Forest Service Defers Decision on Helicopter Landings in Wilderness Area

The U.S. Forest Service has put off a decision on whether to allow Idaho Department of Fish and Game biologists to land helicopters in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Fish and Game Director Steve Huffaker said he was "very disappointed in the decision" and "if they wait very long, our opportunity to understand the wilderness wolf population will have vanished." Wolves are easier to find in winter than in other seasons of the year. Huffaker said the department might be forced to "deploy field efforts during the summer" when there is higher human use of the wilderness area and catching wolves would be more intrusive. Intermountain Regional Forester Jack Troyer had been expected to make a decision January 10 on the state's proposal to land helicopters in the Frank Church wilderness to radio collar gray wolves in support of wolf recovery efforts. "It is important to ensure the protection of wilderness while balancing the need for Idaho Fish and Game to manage populations of gray wolves," Troyer said. The proposal has been open to public comment since early December; it is now closed. "Given the depth of the comments we received from the public and the complexity of the issues raised, it is appropriate that we take more time to analyze the remarks," Troyer said. "The Forest Service will analyze the comments and then work with the state of Idaho. Once we have a refined proposal from the state we will determine the appropriate level of environmental documentation needed." Fish and Game biologists had asked for permission to land helicopters in the Frank Church River Wilderness Area to dart and radio-collar wolves encountered during aerial big game surveys. The collared wolves would help provide information on the wolf population and movements within the wilderness and would help meet wolf recovery plan requirements.