What is Wilderness Without its Wolves?

Franz 200x150

What is Wilderness Without its Wolves?

By Franz Camenzind

 

For millennia, wolves have occupied nearly all the lands now designated as Wilderness in the western US, with the exception of coastal California. Yet today, fewer than two score of the approximately 540 Wildernesses west of the 100th meridian (not including Alaska’s 48) can claim some number of wolves as residents and only a dozen or so harbor wolves in numbers sufficient to be considered sustainable—in either the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Central Idaho Wildlands or Montana’s Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. Arguably, the long-term sustainability of wolves in other Wilderness areas is at risk due to the limited security provided by those smaller, often isolated landscapes.

The Wilderness Act defines Wilderness as a place where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by humankind, retains its primeval character and where natural conditions are preserved. Simply stated, Wilderness is meant to exist with minimal human interference. Yet within the vast majority of Wilderness areas, the wolf, the apex species with profound ecosystem influence, is now absent—an absence due entirely to the relentless killing by humankind.

We need look no farther than Yellowstone National Park to witness the influence wolves have on an ecosystem. The park’s wolves were exterminated by the early 1900s, ostensibly to protect the park’s favored elk herds. What followed was not surprising—an overabundance of elk which led to deleterious impacts to vegetation, particularly lower elevation riparian and willow communities.

Since the reintroduction of wolves to the park in the mid-1990s, elk numbers have dropped to levels most ecologists agree resemble something near carrying capacity. Similarly, park wolf numbers stabilized around 100, after initial highs of 150-170. With the wolf’s return, the park ecosystem is showing signs of reaching a dynamic equilibrium beneficial to all components. It’s not an exaggeration to say that wolves were instrumental in returning the park’s wildlands nearer to their primeval conditions.

Wolves hold apex status, in part, because of their far-ranging hunting behavior. Yellowstone-area wolf packs hunt in territories ranging from 185-310 square miles. Besides being smaller, the Yellowstone elk herd is more dispersed and spends less time in the lower elevation meadows and riparian-willow communities.

Most ecologists agree that the wolf’s collective impact on elk is contributing to the resurgence of the willow communities, which in turn is witnessing an increase in avian biodiversity and density. The revitalization of Yellowstone’s northern range willow communities has also enabled an increase in the beaver population, leading to positive changes to stream ecology, thus benefitting aquatic invertebrates and the fisheries. 

Many of the ecological changes brought about by the wolf’s return may take years if not decades to recognize and fully understand. But one thing is clear, today’s Yellowstone and the Wildernesses harboring robust wolf populations more closely resemble their primeval character than those lacking wolves. Wolves may just be nature’s best wilderness stewards.

Three states now account for the majority of the west’s wolves: Idaho (1,556), Montana (1,220) and Wyoming (347). Another 351 are tallied for Washington (178) and Oregon (173). Mexican Gray Wolves occur in two states: New Mexico (114) and Arizona (72). Combined, approximately 3,660 wolves currently reside west of the 100th meridian—a number that pales to the 250,000 to 2 million estimated to have resided in the entire United States before the European invasion. However, the current numbers are better than the few dozen residing in northwest Montana three decades ago, which were a result of wolves immigrating from Canada. 

Today’s bad news is that wolves in Idaho and Montana are once again facing the vigilante actions of the 1800s. Both state legislatures recently passed draconian legislation with the stated objective of reducing wolf numbers to near 150—the number at which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) will take over wolf management as per the states’ wolf management agreements in effect since Endangered Species Act protections were taken away from wolves.

The new legislation authorizes the state commissions to allow wolf-killing by pretty much any means imaginable: the use of traps and snares, unlimited quotas, extended hunting and trapping seasons, and in Idaho, night time hunting, aerial gunning and killing pups in dens. Idaho also designated $200,000 dollars to “cover expenses incurred” by private individuals while killing wolves—essentially imposing a bounty on wolves.

Idaho’s and Montana’s aggressive wolf-killing legislation has been temporarily dampened a bit by the states’ wildlife commissions which have some leeway when setting annual wolf hunting and trapping regulations. For instance, this season, Montana is limiting the open-ended quotas written into their legislation. But the intent and goals remain unchanged—it may just take a few more years to achieve those goals. Ironically, that means more wolves will be killed because each year the survivors will produce young, thus replenishing their numbers, resulting in “a need” to kill more wolves to reach the 150 goal. 

