WI Dept. of Natural Resources New #Wolf Management Plans Up for Public Comment in Jan. 2015

By Rachel Tilseth, founder of the Wolves of Douglas County, Wisconsin

on December 11, 2014

WDNR wildlife officials plan to have public comment on the new proposed wolf management plan in mid January. Here’s what’s up for debate: The draft will contain four wolf population choices:
 
1) including stabilizing the population where it stands now at 650 wolves
2) keep the 350-animal goal unchanged
3) keep the population between 300 and 650 wolves
4) setting a minimum floor of 350 wolves.


(photograph by Jim Brandenburg)

WI can support more than 350 wolves.

There has been a great deal of debate over how many wolves was set by WDNR Wolf Management Plan in 1999. Wisconsin Bear Hunters Association (WBHA) member, Al Lobner insists on sticking to the 1999 WI Wolf Management Plan’s goal of 350 wolves. He is one of 20 or so members on Wisconsin’s Wolf Advisory Committee (WAC). Here more on this here: http://wolvesofdouglascountywisconsin.com/2014/10/16/350-wolves-versus-3000-wi-bear-hunters-association-members/

WI residents want wolves according to WDN’s own wolf survey. Read more here: http://wolvesofdouglascountywisconsin.com/2014/08/28/8281wdnr-wolf-survey-results-the-good-bad-and-the-ugly-by-rachel-tilseth/

WI’s Wolf Advisory Committee is stacked with pro wolf hunters and in no way represents public input. In brief, this means the new wolf management plan up for debate does not reflect the input from wolf advocacy organizations: such as, Humane Society of the U.S., Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, UW-Madison Scientists, Volunteer WDNR Winter Wolf Trackers, etc…
WDNR Wolf Advisory Committee read more here: http://wolvesofdouglascountywisconsin.com/2014/09/12/091114-cathy-stepps-new-wdnr-dysfunction-junction-by-rachel-tilseth/

Plain and simple, this wolf hunt serves the recreational trophy hunting community (fringe hunters) and is not a necessary tool for wolf management in WI. In fact it is causing more problems for wild wolf management and residents living in wolf range.

This wolf hunt is not ethical read more here: http://wolvesofdouglascountywisconsin.com/2014/12/08/wolf-killed-wdnr-violation-hotline-follow-up-leads-to-questions-of-ethics/

And read more here on poaching of wolves increasing because of this reckless wolf hunt: http://wolvesofdouglascountywisconsin.com/2014/11/01/is-wis-wolf-hunt-responsible-for-the-death-of-more-wolves-than-is-being-reported-by-rachel-tilseth/

WI resident wolf advocates here is your chance to make public comment on this WDNR new wolf management plan in January. For more information call or email Laurie Ross her contact numbers are in the poster.





WDNR website to register for public comment here: http://dnr.wi.gov/about/nrb/public.html
WODCW will keep you posted. The new WI wolf management plan will be released in early January, the written comments will be allowed and then public will be able to comment at public meetings held throughout the state. Here’s a news article link on this top for further reading: http://wtaq.com/news/articles/2014/dec/12/dnr-to-take-public-information-on-2014-wolf-hunt-at-upcoming-meetings/




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