Too Bad “Utah Legislature” – 74% Of Utahns Want To Bring Wolves Home….

wolvescartoon The Daily Utah Chronicle

The Daily Utah Chronicle – Luigi Ghersi

Big Game Forever, Don Peay and the Utah Legislature may want to stop wolves from returning to Utah but 74% of the state’s citizens are in favor of reintroduction. (hjnews.com)

The only thing that disturbed me about this opinion piece was this quote:

“The prime number of wolves for the available habitat space in Utah is 200. This amount would allow optimal growth of the species. Anymore would create an influx, which was most likely the problem with the Yellowstone restoration of wolves.”

It’s always about the end game, the day when wolves reach some magical number and then the slaughter begins.  That’s what we’re fighting in the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes. Wolves are never going to be safe under state management.

  Mexican gray wolves need to expand beyond the Blue Range Recovery Area that’s choking with cattle. If they are to return to Utah,  these highly endangered wolves must remain protected under the ESA, otherwise in a few years they’d be facing the same brutality wolves are experiencing in the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes. Once their numbers grow the “sportsmen” will decide it’s time to break out the guns!

But salient points were also made.

“Wolves had been a part of Utah’s ecosystem since before the pilgrims set foot on Plymouth Rock — before Utah was even a state. They used to freely roam the whole state — until humans pushed them to the brink of extinction.”

“Tourism is one example of additional economic benefits that would result from reintroducing wolves to Utah’s ecosystem. Our state parks would see a dramatic increase in the total amount of visitors per year, bringing in more revenue to the state.”

I think Mexican grays should return to Utah but only if they remain protected from wolf hunts.

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Mexican gray wolf should be reintroduced in Utah

http://www.dailyutahchronicle.com/?p=2585851

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Cartoon: Courtesy The Daily Utah Chronicle – Luigi Ghersi

Posted in: Wolf Wars, biodiversity

Tags: Mexican gray wolves, highly endangered wolves, Utah legislature, Big Game Forever, Don Peay

Published in: on March 25, 2013 at 1:15 am  Comments (14)  
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14 CommentsLeave a comment

  1. On March 25, 2013 at 3:29 am susan dandorf said:

    Well Done to the people of Utah!!!!!!!!!!!!!Excellant!!!!!!!!!!

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  2. On March 25, 2013 at 3:38 am Wolf is my Soul said:

    Reblogged this on Carinas space and commented:
    Glad to learn that Utah residents are in favor of wolves being a part of their state’s wildlife.

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  3. On March 25, 2013 at 5:19 am Anne said:

    God bless the strong, God fearing people of Utah. They respect God and His plan and have the common sense to let His Eco system take care of that balance. Utah, you are an inspiration to the rest of America. Stay strong and God bless every one of the humane 74% Utahns and God bless the rest of Utah hoping that they too will see the light of their brothers.

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  4. On March 25, 2013 at 5:49 am helen durant said:

    It is not the majority of people who live in these western states who hate wolves. These states are under siege of the bureaucracy , a bureaucracy that wants to seemingly kill every last wolf . The minority of folks ,the ones who DO want to and DO kill wolves with such a misplaced vengeance and hatred that one wonders how they have become so inalterably misled.Is it money ,is it ignorance ,it is pure fear ,is it selfishness or is it simply their own confusion of themselves with god? Probably all of the above.

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  5. On March 25, 2013 at 7:54 am Melody Scamman said:

    Nabeki, I liked your term ‘magic number’. This has crossed my mind as well. There is no magic number of wolves. Numbers are a human way of thinking that doesn’t make sense when projected to intelligent, social animals like wolves, who live in family groups and are know to actually suffer mental anguish, even PTSD. They are not rodents or insects as hunters seem to think and foolish, greedy politicians accept. I guess it must be easier for the politicians to sign the bills that allow the murders of random wolf family members if they convince themselves that wolves are vermin?
    Plain and simple, we need more ambassador wolf-politician enlightened encounters. We need to catch politicians and ask how they would feel if their dog or cat was shot for ‘sport’? Then when you get their attention, ask how they think pups feel when their mother is shot? It might change some hearts?

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  6. On March 25, 2013 at 9:53 am Bert Claverie said:

    Its a huge mistake to think that they will never be hunted and tortured once there numbers go beyond the suggested limit of 200 animals. I personally would be against the reintroduction. This would be another disaster in the making. It would only be a matter of time before the hunters would start pulling out the snares and guns. Why set these animals up for more slaughter. Protections??? it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know there is no such thing for wildlife in this country and there never will be. All it takes is one person to pull the trigger and get everyone on board to start the killing.

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    • On March 29, 2013 at 9:12 am Marcia Mueller said:

      I absolutely agree, Bert. What we have learned from the massacre of the wolves lately is that reintroduction is the first step to annihilation. Some people recognize the place of wolves in the ecosystem and value them in their states. However, it won’t matter of 74% of the people approve of wolves if hunters, ranchers, and powerful organizations want to kill them after they arrive.

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  7. On March 25, 2013 at 10:18 am gittel0911 said:

    Kudos to the 74% Utahns, but a protection under ESA is still vitally important

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  8. On March 25, 2013 at 10:46 am Exposing the Big Game said:

    Reblogged this on Exposing the Big Game.

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  9. On March 25, 2013 at 12:19 pm Bobette Traul said:

    Then ,by God, those 74 % better notify their politicians That they will not vote for anyone who wants wolves hunted.

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  10. On March 25, 2013 at 1:28 pm Joan Young Wolf Advocate said:

    I am one of the 74% trying to get them to enlist them back under the protection laws before they are return to my state, I have not heard back from all the Utah state officials only one so far. Still do not trust them I know they are good at having two faces here will stay on top of this for I do not want them being turned into some sick sport for a lot of us here in Utah we love our Wildlife and want them to be here always

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  11. On March 25, 2013 at 10:50 pm LittleSongWolf said:

    I would love to see wolves – both gray wolves and Mexican wolves – restored to Utah and elsewhere. I agree, Mexican wolves need to be reintroduced to more parts of their former range if they ever are to recover.

    I read in a book that the western part of Colorado alone can support up to 1,000 wolves. With that in mind, there is no way that Utah, a large wilderness state, can only sustain 200 wolves at max! I would love to know how they came up with such a small number! Oh, wait, that’s right, it’s because of politics, which always interferes with wolf conservation and management!

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  12. On March 26, 2013 at 8:27 am traeh79 said:

    Thanks Nabeki!

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  13. On March 29, 2013 at 5:28 am Norma Laborie said:

    In France they voted to kill 24 wolves a year! Thanks Nabeki

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