State wildlife agencies manage wolves by the numbers, ignoring the fact that wolves are one of the most social species on the planet, and function and survive not as individuals, but as members of highly structured packs. Consequently, intense, random killing can cause packs to break up, resulting in diminished hunting efficiency and pushing wolves toward easier prey, such as livestock.

Today, wolves and the wilderness ecosystems they inhabit are imminently threatened by these irresponsible state efforts to kill upwards of 90 percent of their wolf populations, including within Wilderness. A weakened or removed apex species inevitably results in a weakened ecological system. If this barbaric killing is allowed to proceed, ecosystem function and wilderness protection will be pushed back decades.

Wilderness Watch continues to fight for Wilderness and its wolves. On December 6, Wilderness Watch and a dozen allies filed a lawsuit and a motion for a temporary restraining order/preliminary injunction against the State of Idaho over its barbaric new wolf-killing laws. This followed a June 2021 Notice of Intent to sue Idaho and Montana for their new anti-wolf statues. We’ve petitioned the US Department of Agriculture to promulgate rules or issue closure orders preventing certain killing methods, hired killers, and paying bounties in Wilderness. Wilderness Watch also joined a petition authored by Western Watersheds Project to relist wolves under the Endangered Species Act in light of the new, aggressive wolf-killing statutes. In response, the US Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it will undertake a status review of the gray wolf over the next 12 months.

 

A Wilderness denied of its wolves is a wounded Wilderness. If wolves can’t be allowed live in Wilderness, where can they live? Wilderness Watch will continue to do all it can to protect this critical, symbiotic relationship and the ecological integrity of Wilderness itself.

 

Franz Camenzind is a wildlife biologist turned filmmaker and environmental activist who recently retired from the WW Board after serving 6 years.

 

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Comments 107

Guest
Guest - Richard Creswell on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 14:02

What is wilderness without indigenous people? We need to find ways to return care of the land to indigenous people who did such a good job on it for millennia.

What is wilderness without indigenous people? We need to find ways to return care of the land to indigenous people who did such a good job on it for millennia.
Guest
Guest - Patti Packer on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 12:22

I find it appalling that Montana and Idaho have recently passed legislation to reduce wolf numbers. The wolves must be protected under the Endangered Species Act again! How can this be justified??? Wolves are an important part of the ecosystem. They are a remarkable species.

I find it appalling that Montana and Idaho have recently passed legislation to reduce wolf numbers. The wolves must be protected under the Endangered Species Act again! How can this be justified??? Wolves are an important part of the ecosystem. They are a remarkable species.
Guest
Guest - Michelle Graves on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 11:40

man needs to leave endangered and critically endangered animals alone asap!! they all help with the ecosystems, and we can learn so much from them. there's NO reason 2 hunt and kill them for any reason especially to show off like most people do!! there's NO reason why people can't stay out of their way and learn from them, and they stay out of our way!! once these precious animals r gone, they r gone, and we can't get them back. we need 2 learn from them and they have every right to be here!! God put them in their environment for a reason and it's NOT 2 tell and show off with people's stupid guns acting like they r big and show off when it's 2 stupid for people that don't have brains enough to try understanding the different species that can provide much needed information so we all can evolve with the animals. animals should have rights to live in their own way to survive just like any person does!!

man needs to leave endangered and critically endangered animals alone asap!! they all help with the ecosystems, and we can learn so much from them. there's NO reason 2 hunt and kill them for any reason especially to show off like most people do!! there's NO reason why people can't stay out of their way and learn from them, and they stay out of our way!! once these precious animals r gone, they r gone, and we can't get them back. we need 2 learn from them and they have every right to be here!! God put them in their environment for a reason and it's NOT 2 tell and show off with people's stupid guns acting like they r big and show off when it's 2 stupid for people that don't have brains enough to try understanding the different species that can provide much needed information so we all can evolve with the animals. animals should have rights to live in their own way to survive just like any person does!!
Guest
Guest - Anita Youabian (website) on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 11:29

Wolves play a key role in keeping ecosystems healthy. They help keep deer and elk populations in check, which can benefit many other plant and animal species. The carcasses of their prey also help to redistribute nutrients and provide food for other wildlife species, like grizzly bears and scavengers.

