Idaho Comments on Wolf Delisting Available Online

Idaho's official comments about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's efforts to submit a revised delisting rule before the end of the year are now online. Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter, Idaho Fish and Game and the Office of Species Conservation have submitted comments on the Fish and Wildlife Service's proposal to remove gray wolves in Idaho and the Northern Rocky Mountains from the Endangered Species List. The comments are now available at the Fish and Game Web site: http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/wildlife/wolves/. On October 24, the Fish and Wildlife Service reopened the public comment period on its proposal to delist the gray wolf in the northern Rocky Mountains. Fish and Wildlife asked for comments and additional information on the February 2007 proposal to delist wolves. The public comment period closed November 28. Fish and Wildlife sought additional information on a variety of topics related to the delisting and in response to a federal district judge's comments in an injunction against the delisting rule that had gone into effect in March. On July 18, Judge Donald Molloy of the U.S. District Court in Missoula issued a preliminary injunction that returned the wolf to federal endangered species protection. The injunction was sought by parties to a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's decision to remove gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains from the Endangered Species List. On October 14 Molloy granted a motion by the United States to remand the delisting rule to the Fish and Wildlife Service. He also dismissed the lawsuit challenging the rule. As of July 18, wolf management south of Interstate 90 has reverted to a section of the Endangered Species Act known as the 10(j) rule, which was amended in January. Wolf hunting seasons in Idaho remain on hold and no wolf tags will be sold until wolves are delisted.