Despite the victory of a more conservation-friendly administration, things are looking grim for the gray wolves in the United States. Lawmakers in Idaho are pushing a highly controversial bill that would authorize the culling of over 1,000 wolves from the population.

The move has been one of the many sad consequences of the previous administration weakening the protections of the Endangered Species Act, enabling pro-hunting state politicians to take harsher actions against gray wolves.

American wolves - a history of survival

Throughout most of the 20th century, the gray wolf of North America was a critically endangered species. From the westward expansion over the wild frontier, all the way up to the rapid urbanization of the Roaring Twenties, these developments contributed to a near-catastrophic decline of the gray wolf packs across all states. The remaining few that survived eked a meager existence on the Canadian border.

It was only until the 1970s that the Endangered Species Act was introduced, and included the gray wolf in among the list of protected animals. In the next few decades, massive conservation and reintroduction efforts finally saved the gray wolf from extinction.

Yet sometime during the early 2000s, conflicts with farmers and local populations still threaten the stability of the species' survival. To date, their conservation status is classified as Least Concern, but aggressive legislation to further remove wolf hunting restrictions could still result in radical losses if left unchallenged.

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Idaho bill still awaits final signature

The highlights of the new bill are as follows:

1. Hiring private contractors for wolf hunts.

The bill would empower the state of Idaho to hire private contractors to hunt down local wolf packs and even increase funding for its Wolf Depredation Board.

2. Remove restrictions on hunting equipment.

The bill would also allow hunters to use advanced equipment in their pursuit, including night-vision goggles and even snowmobiles.

3. Focus primarily on a small, set population.

The bill is also known for its very narrow focus on the specific number of 150 wolves, which is the bare minimum requirement by the Idaho Wolf Conservation and Management Plan.

Presently, the bill has already passed both the senate and the state house and all that is left is for the state governor to sign it to begin its implementation.

For many conservationists and even the state's own Fish and Game Commission, the bill opens the door to a number of abuses and overrides their authority to maintain the wolf population according to what the science declares as healthy. If it is not vetoed, then it could lead to many less scrupulous private contractors to hunt indiscriminately all under the guise of protecting local farms.

The minimum 150 requirement is also suspect, as it ignores the reality of how wolves interact with the populations of natural prey like elk and deer. A drastic reduction in wolf packs could result in diseases spreading more easily across the herbivore population, as the wolves (who naturally cull stricken members of herds are the only ones with immunity from them). Likewise, the bill also sets a precedent that would ultimately grant hunters all too much freedom to cull other wildlife species instead of letting nature take its course.

In any case, only time will tell if the bill will be in full effect and how local conservationists will mobilize in response.

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