Why grey wolves should not be on the Endangered Species list - Research Paper Example

? Why Grey Wolves Should Not Be on the Endangered List Table of Contents I. Introduction 3 II. Discussion 3 References 7 I. Introduction This paper explores the state of the populations of grey wolves and argues that grey wolves should not be included in the list of species that are endangered. The grey wolf or the gray wolf was once on the verge of extinction after having thrived in many areas in North America, due to large scale hunting and the loss of habitats due to human activities. At present, the grey wolves’ populations are reported to be present in increasingly healthy numbers in the northern parts of Michigan and Wisconsin, the western part of Montana, the northern parts of Idaho and Oregon, and in Yellowstone, Wyoming. This is a small area of what once was the grey wolves’ habitat consisting of about 67 percent of the United States. They are bushy-tailed carnivorous canines that vary in color from brown to black to white, have life spans of anywhere from eight to 15 years, and resemble German shepherds. The data shows that populations have since bounced back from endangered levels, and there is a case to be made that due to the success of efforts to conserve the remaining grey wolves populations, that there is no longer a need to continue to put them among the endangered species list (Levy; National Wildlife Federation). II. Discussion The basis of the endangered species list is what is known as the ESA Law of 1973, or the Endangered Species Act. It was under this law that the grey wolf was put in the endangered list, and subjected to proactive measures to revive populations, including the enactment of protections on the federal programs and the execution of programs to reintroduce the species in traditional habitats. The reality is that the program has been a success, as deemed by the federal government after surveying the populations of grey wolves and finding that in six states, the numbers have grown to such an extent that they could be removed from the endangered species list. Aside from the return to healthy levels of the grey wolf in those six states where it has been removed from the endangered species list, the Fish and Wildlife Service FWS also began to argue that the original assessment of the habitats of the grey wolf included areas that were not natural habitats after all. Therefore, the protection given to them in many states were not warranted. The further argument is that by removing the grey wolf from the endangered list, the authorities can then focus its conservation efforts on a cousin of the grey wolf, which is the Mexican wolf, deemed to be also reaching critical numbers and needing protection (Woolston). The idea moreover is that by removing the grey wolf from the endangered list, individual states like Oregon could begin the process of managing the populations on their own, sans the benefit of the protection, in line with the way the states also manage the populations of other thriving species. In this light, the move by the FWS to have the grey wolf delisted is something that makes sense, and has the support of states like Oregon. To put it another way, that the plan to delist the grey wolf has the support and backing of states that have native grey wolf populations, and who have a stake in making sure that the state ecologies thrive and remain balanced, means that the move to remove the grey wolf from the endangered list is sound (Environment News Service). The indications, moreover, is that once delisted, states become very prudent with regard to granting licenses and quotas for hunting grey wolves, ensuring that the numbers are well-managed. This is true for instance in states like Wyoming, which have been very careful to prune quotas and not overkill grey wolves populations, which have returned to healthy numbers in the state as well (Guerin). There is also the argument from the point of view of the return to healthy numbers of the grey wolves beginning to pose problems to the ecology and to the other wildlife in the affected states, while also becoming a threat to the safety of state communities. The argument is that the numbers have reached a point where to continue to protect them would amount to increasing the danger to safety and to the overall balance of species in the environment. Taking the grey wolf out of the list translates to self-preservation and ecological preservation, an argument that was espoused by at least 70 members of Congress in the early part of 2013, in response to criticisms over the plan to remove the species from the endangered list (Graves). The idea is that the time has come to consider how the continued growth of the grey wolf, now that its numbers has been deemed sustainable by the FWS and many other knowledgeable parties, would affect the rest of the ecosystem and human society in general, and the response has been that the delisting would be able to provide that counter-weight to the unchecked populations of grey wolf that in turn could result in substantial threats to the lives and safety of people and other species (Fong). Finally, there is the argument from the FWS that the role of the federal government does not extend to reviving the numbers of the grey wolf to all areas where it was present in the past, but that the goal of the protection list was to make sure that numbers are revived to such an extent that their survival as a species would be secured and guaranteed. That the numbers have been revived to that extent too, meant that it is up to the individual states to manage their local ecologies and to introduce or to cull grey wolf numbers as they see fit. This does not require continued inclusion in the endangered list. The evidence from states such as California indicate that even without this listing, there are plans to grow the populations of the grey wolf there anyway, bolstering this final line of thinking for the delisting of the grey wolf from the endangered species list (Fong; Llanos and The Associated Press). References Environment News Service/ “Gray Wolves Could Come Off US Endangered Species List”. ENS-Newswire. 11 June 2013. Web. 3 December 2013. Fong, Katharine. “Reviled, Revered: Is the Gray Wolf Still An Endangered Species?” KQED. 21 November 2013. Web. 3 December 2013. Graves, Lucia. “Lawmakers Push to Take Gray Wolf Off Endangered Species List”. Huff Post Green. 25 March 2013. Web. 3 December 2013. Guerin, Emily. “Gray wolves to be removed from endangered species list”. High Country News/The Goat Blog. 7 June 2013. Web. 3 December 2013. Llanos, Miguel and The Associated Press. “Western gray wolves coming off endangered list”. NBC News. 21 December 2011. Web. 3 December 2013. National Wildlife Federation. “Gray Wolf”. NWF. 2013. Web. 3 December 2013. Levy, Sharon. “A Top Dog Takes Over”. NWF. 2013. Web. 3 December 2013. Woolston, Chris. “Grey wolves left out in the cold”. Nature. 11 September 2013. Web. 3 December 2013. Read More