Our northern neighbors are picking a fight with the feds over wildlife management. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks says the intend to take legal action against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s about their recent decision to list wolverines as a threatened species.
Key Points of Dispute:
- Wolverine Population in Montana: According to Quentin Kujala, Chief of Conservation Policy at Montana FWP, wolverines in Montana are thriving and are living in most of their available habitat. He says the Montana, along with its neighbors, has been actively involved in conserving this species.
- Distinct Population Segment: The FWS’s decision marks a shift in their approach. Previously, the wolverine population in the lower 48 states was considered connected to those in Canada. Now the recent listing treats them as a separate group. This reframe comes in spite of conservation work in both Canada and states like Montana.
- Climate Change Projections: The FWS based its decision on climate models predicting a decrease in snowpack by the year 2100. However, Montana points to recent studies that have indicated that wolverines are adaptable animals capable of living in less snowy conditions.
Montana’s Argument:
Montana officials say that the federal protections are unnecessary and might even get in the way of conservation efforts. FWP Director Dustin Temple said that the listing failed to recognize current science on wolverine adaptability and the results of conservation work already underway in the Northern Rockies.
Next Steps:
As the first legal step, Montana has filed a Notice of Intent to Sue with the FWS. The state plans to follow this with a lawsuit in federal district court, challenging the listing of wolverines as a threatened species.
