Isle Royal Wolves need action

Senators ask for quicker action addressing Isle Royale’s fading wolves

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Isle Royal Wolves need actionSenators ask for quicker action addressing Isle Royale’s fading wolves

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Several U.S. senators are urging National Park Service to make a quick decision regarding the low number of gray wolves on the Isle Royale National Park.

Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan were among the senators that wrote the letter to the NPS. The letter urges the NPS to accelerate the timeline to complete planning in a year or less and to keep all options on the table that could help reverse the decline of the wolf population.  The current estimation for a final decision is two to three years, and the NPS has already stated they will not bring new wolves to Isle Royale in the immediate term.

Associated Press reports that scientists say only three gray wolves remain on the Lake Superior island chain. Their numbers have plummeted in recent years, probably because of illness and inbreeding complications. Wolves have long preyed on moose, helping keep their island population in check.

The official NPS planning documents recognize the important role that wolves play in the Isle Royale ecosystem, which includes keeping the park’s moose population in check. With the drastic decline in wolves, the moose population has increased in the past several years, according to the NPS.

The moose population is likely to grow without the wolf population until the lack of vegetation causes the population of moose to eventually collapse.

via Senators ask for quicker action addressing Isle Royale’s fading wolves : News : UpNorthLive.com.

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