Possibly as early as this month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will reduce the level of federal protection that has allowed the wolves to rebuild stable populations in Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. Lone wolves have wandered from those states into Utah, Oregon and Washington, the advance scouts of their species.

Publication of a pending rule in the Federal Register will downgrade the wolf's classification under the Endangered Species Act from "endangered," the highest level of protection, to "threatened."

"It's in the Department of the Interior, going through final review in Washington, D.C., so all they have to do is initial it," said Ed Bangs, who heads the recovery program for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "We expect that it will be published at the end of February." (2003)

While the animals would still be protected, the reclassification would, among other things, allow ranchers to kill wolves caught attacking their livestock. "Right now in northwest Montana, if a guy walks out his back door and sees a wolf attacking his calf, he can't do anything about it," Bangs said. "Under `threatened,? he can shoot and kill the wolf on the spot. He just has to report to us within 24 hours."

Then, sometime in 2004 (estimated) delisting, or removing all federal protection, and letting the states manage the species like other wild animals will take place.

The federal agency, however, would continue monitoring the wolf populations closely for at least five years after delisting, and could step in any time if the numbers drop below sustainable levels.

The Yellowstone and Central Idaho wolves will remain "experimental" until the species is delisted, but they will be safe as long as they remain inside the recovery area boundaries. When they roam outside they will be subject to the laws of whatever state they enter.

The downlisting will apply to all or portions of nine Western states: Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Colorado and parts of Arizona and New Mexico. But only Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, must have management plans.

Bangs estimates the process to delist the wolf will take a year.

The 40 or 50 wolves in the Mexican Grey Wolf Recovery program in Arizona and New Mexico will remain classified as endangered, Bangs said.

(Source: Feds ready to call the wolf restoration a victory, but cheering is muted The Associated Press - 01/28/03 06:08:20)