Wolves play a key role in keeping ecosystems healthy. They help keep deer and elk populations in check, which can benefit many other plant and animal species. The carcasses of their prey also help to redistribute nutrients and provide food for other wildlife species, like grizzly bears and scavengers.
Guest
Guest - Bill O'Brien on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 11:19

Wolves and beavers are the keystone species of the wilderness. Wolves keep the deer and elk herds in check allowing the riparian forests to grow to a healthy size. While beavers build dams for a diverse population of wildlife to thrive and for fish like salmon and steelhead to migrate and spawn. Beaver wetlands also provide a buffer for fires in the wilderness.

Wolves and beavers are the keystone species of the wilderness. Wolves keep the deer and elk herds in check allowing the riparian forests to grow to a healthy size. While beavers build dams for a diverse population of wildlife to thrive and for fish like salmon and steelhead to migrate and spawn. Beaver wetlands also provide a buffer for fires in the wilderness.
Guest
Guest - Tom Hougham on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 10:20

We were working in Yellowstone when they brought the wolves back. We even got to feed them once. What an awesome experience. Why anyone would need to kill wolves is beyond me.

We were working in Yellowstone when they brought the wolves back. We even got to feed them once. What an awesome experience. Why anyone would need to kill wolves is beyond me.
Guest
Guest - Jaime B. Nahman, Ph.D. on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 09:20

All animals are important in the web of life, whether we understand the web fully or not. Humans have been encroaching on the natural animal world and killing them off for their business benefit. It is time to stop the mass killings and learn to share the environment, even if it costs some. Protect the wolves.

All animals are important in the web of life, whether we understand the web fully or not. Humans have been encroaching on the natural animal world and killing them off for their business benefit. It is time to stop the mass killings and learn to share the environment, even if it costs some. Protect the wolves.
Guest
Guest - heidi lynn ahlstrand on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 08:51

should be a long prison term for thios

should be a long prison term for thios
Guest
Guest - kim on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 08:49

The proof on how vital wolves are to a successful eco system cannot be disputed.I'm saddened that the evidence isn't enought to cease the war on these amazing creatures!

The proof on how vital wolves are to a successful eco system cannot be disputed.I'm saddened that the evidence isn't enought to cease the war on these amazing creatures!
Guest
Guest - Lillian Gestes on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 08:47

please protect the wolfs.

please protect the wolfs.
Guest
Guest - Debbie Krapf on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 08:46

It's so sad these beautiful animals, full grown or pups, are being killed off. We don't need a repeat of what happened the last time they were killed off. They are part of the ecosystem and keep it in check. They were put here for a reason and we need to live among them. We need to protect them. Not kill them. Don't repeat the past. They're too beautiful to destroy.

It's so sad these beautiful animals, full grown or pups, are being killed off. We don't need a repeat of what happened the last time they were killed off. They are part of the ecosystem and keep it in check. They were put here for a reason and we need to live among them. We need to protect them. Not kill them. Don't repeat the past. They're too beautiful to destroy.
Guest
Guest - Mary Johnson on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 08:44

Please protect the wolves. They deserve the right to live. The Wilderness Act defines Wilderness as a place where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by humankind, retains its primeval character and where natural conditions are preserved. Simply stated, Wilderness is meant to exist with minimal human interference. Yet within the vast majority of Wilderness areas, the wolf, the apex species with profound ecosystem influence, is now absent—an absence due entirely to the relentless killing by humankind.

We need look no farther than Yellowstone National Park to witness the influence wolves have on an ecosystem. The park’s wolves were exterminated by the early 1900s, ostensibly to protect the park’s favored elk herds. What followed was not surprising—an overabundance of elk which led to deleterious impacts to vegetation, particularly lower elevation riparian and willow communities.

Since the reintroduction of wolves to the park in the mid-1990s, elk numbers have dropped to levels most ecologists agree resemble something near carrying capacity. Similarly, park wolf numbers stabilized around 100, after initial highs of 150-170. With the wolf’s return, the park ecosystem is showing signs of reaching a dynamic equilibrium beneficial to all components. It’s not an exaggeration to say that wolves were instrumental in returning the park’s wildlands nearer to their primeval conditions.

