Judge Donald Molloy of the U.S. District Court in Missoula, Montana returned the Northern Rockies gray wolf back under the protection of the Endangered Species Act. One report stated that Molloy said he thought the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acted “prematurely” in removing the wolf from protection “despite scientific evidence”.
Once again this ruling shows us that science plays no role in the decisions that drive the Endangered Species Act or any kind of wildlife management programs for that matter. Whichever organization pushing or defending a lawsuit that can present the most emotional case wins, the rest can be put to hell.
Of course those who filed the lawsuit seeking the injunction are happy and stating that removing the wolf from protection will endanger its survival. The scientists, whose job it is to manage wildlife, say that is not true but obviously have little say in these matters anymore.
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter disagreed with the ruling.
“The governor disagrees with the decision and is disappointed,” Warbis said. “The wolf population in Idaho is strong. The state of Idaho has developed a sound and responsible plan for managing wolves to maintain a sustainable population.”
As does Ed Bangs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist who led the wolf recovery effort.
“For an injunction, you have to show irreparable harm,” Bangs said. “The hunting of wolves clearly wouldn’t endanger threatened wolf populations. We thought our delisting was a very biologically sound package.”
It would appear at this time that there is little hope that science will play any role in the management of the gray wolf. The same judge, Donald Molloy, is the same judge who will hear the case that will decide whether to put the wolf back on the protection of the Endangered Species Act. Seems ridiculous that the same judge who will rule on the original case also gets to rule on the injunction.
This is a sad day for wildlife science and those residents in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana who are once again forced into not being able to protect their private property from the destruction of an overgrown population of wolves.
What it will take to return the country to the utilization of science in making scientific decisions about our wildlife, I’m not sure. I tend to agree with those who keep suggesting we gather up a few wolves and mountain lions and turn them lose in Central Park or better yet, smack dab in the middle of Washington, D.C.
Tom Remington


