The Reintroduction of Wolves to Idaho and Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park has been at the center of debates over the wolf for decades. Wolves were deliberately extirpated from this park in 1930. Today, the wolf has been restored to the Yellowstone ecosystem - and the central Idaho wilderness area -- the largest relatively intact wilderness areas in the lower 48 states. After years of comprehensive study and planning, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began an effort to reintroduce gray wolves into Yellowstone and central Idaho. The Service had previously identified these areas as necessary for wolf recovery, as well as northwest Montana, where wolf packs have already become established as wolves from Canada have expanded their range.

Part of the reintroduction effort involved capturing a group of wolves from Alberta and the next year, British Columbia, Canada, (where wolves are not protected and are randomly killed) and bringing them to the U.S. for the reintroduction. When these wolves were finally reintroduced in 1995, they were designated as "non-essential experimental" under protection of the Endangered Species Act, including provisions allowing control of wolves under certain circumstances. For example, wolves can be moved, or removed if they are determined to be preying on livestock or if wild populations of deer, elk, and other large game are severely affected by wolf predation. (USFWS)

The reintroduction plan has been extremely successful - both biologically and economically. Wolf populations are growing incrementally in each of the reintroduction areas - surpassing most expectations, with fewer livestock losses, and less cost than anticipated. Today, 10 years after the reintroduction, wolves roam wild and free in Yellowstone, Montana, and Idaho.