|
Written by Nelson King
|
|
Page 6 of 7 After Ten YearsIn 2005, after ten years of wolves in Yellowstone, the wolf reintroduction program was given a full re-examination of the original Environmental Impact Statement. As these things go, the predictions made in May of 1994 (the time of original EIS) were remarkably (surprisingly?) accurate. Here are a few key points, but reading the full account (see reference below) provides many other significant points: | EIS Prediction | Ten Year Evaluation | Following wolf recovery (10 packs, 100 wolves), hunter harvest will be reduced 27% for antlerless elk, 100% for mule deer, and 50% for moose.
| Contrary to expectations, harvests were not reduced appreciably concurrent with wolf restoration, but instead remained similar to pre-wolf restoration years. However, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks gradually reduced antler-less permits for the Gardiner late elk hunt by 51% from 2,882 to 1,400 during 2000–2004. They recently proposed 100 permits for 2006, a 96% decrease from the 2,660 permits issued in 1995, owing to decreasing abundance and low recruitment. No reductions in permits, animals harvested, or hunter success for mule deer or moose have occurred as a result of wolf reintroduction.
| | Losses of livestock from wolf predation will not average more than 0.1% of any class of livestock in the analysis area and no cumulative impact on livestock populations is expected. | Livestock losses to wolves did not exceed 0.1% per year for any class of livestock. | Land management agencies may restrict public access around active wolf den sites from April 1 to June 30 when there are five or fewer breeding pairs. About 5 mi2 (13 km2 could be affected. No land use restrictions will be employed after six breeding pairs of wolves are established.
| Land use restrictions occurred around active wolf dens inside national parks. The area of use affected was approximately 2 mi2 (4 km2). These restrictions have continued after six breeding pairs of wolves were established.
| | Wolf management costs associated with reintroduction in the GYE were estimated to include $3,077,500 for a five year reintroduction effort (1994–1998) and about $1.3 million for monitoring and wolf control (1999–2002), or about $320,000 per year. Reintroduction in central Idaho (1994–1998) was expected to cost about another $2 million | Wolf reintroduction proved to be less costly and speedier than anticipated. Actual wolf reintroduction took only two years, not five, and cost only about $870,000 for both Yellowstone and Idaho combined ($585,000 in the first year and $285,000 in the second year). However, the combined annual continuing costs of wolf monitoring and management are now substantially higher than earlier estimates, even when corrected for inflation. For example, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates the additional continuing cost to taxpayers until delisting will be about $1.5 million per year.
|
|
|
|
RSS
© 2010 August Publications