Please protect the wolves. They deserve the right to live. The Wilderness Act defines Wilderness as a place where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by humankind, retains its primeval character and where natural conditions are preserved. Simply stated, Wilderness is meant to exist with minimal human interference. Yet within the vast majority of Wilderness areas, the wolf, the apex species with profound ecosystem influence, is now absent—an absence due entirely to the relentless killing by humankind. We need look no farther than Yellowstone National Park to witness the influence wolves have on an ecosystem. The park’s wolves were exterminated by the early 1900s, ostensibly to protect the park’s favored elk herds. What followed was not surprising—an overabundance of elk which led to deleterious impacts to vegetation, particularly lower elevation riparian and willow communities. Since the reintroduction of wolves to the park in the mid-1990s, elk numbers have dropped to levels most ecologists agree resemble something near carrying capacity. Similarly, park wolf numbers stabilized around 100, after initial highs of 150-170. With the wolf’s return, the park ecosystem is showing signs of reaching a dynamic equilibrium beneficial to all components. It’s not an exaggeration to say that wolves were instrumental in returning the park’s wildlands nearer to their primeval conditions.
Guest
Guest - Doug Franklin on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 08:28

Our Planet needs wolves and all other beings more than it needs us.

Our Planet needs wolves and all other beings more than it needs us.
Guest
Guest - Vesa Kaakkuriniemi (website) on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 08:13

Wolves belong into wilderness and their population should be allowed to recover from the brink of exctinction to their normal numbers.

Wolves belong into wilderness and their population should be allowed to recover from the brink of exctinction to their normal numbers.
Guest
Guest - Bridget W Irons on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 08:01

According to the C.A.S.H. Courier, a hate crime is "A crime, usually violent, motivated by prejudice or intolerance toward a member of a social group." The war on wolves fits the definition. SHAME!!

According to the C.A.S.H. Courier, a hate crime is "A crime, usually violent, motivated by prejudice or intolerance toward a member of a social group." The war on wolves fits the definition. SHAME!!
Guest
Guest - Clyde on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 07:06

Thank you for the article.

Thank you for the article.
Guest
Guest - Rob Bullis on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 06:54

I live in Minnesota, we have always had wolves here the numbers the DNR say are 2000 to 2500 now. We also have the highest number of whitetail deer ever in the state about 950,000. I bow hunt in the heart of the wolf zone, my best bow hunting happens when the wolves are in my area. They move deer and they hunt were the deer are so I follow them. We also have a cattle industry in this state, there are ranchers that like to blame the wolves for every dead cow and calf. The ones that bring their animals into the cow yard during calving season and keep a clean cow yard have NO wolf problems. To listen to states like Montana and Wyoming complain that there are to many wolves is pure B.S.

I live in Minnesota, we have always had wolves here the numbers the DNR say are 2000 to 2500 now. We also have the highest number of whitetail deer ever in the state about 950,000. I bow hunt in the heart of the wolf zone, my best bow hunting happens when the wolves are in my area. They move deer and they hunt were the deer are so I follow them. We also have a cattle industry in this state, there are ranchers that like to blame the wolves for every dead cow and calf. The ones that bring their animals into the cow yard during calving season and keep a clean cow yard have NO wolf problems. To listen to states like Montana and Wyoming complain that there are to many wolves is pure B.S.
Guest
Guest - Theresa Strom on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 06:29

Hunters and trappers, the BLM and other agencies will kill these animals and more under the guise of protecting deer, elk and other prey of the wolf until they are gone. They are killing on the taxpayer dollar while we blindly approve the carnage! Shame on you!

Hunters and trappers, the BLM and other agencies will kill these animals and more under the guise of protecting deer, elk and other prey of the wolf until they are gone. They are killing on the taxpayer dollar while we blindly approve the carnage! Shame on you!
Guest
Guest - Cynthia Opderbeck on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 05:56

Protect the wolves, PLEASE do the humane thing and the only thing sensible for ecological balance. Thank you sincerely.

Protect the wolves, PLEASE do the humane thing and the only thing sensible for ecological balance. Thank you sincerely.
Guest
Guest - Christopher F. F Vota on Wednesday, 22 December 2021 03:57

There is RACISM here: in allowing straight white christian men to kill wolves and other animals, especially in their dens, especially the young, we should view this travesty as "training' for when the next demagogue reaches the White House and unleashes these murderers upon citizens-out-of-favor with the new Fuhrer

There is RACISM here: in allowing straight white christian men to kill wolves and other animals, especially in their dens, especially the young, we should view this travesty as "training' for when the next demagogue reaches the White House and unleashes these murderers upon citizens-out-of-favor with the new Fuhrer
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