Idfg To Host Wolf Seminar In I.F. This Friday

IDAHO FALLS - Because the mere mention of wolves stirs lot of emotions and discussion, the Idaho Department of Fish & Game will be hosting a wolf seminar at the Civic Auditorium in Idaho Falls next Friday to help present scientifically accepted biological information about wolf recovery efforts in Idaho and Yellowstone National Park, as well as provide information about ongoing activities and management efforts impacting big game herds in Idaho. The program's full title is the seminar is, "Wolves of Yellowstone and Idaho, what 10 years of wolf recovery has taught us and where do we go from here?" The goal of the program is to provide an opportunity for the public to be able to ask questions of the top wolf people in the region and have experts address concerns that exist about wolf biology and management and the potential impact of wolves on Idaho's big game populations. All the speakers involved have actual hands on experience with wolves! This free program will start at 7:00 P.M. on Friday, August 26 at the Civic Auditorium in Idaho Falls. The evening will be split into two main segments. The first portion will involve presentations by individuals responsible for the various facets of working with wolves in the region. The second portion of the program will feature a chance for a panel of wildlife management professionals to answer questions collected from the audience. The question and answer segment will be moderated by Karole Honas of KIFI-TV. Because many of the questions will undoubtedly cover the same topics, questions will be sorted and broken into categories to be addressed by the various members of the panel. The keynote speaker for the evening will be Doug Smith, Ph.D,, wolf project leader for the National Park Service in Yellowstone National Park. Smith has worked with wolves for twenty-four years and is co-author of the recent book entitled, Decade of the Wolf. Other speakers will include Carter Niemeyer of the USFWS who has been working with the wolves since re-introduction efforts began and has been Idaho's recovery coordinator over the last 5 years; along with Rick Williamson of Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services, who are responsible for working with livestock producers having wolf- related problems. Also speaking will be Steve Nadeau, the Idaho Department of Fish & Game biologist responsible for large carnivores and overseeing the State's wolf program. He will be speaking about state wolf management and research being conducted on the potential impact of wolves on big game populations in Idaho. Anyone from the public wanting to know more about wolves and how they fit into the current biological and political landscape of Idaho will be sure to want to attend. For more information about this program or to make special needs arrangements call Daryl Meints at the Idaho Department of Fish & Game at 525-7290 or through the Idaho Relay Service at 1-800-377-3529(TDD). Individuals not able to attend, but wishing to submit questions in advance may do so via E-mail at: dmeints@idfg.idaho.gov or by regular mail to: IDFG 4279 Commerce Circle Idaho Falls, Idaho 83401