WildEarth Guardians

Friday, March 6, 2009
Montana Wolf Tapped to Head Elk Management Team at Rocky Mountain National Park

Balance of Nature is top priority
Contact: WildEarth Guardians

DENVER - Today, WildEarth Guardians tapped wolf 314F, a female gray wolf from southwestern Montana, to lead the effort to rescue aspen and willow trees in Rocky Mountain National Park. Specifically, the organization has requested that 314F travel to the Park to demonstrate how wolves naturally keep elk on the move, thus sparing young trees from over-browsing by elk.

"We are confident that 314F has what it takes to get elk management in the Park back on track," said Rob Edward of WildEarth Guardians. "Her bravery and tenacity will serve her well in wrestling with tough park management issues," said Edward, referring to the wolf’s very long journey from Montana to Colorado.

Edward made clear that 314F cannot succeed alone. Ultimately, she’ll need to enlist the help of other wolves, and it’ll take the commitment of the government to relocate wolves to Colorado.

"Colorado needs wolves, and this brave pioneer from Montana has shown that wolves need Colorado," said Edward. "It's a match made in heaven."

Background

In an attempt to rescue aspen and willow in Rocky Mountain National Park, the government plans to cull hundreds of elk each year, as part of an effort they say will stem the decline of trees that have withered under intense browsing from sedentary elk. During the planning process, the National Park Service flatly ignored scientific evidence generated from Yellowstone National Park and elsewhere, which links the decline of aspen and willow in western ecosystems to the eradication of wolves from the West. That same scientific evidence shows that the restoration of wolves has yielded a swift, dramatic and sustained benefit to native plants.

One of the primary mandates of the National Park Service is to manage lands under their control in a manner that ensures the protection and restoration of natural ecological process. In 2008, WildEarth Guardians filed a legal challenge, which underscores this mandate from Congress.

"Just as we must restore fire to balance and rejuvenate wild landscapes," said Edward, "so must we restore wolves and the unique ecological process they drive in the American West."

For further information, contact Rob Edward, WildEarth Guardians' Carnivore Recovery Director, at 303.573.4898 ext 762 or redward@wildearthguardians.org.