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Article: Gray wolves no longer endangered species
- Article from:
- Oakland Tribune
- Article date:
- February 22, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2008 Oakland Tribune. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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BILLINGS, Mont. -- How many gray wolves is enough?
Federal officials on Thursday said the Northern Rockies
population of more than 1,500 animals is ready to be removed from
the endangered species list. They declared victory for a predator
that the government nearly wiped out from the lower 48 states
decades ago.
Environmentalists, however, say there should be 2,000 to 5,000
wolves in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming before the animals lose their
endangered status and the job of managing them falls to the states.
Plenty of ranchers and other people in those states, they warn,
still wouldn't mind the number of wolves dropping to zero.
Since an initial 66 wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone ...