3/29/2007
Contacts
Sharon Rose, 303-236-4580
Ed Bangs, 406-449-5225, ext. 204
USFWS Extends Public Comment Period On Its Proposal To
Delist The Gray Wolf In The Northern Rocky Mountain States; An Additional
Open House and Public Hearing Will Be Held In Cody WY On April 19, 2007
The period for the public to comment on the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service's proposal to delist the gray wolf in the northern Rocky
Mountain states was extended until May 9, 2007. Comments should continue to
be electronically mailed to
NRMGrayWolf@fws.gov, hand-delivered to
USFWS, 585 Shepard Way, Helena, MT 59601, or mailed to U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Wolf Delisting, 585 Shepard Way, Helena, MT 59601.
In response to a request from Congresswoman Cubin of
Wyoming, the Service will hold a second open house and public hearing in the
state of Wyoming at the Cody Auditorium in Cody, Wyo., on Thursday, April
19, 2007.
The open house will be from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and the public
hearing will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. A brief presentation on the Service's
proposal will be given during the public meeting at 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. and
will be followed by a question-and-answer period. During the public
hearing, formal oral testimony will be accepted. Written comments also will
be accepted at the public meeting and the hearing.
In addition to and prior to this public meeting, the Service has hosted six
public meetings and hearings in Wyoming, Montana, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and
Washington regarding its proposal to delist the northern Rocky Mountain
distinct population segment of gray wolves.
The minimum recovery goal for wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains is 30
breeding pairs and at least 300 wolves for three consecutive years, a goal
that was attained in 2002 and has been exceeded every year since. The
Service believes that with approved state management plans in place in
Montana and Idaho, threats to the wolf population will have been reduced or
eliminated in those states. At this time, Wyoming does not have an approved
state management plan for wolves. However, threats to those wolves will be
reduced or eliminated by continued federal protection if Wyoming does not
have an approved plan by the time the delisting proposal is finalized. The
northern Rocky Mountain distinct population segment includes all of Montana,
Idaho and Wyoming, the eastern one-third of Washington and Oregon, and a
small part of north-central Utah.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published its proposal in the Federal
Register on February 7, 2007, to delist the gray wolf in the northern
Rocky Mountains. It can be viewed at westerngraywolf.fws.gov/. Comments
from the public are encouraged on this proposal. All comments must be
submitted by the close of business on May 9, 2007.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving,
protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for
the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the
95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545
national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special
management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery
resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency
enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act,
manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant
fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and
helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation
efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes
hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting
equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
For more information on the northern Rocky Mountain gray wolves, visit
www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/wolf/
