Endangered Species Act: Only Obstacle to Annihilation of Wolves

Endangered Species Act: Only Obstacle to Annihilation of Wolves: Idaho shows what will happen if Endangered Species Act is altered and give states control. An article by Andrea Santarsiere in the Idaho Statesman is revealing about how states unconstrained by a robust Federal Endangered Species Act would do if the law is “defanged” as appears likely. She reports that Idaho is considering allowing “baiting” so that more wolves can be killed. The “problem” that this change is to address concerns the fact that the number of wolves killed by hunters was down to 256 in both 2014 and 2015 compared with 356 killed in 2013. She notes that the logical conclusion about the decrease is that the wolf population has declined in a major way. She also reports that State wildlife officials will cease “monitoring wolf populations”—they don’t want to provide evidence of the decline of wolves in the state.  Although surveys even in conservative Western states like Idaho show strong overall support for predators like wolves and grizzlies, the truth is that wildlife (these states only care about “game”) “management” (i.e., killing) is dominated by a coalition of ranchers, hunters, and extractive industries)—they control the State “game departments” and wildlife “advisory” committees—this coalition “calls the shots.” It is only the Federal Endangered Species Act that stands between them and the annihilation of wolves.  Check out the article at: http://www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/readers-opinion/article167907557.html
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