For much of the nation, the wolf is a symbol of the wild — or, perhaps, a scary spectre from a fairy tale — but remote and removed, not real or at least relevant to their lives.

Here in the Upper Peninsula, the wolf is an animal that might trot across the road or your property.

Whether that makes wolves a threat remains a subject of debate. Some arguments against wolves do seem to remain rooted in myth and misconception rather than fact.

What is a fact, however, is wolf numbers in the U.P. and neighboring Wisconsin have grown beyond needing continued federal protection and to the point where control measures should be allowed.

Let’s be clear here: That is not a justification for breaking the law by resorting to poaching, be it wolves or any other species. As with any type of protest, those who cross the line to illegal actions forfeit much in arguing their cause; in fact, they fan opposition and can generate sympathy for what they claim to fight against.

In this case, the dead and dumped wolf might lend credence to the claim that many wolves already get killed on the sly — the old “shoot, shovel and shut up” scenario — and bolster the case for continued protection.

Cooler heads need to prevail on all sides and set up a workable plan for wolf management.

Yes, Michigan voters in 2014 did come out against a wolf hunt in the state, a decision swayed by sentiment and a romanticized view.

State Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba, has argued that vote should be discounted because only the Upper Peninsula actually had to deal with the animal.

That’s a fair consideration in deciding what should be done about wolves. The resolution likely is in the middle.

The wolf situation is one that has produced a modern rarity in Washington — Democrats and Republicans joining in sponsoring legislation to take the wolf off the Endangered Species list and returning management to the states by the end of the year.

“Delisting the wolf should not mean removing it from the landscape,” said Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, one of the sponsors, “but restoring a greater balance in rural communities.”

Hopefully this legislation will lead to a realistic system for wolf control in the region.

Daily News (Iron Mountain)