F&G to Land Helicopters in Wilderness to Collar Wolves

The U.S. Forest Service has issued Idaho Fish and Game a special use permit to land helicopters in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness in the winter of 2010. Fish and Game is pleased with the action that provides its biologists with the tools needed to dart and radio-collar wolves encountered during routine aerial big game surveys by landing helicopters in the wilderness area. The Forest Service permit provides for landing up to 20 times to support radio-collaring of up to 12 wolves. Biologists want to do the radio-collaring in winter because they will be in the Middle Fork Zone doing aerial surveys anyway, and wolves are easier to find in winter than in other seasons. In addition, fewer people visit the wilderness in winter. Information from the radio collars would help Fish and Game document the wolf population and movements within the wilderness. The data also would help meet wolf management requirements, including the Endangered Species Act, which requires Idaho monitor wolves within the state for five years following their delisting in May 2009. Fourteen years of efforts to trap and collar wolves in wilderness on foot and by horseback have proved largely unsuccessful, Fish and Game Director Cal Groen said in his request to the Forest Service. Fish and Game's request followed congressional guidelines for state wildlife management activities using aircraft in federal wilderness areas. More information is available at the Salmon-Challis National Forest Web site: http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/sc/projects/.