Federal wolf recovery project leader for Wyoming, Mike Jimenez, to be out of job March 28.

Story in the Casper Star Tribune. End of the Trail. By Chris Merrill.

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Related. Rocky Barker’s blog, “Letters from the West,” has a story about Jemenez coupled with discussion that wolves were moving southward into Idaho and NW Montana prior to the wolf reintroduction. Note that Barker does not say wolf reintroduction in Idaho was, therefore unneeded. He correctly says it was going nowhere because of poisonings and shootings of the in-migrating wolves.

Wolves will be delisted in Eastern Oregon too, but protection continues under state plan

The delisting of the wolf is scheduled to go into effect March28. The boundaries of the delisted zone are “generous,” wiping out federal protection in Eastern Oregon, Eastern Washington and Northern Utah as well as Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

A radio-collared wolf from Idaho’s Timberline pack dispersed into the NE Oregon Wallowas last winter. This wolf and all others in the entirely of Oregon will continue to be protected because Oregon has a fairly strong state wolf plan.

Meanwhile the wolf is being watched closely, and there is evidence of more single wolves and a least one group in the state.

Wolves get federal delisting in Eastern Oregon. Wallowa Chiefton.

Earlier story. Radio-Collared Gray Wolf from Idaho is Verified In Northeast Oregon. Jan. 24, 2008.

Later story. Wolf actions elsewhere won’t affect Oregon rules. Wyoming, Montana and Idaho have ended endangered status. Statesman-News. This story describes the Oregon state wolf plan.

Little sign of wolves in Lower Michigan

Michigan has a fairly large recovered wolf population (over 500 wolves), but essentially all live in the UP, that part of the state which, geographically speaking, is upper Wisconsin. Despite reports of wolves in Lower Michigan, the Michigan DNR finds them so scattered they are stopping intensive monitoring for wolves in that part of the state.

DNR: Broad wolf search ends. But officials will continue case-by-case efforts. Bu Sheri McWhirter. Traverse City Record-Eagle.

Radio-Collared Gray Wolf from Idaho is Verified In Northeast Oregon

Here is some great news!

Update: Video of the Oregon wolf on YouTube.

Update: Here is the story from a local newspaper. Biologist sees wolf in Wallowas. Baker City Herald. By Jayson Jacoby.

Update: Here is the story in the Oregonian. Idaho wolf spotted in northeast Oregon. The radio-collared female is the first live wolf seen in Oregon since March 1999. Friday, January 25, 2008. By Richard Cockle. The Oregonian Staff

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Original news release Jan. 24, 2008

Contact: ODFW:
Russ Morgan: 541-963-2138
Michelle Dennehy: 503-947-6022
FWS: Phil Carroll: 503-231-6179

A female gray wolf from Idaho’s Timberline Pack has been positively located in Oregon, using radio signals from her tracking collar. The wolf, a two- to three-year-old female identified as B-300F, has been wearing the collar since she was captured northeast of Boise by Idaho biologists in August 2006. She’s now traveling in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest near the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area, between Medical Springs and Wallowa. Biologists have observed evidence of wolves in this area over the past six months.

Aerial searches for signals from wolf tracking collars, specifically those which have been reported as missing from Idaho, helped the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife located the wolf. A signal was picked up January 17, but the location of the animal was not confirmed. A ground search the next day turned up tracks which appeared to be of a wolf.

Wolf tracks found in Rocky Mountain National Park

Wolf tracks found in RMNP. By Pamela Dickman. Longmont Times-Call.

Recall that about a month ago there was a sighting of what was thought to be a wolf in the Park. These tracks are NOT really proof of a

NPR: Government Revisits Contested Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan

On National Public Radio, this is mostly audio, Government Revisits Contested [Mexican] Wolf Recovery Plan. By Ted Robbins.

For those who like it by ear, this is an overview of the current controversy, government efforts for a better plan, and the incipient failure of the Mexican wolf restoration.

Possible wolf sighting in Rocky Mountain National Park called “credible” by officials

This may be very good news. Of course, much better new would be two large “canids.”

Colorado does have wolf management guidelines in place. Rocky Mountain National Park is overfull of elk, so many the Park Service wants to start shooting them.

Story in the Estes Park Trail-Gazettte. By John Cordsen.

Pair of wolves moves into Eastern Oregon

At least it looks like a pair of wolves, rather than a single wolf has moved into Oregon. The tracks of the pair (and there could be more) have been repeatedly seen in the canyon and high peak country of the Wallowa Mountains.

Story in the Baker, Oregon (Baker City Herald). newspaper. Local wolves not all lone. By Jayson Jacoby.

When the wolf is delisted, slated for late February, any wolves in Eastern Oregon will lose their federal protection because the USFWS was careful to draw the delisting lines to more sure good wolf habitat adjacent to Idaho in other states would not be protected. Fortunately, Oregon does have a state wolf protection plan in place.