington for at-risk species

PRIEST LAKE, Idaho (November 29, 2011) – Endangered woodland caribou will be protected across 375,562 acres in the Selkirk Mountains of northern Idaho and northeastern Washington, thanks to a critical habitat designation handed down today by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The long-awaited decision is the result of action taken by Defenders of Wildlife, Lands Council, Selkirk Conservation Alliance and Center for Biological Diversity.

“Christmas has come early for America’s only reindeer relative,” said Mike Leahy, Rocky Mountain director for Defenders of Wildlife. “Critical habitat is an essential tool for recovering endangered species like the woodland caribou, and they deserve our best efforts. To protect endangered animals, we must protect the places they live.”

Only one small herd of Woodland caribou remains in the U.S. Fewer than 50 survive in the border region between northern Idaho and British Columbia.

The woodland caribou is perhaps the most endangered species in the continental United States. The southern Selkirk herd of the caribou, which is the only one to occur in the lower 48 states, consists of about 45 animals. The southern Selkirk herd belongs to a unique mountain dwelling form of caribou known as the “mountain ecotype” that, unlike other woodland caribou, do not form large herds or make large migrations.  Instead, these caribou migrate between low and high elevation forests.

“The woodland caribou of the Selkirk Mountains are highly endangered and need this habitat protection to survive,” said Tim Layser, a wildlife biologist with the Selkirk Conservation Alliance. “Protecting the caribou means protecting the old-growth forests and wild places of the Selkirks, which are cherished by many.”

Thousands of woodland caribou once roamed the northern United States but were eliminated from all of their habitats except the Selkirk Mountains by a combination of logging of their old-growth forest habitats, hunting and poaching, and roads. They continue to be threatened in their last habitat in the U.S. by disturbance from snow mobiles and other winter recreation.

“With today’s designation of critical habitat, the woodland caribou has a shot at survival,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Woodland caribou are one of the many hidden treasures of the Idaho Panhandle and are definitely worth saving.”

Background:
The conservation groups petitioned for critical habitat in 2002 and sued for the designation in 2009.  In 2005, the conservation groups challenged grooming of snow mobile trails into caribou habitat on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest and obtained an injunction on snow mobile travel and trail grooming in a small portion of the forest that is essential for the caribou.  Much of that habitat has now been designated as critical habitat, ensuring these protections will be maintained.

Read more about the lawsuit that triggered the critical habitat designation.

Read the USFWS’ proposed critical habitat designation.