Why grey wolves should not be on the Endangered Species list Research Paper

Why grey wolves should not be on the Endangered Species list - Research Paper Example At present, the grey wolves’ populations are reported to be present in increasingly healthy numbers in the northern parts of Michigan and Wisconsin, the western part of Montana, the northern parts of Idaho and Oregon, and in Yellowstone, Wyoming. This is a small area of what once was the grey wolves’ habitat consisting of about 67 percent of the United States. They are bushy-tailed carnivorous canines that vary in color from brown to black to white, have life spans of anywhere from eight to 15 years, and resemble German shepherds. The data shows that populations have since bounced back from endangered levels, and there is a case to be made that due to the success of efforts to conserve the remaining grey wolves populations, that there is no longer a need to continue to put them among the endangered species list (Levy; National Wildlife Federation). II. Discussion The basis of the endangered species list is what is known as the ESA Law of 1973, or the Endangered Species Act. It was under this law that the grey wolf was put in the endangered list, and subjected to proactive measures to revive populations, including the enactment of protections on the federal programs and the execution of programs to reintroduce the species in traditional habitats. The reality is that the program has been a success, as deemed by the federal government after surveying the populations of grey wolves and finding that in six states, the numbers have grown to such an extent that they could be removed from the endangered species list. Aside from the return to healthy levels of the grey wolf in those six states where it has been removed from the endangered species list, the Fish and Wildlife Service FWS also began to argue that the original assessment of the habitats of the grey wolf included areas that were not natural habitats after all. Therefore, the protection given to them in many states were not warranted. The further argument is that by removing the grey wolf from t he endangered list, the authorities can then focus its conservation efforts on a cousin of the grey wolf, which is the Mexican wolf, deemed to be also reaching critical numbers and needing protection (Woolston). The idea moreover is that by removing the grey wolf from the endangered list, individual states like Oregon could begin the process of managing the populations on their own, sans the benefit of the protection, in line with the way the states also manage the populations of other thriving species. In this light, the move by the FWS to have the grey wolf delisted is something that makes sense, and has the support of states like Oregon. To put it another way, that the plan to delist the grey wolf has the support and backing of states that have native grey wolf populations, and who have a stake in making sure that the state ecologies thrive and remain balanced, means that the move to remove the grey wolf from the endangered list is sound (Environment News Service). The indication s, moreover, is that once delisted, states become very prudent with regard to granting licenses and quotas for hunting grey wolves, ensuring that the numbers are well-managed. This is true for instance in states like Wyoming, which have been very careful to prune quotas and not overkill grey wolves populations, which have returned to healthy numbers in the state as well (Guerin). There is also the argument from the point of view of the return to healthy numbers of the grey wolves beginning to pose problems to the ecology and to the other wildlife in the affected states, while also becoming a