Earth Justice scores a victory for the wolverine and the Endangered Species Act-
Administration’s new, cramped view of the ESA that a species doesn’t need protection in the United States even though its population is very low and declining if there are some in Canada, Mexico, or wherever.
Agency to reconsider wolverine status. By Susan Gallagher. AP Writer in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Our earlier post on this lawsuit. July 9, 2008. Groups file suit over wolverine protection U.S. wolverines face threats from climate change, other factors, conservation groups say.
Added. Here is the USFWS politically influenced finding that the wolverine did not merit ESA protection.
This particular rejection of protecting a “candidate species” was one of the most dangerous and legally defective decisions of any ESA species status reviews. RM
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is past President of the Western Watersheds Project.
I hope they do get listed if their population is that small in the Lower 48. That argument of plenty of animals in Canada in Alaska is such a lame excuse. Then by that logic the caribou in Idaho don’t need protection. Maybe reintroduction into other former haunts should be considered. 😉