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Friday > Archives
> 2000
> November
> November 3, 2000:
Hour Two: St. Paul, MN Remote: Gray Wolf Recovery Although they were nearly extinct in the lower forty-eight states just a half-century ago, gray wolves have made a remarkable recovery under the protection of the Endangered Species Act.
This hour, broadcasting from the Science Museum of Minnesota in Saint Paul, we'll talk about wolf recovery in the area. Under a new federal proposal currently open for public comment, the gray wolf would be reclassified from "endangered" to "threatened" in some parts of the country. If the proposed changes go into effect, the state of Minnesota would eventually take over management of the wolves here. That responsibility would mean a tricky balancing act, ensuring that the wolf populations survive while still protecting the state's livestock and domestic animals. Additional changes to the federal rules governing gray wolves would extend a rule already in effect in Minnesota to allow federal agents to kill gray wolves in Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota if the wolves are found to have attacked domestic animals. Between 1991 and 1998, there were verified reports of 585 cattle, 10 horses, 3 pigs, 200 sheep, 5 goats, 7 geese, 2 ducks, 30 chickens, 4889 turkeys, and 84 dogs killed by wolves in Minnesota. Some environmental groups say that the proposal would put the existing
wolves in the upper midwest at risk -- while some agricultural groups
see the proposal as still too "pro-wolf," ignoring the concerns of livestock
owners. Call in with your questions and comments. Our number is 1-800-989-8255.
Guests: Janet McNally Ron Refsnider Ginny Yingling Books/Articles Discussed: Related Links: NY Times Magazine: On the Run With Wolf B36 Albuquerque Tribune: Ranchers and Wolves can Co-Exist North Star Branch, Sierra Club comments on wolf reclassification proposal Wolves IMAX movie Produced By: Karin Vergoth Web Producer: Charles Bergquist |
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