This is an old fight, but a new round is occurring.
Since Roosevelt established the National Parks, the debate between state and federal management of wilderness areas has been ongoing. Personally, federal management is superior in my mind. It’s insulated from smaller, extremist groups on all sides and federal management involves local personnel. The individuals tasked with enforcing federal laws, are locally based. In my mind, the National Parks (and NASA) are the two best examples of government that works.
The delisting of wolves, is worth a closer look.
Wolves as an apex predator, have a natural check to their population numbers. The availability of prey. Unlike humans: wolves and other animals will reach a natural balance dictated by available resources. It’s impossible for wolves to “overpopulate” an area, unless they’ve been forced together through the encroachment of man.
In regards to elk and livestock dangers. The elk line is a new twist, and a clever bit of rhetoric. Except elk are a protected species as well. Wolves are being delisted because they’re a “threat” to certain constituents in certain areas. It will only be a matter of time until elk are a “threat.” If livestock are sick enough to be taken down by wolves or other predators, are they really healthy enough to be sold as meat? Doubtful. Furthermore, coyotes supposedly are a threat to livestock as well, as are buffalo.
Wolves control coyote populations and buffalo populations. Either the livestock industry is confused about what a threat is, or they’re lying.
If wolves were delisted; there will need to be a large, federally protected corridor immediately put into place. It would connect the Rockies, and other state and national parks, and place all of the wildlife therein under federal regulation. Being delisted from the Endangered Species list, means that our intervention was successful. We helped bring a dying species back to life. That doesn’t mean protections should be removed. A large territory of mixed use, federally overseen corridors would ensure the ongoing health of many species, including livestock.
It’s a victory to delist wolves and other species and also a loss. To delist without any forethought or safeguards means simply: Delisted species will be relisted.
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