A Dispute Resolution Case: The Reintroduction of the Gray Wolf

Under the authority of The Endangered Species Act of 1973, which listed wolves as endangered, Congress placed the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in charge of the recovery of the wolf population (United States and Wildlife Service, 1994). In 1986, a wolf recovery team established The Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Plan. This proactive program recommended the following areas to recolonize the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus): Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and the states of Wyoming, Idaho, and the international border of Montana. The first experimental population of Gray Wolves was introduced into Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho in January 1995. This experiment allowed government agencies and the public to resolve their conflicts over public lands, the depredation of livestock and ungulate or hoofed animal populations. The states and/or tribal wildlife agencies will provide management of the wolves throughout this recovery program. By the year 2002, the plan for this reintroduction program of 10 breeding pairs (i.e., 100 wolves per area) for three up-and-coming years will confidently result in the wolf population recovery