Endangered Species Act: Southeast Alaska Wolf

Subspecies Presentation to the Alaska Forest Association

Matthew A. Cronin,

Research Professor

University of Alaska Fairbanks

School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences

22 October 2015

Wildlife in the Tongass National Forest

• No ESA listings but threat of listing goshawk and wolf subspecies influence TLM Plan

• Creation of OGR and move to exclusive second growth harvest

Wolf ESA listing• NGO petition and retired ADFG biologist

• Focused on POW Island-Big Thorne

• Claim wolves on POW are a distinct population segment-DPS

• Or

• Are a significant portion of the range of the subspecies in Southeast AK and coastal BC

• Will apply on private, State, local property

ESA with Federal Nexuswill apply to State Forestand Private Forest land

Wolf

• Wolf on ESA list in northern Rocky Mt States until 2011 when delisted by Congress in a rider in a bipartisan budget bill

• Wolf subspecies in southeast Alaska and DPS on POW now petitioned for ESA listing.

• Proposed Rule due December 2015

Regarding wolves on Prince of Wales Island being a distinct population segment (DPS):

“…the wolves in GMU2 … are not particularly differentiated … and our genetic data do not support the proposal that wolves in GMU2 are a distinct population segment.”From Cronin et al. 2015. Funded by ADFG

Regarding a subspecies designation of wolves in southeast Alaska (Alexander Archipelago wolf):

“These results indicate that wolves in Southeast Alaska are not a genetically isolated …population, and do not support a subspecies designation of wolves in Southeast Alaska..”Cronin et al. 2015. Funded by ADFG

Other ESA Subspecies recently shown in scientific papers not to be good subspecies

Mexican wolf (Cronin)

Preble’s meadow jumping mouse (Ramey)

Coastal California gnatcatcher (Zink)

Southwestern Willow Flycatcher (Zink)

Wood bison (Cronin)

Opposition to wolf ESA listing

AFA

Cronin AK Board of Forestry testimony, scientific papers, and replies to disagreement by others in a huge scientific literature

Nizich, Rossi & Vincent-Lang,

Need stronger opposition fromADFG, DNR, DCCED, Governor, Legislature,

Attorney General, Congressional delegation?

September 2015 Emergency listing petition by environmental groups citing low wolf numbers on POW

Denied by FWS because you can’t petition for an emergency listing

Lawsuits after a listing?

Some success: Bearded seal Judge said predicting 100 years was too speculative

Usually hard to win because federal courts give deference to federal agencies

ESA criterion is likelihood of EXTINCTION

Endangered vs threatened, significant portion of the range, foreseeable future, and subspecies/DPS/ESU are deceptions from the intent of the ESA to prevent species extinctions

Sage Grouse were not listed because threat of Congress delisting as with the wolf in Northern Rockies in 2011

Current opportunities

1. Western Governors AssociationGov Mead of WY ESA initiative2. Multi-State University program for ESA science (W506)3. Senate subcommittee on fish, water & wildlife ESA reform4. Sage grouse not listed (due to threat of Congress delisting)

Senate EPW committee, subcommittee on fish, water, wildlife hearing on ESA reform, 29 Sept. 2015AK Senator Sullivan: States co-authority = Governor/Legislature vetoNE Senator Inhoffe: Farm plowing stopped by ESA beetle. Who decides on best available science?

Action

Congress delist species

Change ESAa. States co-authority for ESA decisions-State vetob. No ESA for subspecies or DPS populations

c. ESA only applies on federal land. Voluntary programs on private, state, locald. No science monopoly of, or court deference to, federal agenciese. No predictions and models to determine extinction likelihood. Use common sense

Coalition of industry: livestock, farming, mining, timber, oil and gas, sportsmen. Use USDA, counties and Land Grant University credibility. Voluntary programs not regulation.

Questions?