USFW holding a June 8 meeting at the Civic Center in Augusta, Maine to propose delisting of Great Lakes Wolves(considered Gray Wolves C.lupus)............evaluate the status of Gray wolves in the Northwest as well as in New Mexico and Arizona.................and to discuss the Eastern Wolf, which FWS now considers a distinct species................All of this going on while Wayne et al and Patterson et al continue to debate the "canis soup" status of our wolves and coyotes in North America.........More debate sure to follow regarding all of this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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From: Michael Kellett <kellett@restore.org
Sent: Thu Jun 02 10:33:01 2011
Subject: Fwd: wolf public hearing invitation

To:Rick Meril

From: John_Warner@fws.gov

Date: June 2, 2011 10:48:42 AM EDT

Subject: wolf public hearing invitation 

Below is an invitation to participate in a public hearing described below to be held on June 8. We do not have a current e-mail list of all interested parties outside of Maine, so are sending this out to individuals and organizations that may be interested in this proceeding.

 This list is not complete, so please disseminate this information to others within your organization or to other interested parties you know of. If you have any questions or need further information on the hearing, please contact: Martin Miller, Chief, Div. of Endangered Species, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 300 Westgate Center Dr., Hadley, MA 01035, 413-253-8615, 413-253-8482 (fax).

Thank You -- John Warner - USFWS, New England Field Office

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All - The USFWS announced a new National Wolf Strategy to help resolve listing and litigation issues associated with various populations of wolves. As this strategy relates to the Eastern U. S.:

• The Service is proposing to identify and remove the Western Great Lakes DPS of gray wolves (Canis lupus) from the Federal List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife. The Service also proposes to remove portions of the gray wolf listing in all or parts of 29 eastern and southeastern states because that area is outside of historical gray wolf range. The proposed rule appears in Federal Register on May 5, 2011.

• In conjunction with the proposal to delist the Western Great Lakes DPS and revise the range of the gray wolf in the east, the proposed rule includes initiation of a review of the status of gray wolves and determine whether a change in listing status is appropriate. In addition, the Service will initiate reviews to resolve the status of gray wolves in the Pacific Northwest and of Mexican wolves — a gray wolf subspecies — in the Southwest. The Service is conducting a status review of the eastern wolf (Canis lycaon) throughout its range in the United States and Canada.

• These reviews, along with the rangewide review of Canis lycaon, will allow the Service to cohesively address status of wolf populations in the lower 48 states and Mexico in terms of their appropriate listing classification. Details of each proposed action or action initiated are provided in the Proposal Summary and in the proposed rule to delist the Western Great Lakes DPS published in the Federal Register.

Genetic studies of wolves over the last 30 years have resulted in changes to the scientific delineation of wolf taxonomy. In accordance with these taxonomic changes, the gray wolf subspecies Canis lupus lycaon is elevated and considered a full species, eastern wolf, Canis lycaon. Therefore, the Service is also removing from the gray wolf listing all or parts of 12 northeastern and mid-Atlantic states that were historically within the range of the eastern wolf (Canis lycaon) but not within the range of the gray wolf (Canis lupus). In addition, the Service is initiating a status review for the eastern wolf (Canis lycaon) to determine whether further ESA action is warranted for this species.

Gray wolves throughout the rest of the coterminous U.S. (Northern Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest, and Southwest) and red wolves (a separate species found in the Southeast), would not be affected by finalization of this proposed action. However, the outcomes of the status reviews may recommend further action. Any subsequent changes to the listing status of gray wolves will be subject to proposed rule-making public notice and comment.


The link to our Great Lakes wolf web page providing more information:

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/wolf/

The link to the Federal Register proposed rule (full explanation of the National Wolf Strategy, how it was developed, intended outcomes, and proposed listing actions related to Western and Great Lakes wolf populations)

http://www.fws.gov/midwest/wolf/delisting/FRProposedDelistMay2011.htm

There will be a public hearing on this proposal at the Augusta Civic Center on June 8, 2011. An informational meeting will be held from 6:00 PM to 7:15 PM followed by the public hearings from 7:30 to 9:00 PM.