On July 19, Wilderness Watch and several allies put the State of Idaho on notice of our intent to sue over the state’s barbaric new wolf-killing laws that could not only kill up to 90 percent of wolves in the state, but injure and kill other rare species such as grizzly bears and Canada lynx, both of which are listed under the Endangered Species Act. Idaho’s new laws radically increase wolf killing, including within millions of acres of designated Wilderness, through largely unrestricted year-round hunting, trapping, and snaring with an unlimited number of wolves allowed to be killed on each tag. The affected Wildernesses include the Big Jacks Creek, Bruneau-Jarbidge Rivers, Cecil D. Andrus-White Clouds, Craters of the Moon, Frank Church-River of No Return, Gospel-Hump, Hells Canyon, Hemingway-Boulders, Jim McClure-Jerry Peak, Little Jacks Creek, North Fork Owyhee, Owyhee River, Pole Creek, Sawtooth, and Selway-Bitterroot Wildernesses. Idaho’s Senate Bill 1211 authorizes wolf trapping year-round on private property and the purchase of an unlimited number of tags per person to hunt, trap, or snare wolves in any hunting unit with an open wolf season at the time a wolf is killed. SB 1211 also grants residents permission to kill wolves they perceive are threatening livestock or pets. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game amended the State’s wolf hunting and trapping seasons after SB 1211 went into effect on July 1, creating new hunting seasons on public lands with no weapon restrictions and year-round trapping on private lands. "Idaho’s war on wolves is also a war on Wilderness," said George Nickas, executive director of Wilderness Watch. "The Forest Service has an obligation to the American public to step up and defend these special places and the wildlife that lives there.” “Grizzlies are returning to their former home in places like the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and North Fork Clearwater,” said WW board member Gary Macfarlane. “Idaho’s abhorrent war on wolves could kill grizzlies too and prevent their recovery in some of the best habitat anywhere.” Earthjustice is representing Wilderness Watch and our co-petitioners. Idaho has 60 days to respond to the notice. We’ll keep you posted. |
