Jinglebob
Well-known member
I just got this in an email and thought some of you might be interested.
Because you provided comments on our March 27, 2006, proposal to remove midwestern wolves from the Endangered and Threatened Species List, we are providing you with this notice of our final decision on the proposal, and explaining where you can get additional information on the decision.
On January 29, 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced that the gray wolf in the Western Great Lakes Distinct Population Segment (DPS) will be removed from the federal list of endangered and threatened species. This action removes all Endangered Species Act (Act) protection for these wolves. Gray wolves in this DPS have recovered and no longer need the Act’s protection to prevent their extinction. The action also removes the federal designation of critical habitat for the gray wolf in Michigan and Minnesota, and eliminates special federal rules for wolf management in Minnesota.
The Western Great Lakes DPS encompasses an area from the Missouri River in the Dakotas eastward through Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, and includes portions of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Gray wolf recovery in this DPS is the result of healthy populations and beneficial management by the states, tribes, and federal agencies in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Winter population surveys show that approximately 4,000 wolves lived in these three states during the late-winter of 2005-2006.
As a result of this delisting action, states and tribes within the DPS range will now be responsible for managing wolf populations to ensure long-term viability. The Service’s role will continue through monitoring the wolf population in the Western Great Lakes DPS for at least five years, as required by the Act.
The final rule to delist gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes DPS will be published in the Federal Register during the next week, probably on February 8. The delisting will take effect 30 days after the date of publication; until that effective date, wolves will remain protected by the Act. To view the final rule (following Federal Register publication) and to learn more about gray wolf recovery in the Western Great Lakes DPS, please visit our website at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/wolf/.
Sincerely,
Ron Refsnider
Endangered Species Listing Coordinator
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3
Whipple Federal Building
1 Federal Drive
Ft. Snelling, MN 55111-4056
612-713-5346
Because you provided comments on our March 27, 2006, proposal to remove midwestern wolves from the Endangered and Threatened Species List, we are providing you with this notice of our final decision on the proposal, and explaining where you can get additional information on the decision.
On January 29, 2007, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced that the gray wolf in the Western Great Lakes Distinct Population Segment (DPS) will be removed from the federal list of endangered and threatened species. This action removes all Endangered Species Act (Act) protection for these wolves. Gray wolves in this DPS have recovered and no longer need the Act’s protection to prevent their extinction. The action also removes the federal designation of critical habitat for the gray wolf in Michigan and Minnesota, and eliminates special federal rules for wolf management in Minnesota.
The Western Great Lakes DPS encompasses an area from the Missouri River in the Dakotas eastward through Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, and includes portions of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Gray wolf recovery in this DPS is the result of healthy populations and beneficial management by the states, tribes, and federal agencies in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Winter population surveys show that approximately 4,000 wolves lived in these three states during the late-winter of 2005-2006.
As a result of this delisting action, states and tribes within the DPS range will now be responsible for managing wolf populations to ensure long-term viability. The Service’s role will continue through monitoring the wolf population in the Western Great Lakes DPS for at least five years, as required by the Act.
The final rule to delist gray wolves in the Western Great Lakes DPS will be published in the Federal Register during the next week, probably on February 8. The delisting will take effect 30 days after the date of publication; until that effective date, wolves will remain protected by the Act. To view the final rule (following Federal Register publication) and to learn more about gray wolf recovery in the Western Great Lakes DPS, please visit our website at http://www.fws.gov/midwest/wolf/.
Sincerely,
Ron Refsnider
Endangered Species Listing Coordinator
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 3
Whipple Federal Building
1 Federal Drive
Ft. Snelling, MN 55111-4056
612-713-5346
