Panel Disagrees On Wolf Plan

Four of five panelist brought together to conduct a peer review of the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposed ruling to delist the gray wolf in Wyoming and return management to the state agreed the state’s plan would be consistent with recovery goals for the species. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service asked Environmental Consultant, Atkins North America to conduct the review, and they contracted with five independent panelists to review the proposed rule and draft Wyoming Gray Wolf Management Plan and supporting documentation. The review panel included representatives from the U.S.G.S., the University of Montana, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Michigan Technological University. They were asked to review the proposed rule, the plan and supporting documentation, and to address six key questions regarding the adequacy of the proposed rule and the Wyoming’s ability to maintain the recovery of the gray wolf under their proposed management. Following the initial presentation of the panel’s responses to the Service, a summary report says there was disagreement among the panel on five of the six key issues. Specifically, one panelist strongly expressed the opinion that Wyoming’s management plan is inconsistent with recovery goals. However, the remaining four panelists believe that the plan is, or could be, consistent with recovery.