Category Archives: Environmental Issues

It’s official: Feds want wolverines on Endangered Species List

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As expected, the federal government will propose giving wolverines Endangered Species Act protection today. The recommendation includes a proposal to reintroduce wolverines into Colorado and, of course, would permanently ban trapping and hunting of wolverines in the lower 48 states . . .

The tenacious wolverine, a snow-loving carnivore sometimes called the “mountain devil,” is being added to the list of species threatened by climate change — a dubious distinction that puts it in the ranks of the polar bear and several other animals that could see their habitats shrink drastically due to warming temperatures.

Federal wildlife officials on Friday will propose Endangered Species Act protections for the wolverine in the lower 48 states, a step twice denied under the Bush administration.

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Montana FWP gives in, will allow wolf hunting near Yellowstone this season

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After evaluating their legal options, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks commissioners threw up their hands and decided to let the wolf hunt continue in areas close to Yellowstone National Park through the end of this year’s hunting season . . .

Montana wildlife officials said Monday that they were abandoning their efforts to shut down gray wolf hunting and trapping just outside the gates of Yellowstone National Park, citing a recent court ruling that threatened to drag out the issue until the season was almost over.

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First confirmed case of grizzly on Missoula’s urban fringe

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This is pretty interesting. A radio collared grizzly bear got close to Missoula, didn’t like what she saw, and backed off. They are already getting reestablished on the high plains east of the Divide, so it makes sense grizzles would start showing up in other regions . . .

A grizzly bear has ambled across the southern border of the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem and onto Missoula’s urban fringe.

“It looks like she did it within a few days – looked out of the trees above Grant Creek, heard all the noise and saw all the stuff and didn’t come down,” said Chris Servheen, grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Missoula. “That’s good. But there will be others.”

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Montana FWP opposed to increased wolverine protections

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Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is not happy with the prospect of federal regulation of Wolverines . . .

Montana wildlife officials have given up on a wolverine trapping season this winter, but said Tuesday they want the state excluded from pending federal protections for the elusive predators so trapping can be revived.

Federal officials are poised to announce by next Friday whether wolverines should get Endangered Species Act protections across the western U.S…

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Feds plan to protect wolverines as threatened species

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service just put paid to the Wolverine trapping debate in Montana by announcing that they plan to list the animal as threatened . . .

Montana’s wolverine trapping season effectively ended on Monday after reports that federal officials plan to put the rare predator on the endangered species list.

After putting the trapping season in limbo Nov. 30, a state district judge canceled a planned Jan. 10 hearing on the matter when U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials said they plan to issue a proposed rule giving wolverines “threatened” status under the U.S. Endangered Species Act on Jan. 18.

Although the federal decision must still go through several months of public comment and review, District Judge Jeffrey Sherlock ruled it made little sense to debate a trapping season that was soon to become moot.

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Annual grizzly deaths remain steady

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Despite increased potential for conflict, grizzly bears deaths remain steady . . .

With improved habitat security on federal lands and continued public education, the number of grizzly bear mortalities in the Northern Rockies was relatively low at 18 in 2012…

“Our mortalities are remaining pretty steady,” said Chris Servheen, grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “I think it’s the ongoing efforts of the bear managers, both the tribal and state guys, dealing with a lot of conflicts and working with a lot of new land owners.”

The work of state bear management specialists such as Tim Manley, who covers the Flathead area, has been significant because of the encroachment of homes into bear habitat and a growing bear population that continues to use those areas.

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Wolf hunting, trapping resumes near Yellowstone Park

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Less than a month ago, Montana shut down the wolf hunt in a small area near Yellowstone National Park because too many collared, research animals were being taken. Now the hunt is back on . . .

Wolf hunting and trapping can resume near Yellowstone National Park after a Montana judge on Wednesday blocked the state from shutting down the practice over concerns that too many animals used in research were being killed.

The restraining order from Judge Nels Swandal allows hunting and trapping to resume in areas east and west of the town of Gardiner in Park County.

State officials closed the gray wolf season in those areas on Dec. 10…

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Wolf trapping season opens, with protests

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Montana’s first wolf trapping season got off to a low-profile start, but not without a public protest . . .

Montana’s 2012 wolf hunt shifted to a new gear on Saturday as trapping became a legal way to take the predators.

However, state Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials don’t expect a rush of activity over the weekend. Trappers could not place traps before Saturday, and may leave them unchecked for up to 48 hours. They must report any kills within 24 hours.

Experienced trapper Mike Day of Missoula said he didn’t expect much success at all from the state’s new trapping program. Between the unhelpful weather and the difficult rules, he doubted the wolves had much to fear.

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Interagency committee wants full picture of grizzly bear diet before delisting

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The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee plans a close look at the grizzly bear’s overall diet . . .

To ensure they’ve got the best look at how well grizzly bears can endure in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, researchers want a full picture of the predators’ diet before another attempt to remove them from endangered species protection.

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee hopes to convince the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals it was justified in delisting the big bears from the federal Endangered Species Act…

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Report discusses future climate change impact on native trout

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A just-released report discusses the impact of climate change on Rocky Mountain trout species . . .

A new research paper published in Fisheries magazine explores how a warming climate is affecting trout streams in the Flathead River basin and throughout the Rocky Mountains, and urges quick action if native trout populations are to persist in diminishing cold-water habitats.

The report examines the climate histories of five river basins in the Rocky Mountains, including the Flathead River, which is home to robust populations of native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout. In every case, stream characteristics have been adversely affected by warming trends, which have led to higher stream temperatures and habitat fragmentation.

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