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Dear Guardian,
On Wednesday, WildEarth Guardians reached a momentous settlement agreement with rogue wildlife-killing agency, Wildlife Services, related to its killing of wolves in Idaho. In 2018 alone, Wildlife Services killed nearly 100 wolves in Idaho, through various cruel methods including gunning them down by helicopter and fixed wing planes, strangling them with wire snares, and capturing them in foothold traps. Notably, most of this brutal slaughter was done at the behest of the livestock industry—punishment for wolves daring to be too near sheep or cattle.
Guardians and our allies have been tenacious in our pursuit of Wildlife Services, questioning and pushing the agency to reform its cruel practices and follow the most up-to-date science in developing wildlife “management” plans. Our settlement agreement with Wildlife Services—the end result of a 5-year legal battle—will give wolves a reprieve from indiscriminate killing.
Pursuant to our settlement agreement, Wildlife Services must abide by the following conditions related to wolf management in Idaho:
- No wolves will be killed in federally-designated wilderness areas or multiple federal recreation areas;
- No wolves will be killed for ungulate protection;
- No killing on private lands without documented and confirmed evidence of livestock take or wolf attack; and
- No snares may be used in the state.
Notably, our win for wolves is also a win for other wildlife in Idaho as the settlement agreement provides that sodium cyanide devices (M44s) cannot be used in the state and all traps must be checked at least every 72 hours.
Wildlife Services must abide by these restrictions until it completes a full environmental review of its predator management plans.
Stay tuned for future action alerts for ways that you can help ensure Wildlife Services prioritizes non-lethal management and protects the rights of all native wildlife to exist.
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