The suit was filed in Montana. This is the third suit filed over delisting. The first was filed by the Wolf Coalition, which is made up of several environmental groups. The second by the State of Wyoming and livestock groups.
Wolf delisting faces new court challenge
Jackson Hole Daily.
Montana State Senator Joe Balyeat (R-Belgrade)
Montana State Senator Joe Balyeat (R-Belgrade) has introduced Senate Bill 183 which would limit the number of wolves in Montana to just 225. Currently the estimated number of wolves in Montana is around 500 according to the recently released Montana Gray Wolf Conservation and Management 2008 Annual Report.
“I acknowledge it’s strong medicine, but I believe we need strong medicine to deal with this wolf crisis”
This kind of “medicine”/legislation would likely scuttle the current delisting process all by itself and hand management of wolves in Montana back to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, maybe for good. Perhaps there is something to love about this bill by all sides. 
Balyeat bill would cap wolves in state
Bozeman Daily Chronicle
Wolves brucellosis-free. By Angus M. Thuermer Jr. Jackson Hole News and Guide
Yellowstone wolf visits Colorado. Associated Press.
Legislature opts against new wolf rules.Casper Star-Tribune Online – Wyoming
The Wyoming legislature has decided not to change its wolf management plan which has not been accepted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For delisting to occur, among other things, Wyoming must submit an acceptable plan to the USFWS.
One other requirement is that wolves be able to exchange genes between metapopulations and no wolves from outside the Greater Yellowstone population have contributed to the GYE. Currently Idaho wolf B271 resides to the east of Yellowstone Park. Another wolf residing in SE Idaho (part of the GYE), incorrectly reported to be from NW Montana, actually came from the Paradise Valley which is part of the GYE.
With Idaho’s plans to kill 26 “chronic” wolf packs and its “Lolo Plan” to kill wolves in a futile effort to help elk there combined with Wyoming maintaining its stance on dual status it appears that delisting is a long way off.
Possible Wolf Sighting in Central Oregon | KOHD.
Photos of what appears to be a black wolf and its tracks were taken near Highway 20 at Santiam Pass in the Cascade Mountains.
Santiam Pass is between Bend and Salem, Oregon. Here is a link to Google Maps showing the general area.
Ralph Maughan posted about this recently when it was a big secret, but now it is out in the open. Wildlife Services in Idaho is seeking flexibility to kill wolves several months after depredations have occurred. They have identified 26 packs which they say are “chronically depredating” packs, or packs that have killed at least 3 domestic animals. This definition begs this question; what is the timeframe of the 3 depredations? Could these depredations have occurred over the course of several years and Wildlife Services just wants to settle the score?
This information is confirmed from several sources. The USDA-APHIS IDAHO WILDLIFE SERVICES WOLF ACTIVITY REPORT FISCAL YEAR 2008 states:
If WS efforts to remove depredating wolves during the summer months are unsuccessful, and it may reasonably be expected that depredations will reoccur during the next grazing season, then WS would like to have the flexibility to reinitiate control efforts several months later, during the winter months when implicated wolves may be more vulnerable to removal.
Shooting of wolf reported
Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
The wolf was shot by a coyote hunter.
Idaho Wolves: At A Glance IDFG new release.
The news release reports that there are 824 wolves, 88 packs of which 38 are considered breeding pairs. This is up from the 732 wolves and 83 packs but not in the way that you may think.
At first glance these numbers would indicate a 15% increase in wolf numbers but that doesn’t take into account many factors. Each year when the final reports are written there are packs that were counted which didn’t appear in the previous year’s numbers but have yearling or sub-adult wolves in them. These wolves are retroactively added as packs to the previous years population numbers. This means that, from information that I have learned, that the population of wolves in Idaho has grown only 7% statewide and that most of that growth has occurred north of I-90 where wolves receive full protection under the ESA. If you take those wolves out of the equation then the population growth rate drops to only 5% south of I-90.
Rate of growth is declining. In previous years the population growth estimate has been about 20% until last year when there was a 8% growth rate and this year with a 7% growth rate.
The media often cites the 20% number or uses the mid-year numbers of wolves to indicate the growth rate of the population but since wolves have pups only once per year in April and May that number is always an overestimate since there is great mortality between the mid-year estimate and the end-of-the year estimate.
As far as radio collared wolves there are 84 wolves in 50 packs which had radio collars in December 2008, a little over 10%.
KC
That didn’t take long – and it comes on the hip of troubling news about population numbers in general in the Northern Rockies – and even the recent sobering news about Yellowstone’s wolves. I guess they figure they better jam this thing into gear before the next administration – I don’t remember seeing any news about Wyoming having a sudden change of heart… or about rectifying any number of the other variables contributing to the recklessness of the prior rule.
Check out the 6th paragraph (2nd to last) of the news release – it’s as if they’re still clinging to the strict numbers (30 breeding pair 300 wolves for 3 years) claim.
brian ertz
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Added Administration Reopens Effort to De-List Endangered Gray Wolves. By Joel Achenbach. Washington Post Staff Writer. Friday, October 24, 2008.
Added. Public comments reopened on delisting wolves. By MICHAEL JAMISON of the Missoulian.
Added. Feds will try again to get wolves off endangered list. Wyoming’s loose rules still pose a problem. But wolves could be delisted in other states, including Idaho, before Bush leaves office. By Rocky Barker. Idaho Statesman.
Ralph Maughan
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October 24, 2008
Contact: Ed Bangs, (406) 449-5225, x204
U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE REOPENS
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON 2007 PROPOSAL TO DELIST
NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN POPULATION OF GRAY WOLVES
UNDER THE ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced it is reopening the public comment period on its proposal to delist the gray wolf in the northern Rocky Mountains. The public will have until November 28, 2008, to submit their comments to the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov or via U.S. mail or hand delivery to: Public Comments Processing, Attn: RIN 1018-Au53; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203.
