Wolf Reintroduction and Recovery Timeline

1980s - Numerous field surveys conducted in Idaho to document the presence of wolves.

1988 - State Legislature restricted the Idaho Department of Fish and Game's involvement in wolf recovery activities unless expressly authorized by state statute §36-715.

November 1990 - Congress established a national Wolf Management Committee, directing the Secretary of the Interior to appoint a 10-member committee to develop a gray wolf reintroduction and management plan for Yellowstone National Park and the Central Idaho wilderness area. Fish and Game Director Jerry Conley was appointed a member of the committee.

1991 - The Wolf Management Committee submitted their Plan to Congress.

1991 - Congress directed U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to prepare an environmental impact statement on the plan to reintroduce wolves into central Idaho and Yellowstone National Park.

1992 - State Legislature amended Idaho Code §36-715 to allow Fish and Game to work with the Fish and Wildlife Service to prepare the environmental impact statement. The Legislature established a Wolf Oversight Committee “to guide and advise the department in all aspects of their involvement in the EIS process.”

July 1993 - Draft EIS was released and resulted in 160,284 comments from public, agencies, and interest groups. It contained a Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to reintroduce gray wolves into Yellowstone National Park and central Idaho if two naturally occurring wolf packs are not found in either area before October 1994.

April 1994 - In anticipation that the EIS would recommend reintroduction of wolves into Idaho under a “non-essential, experimental” status and provide an opportunity for the state to take a lead role in wolf management, the state Legislature amended Idaho Code §36-715 to allow Fish and Game to work with the Wolf Oversight Committee to develop and implement an Idaho Wolf Management Plan.

May 4, 1994 - EIS is completed. The Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to reintroduce wolves into central Idaho and Yellowstone National Park as a non-essential experimental population. If states and tribes develop acceptable wolf management plans, they could enter into a cooperative agreement with the Fish and Wildlife Service to take lead in managing wolves.

June 15, 1994 - Secretary of Interior signed the EIS Record of Decision supporting the Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposed action and directed that it be implemented as soon as possible.

July 13, 1994 - Secretary of Agriculture signed a letter concurring with the Record of Decision. This assured the full cooperation of the U.S. Forest Service.

August 10, 1994 - Record of Decision was published in Federal Register.

August 16, 1994 - Proposed Experimental Population Rules for Yellowstone and central Idaho published in the Federal Register and 60-day comment period began.

• States and Tribe can enter cooperative agreements with the Fish and Wildlife Service to take lead if they develop suitable wolf management plans. State and tribal wolf management activities would be funded by the Fish and Wildlife Service until wolves are removed from the Endangered Species List.
• Experimental population areas would be established for the central Idaho and Yellowstone areas. In northern Idaho, north of I-90, wolves will retain full protection of the Endangered Species Act.
• 15 wolves to be reintroduced in central Idaho and 15 in Yellowstone National Park for three to five years or until at least two packs establish and reproduce successfully in two consecutive years.
• Wolves are expected to reach the recovery level of at least 10 breeding pairs that breed successfully for three consecutive years by 2002.

September 27-29, 1994 - Public hearings on Proposed Experimental Rule held in Boise, Helena, Cheyenne, Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Washington D.C.

October 1994 - Idaho wolf management plan is nearing completion. But if the Fish and Wildlife Service does not change the Final Experimental Rules to further reduce protection of wolves and increase protection of livestock interests, several members of the Idaho Wolf Oversight Committee are pushing to go outside the parameters established by the Fish and Wildlife Service. This could jeopardize all state involvement in wolf recovery and management.

October 14, 1994 - Interagency meeting to develop and prioritize a list of potential release sites.

October 17, 1994 - Public comment period on proposed Experimental Population Rules closes.

Fall 1994 - Final Experimental Population Rules issued and published in the Federal Register.

• Litigation filed by Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, Farm Bureau, and others regarding the release of wolves and the use of the Experimental Population designation.
• Negotiations/ Fish and Wildlife Service policy decision regarding involvement of Nez Perce Tribe.
• Public meetings on State plan held to inform public.

January 1995 - 15 wolves released into central Idaho. Fish and Game participates in reintroductions and assumes lead management role if state plan is approved. Otherwise, the Fish and Wildlife Service will proceed with reintroductions on its own and retain full management authority.

1995 - Idaho Legislature rejected a Wolf Recovery and Management Plan produced by the Legislative Wolf Oversight Committee which would have allowed Fish and Game to assume the lead role in wolf recovery in Idaho. Nez Perce Tribe leads recovery effort.

January 1996 - 20 wolves released into central Idaho. Limited involvement by Fish and Game in accordance with Idaho statute.

1996 - First pups produced in Idaho; 3 known packs identified.

1996 - Governor Phil Batt recommends the State become more involved in the wolf recovery process.

1998 - Sen. Stan Hawkins ear-marked Fish and Game funds to study predator impacts on big game animals, focusing on wolves in the Salmon region.

November 1998 - Idaho Wolf Oversight Committee begins working on a new Idaho Wolf Conservation and Management Plan.

December 1998 - 24 of the original 35 wolves were known to be alive and were still being monitored. The estimated population in Idaho was 115 wolves. This was the first year that one component of recovery (10 breeding pairs) was attained.

2000 - Idaho Legislature approves state statute §67-818, creating in the office of the governor, the "Office of Species Conservation" to coordinate all state-related activities involving federally listed threatened and endangered species.

December 2000 - The Northwest Natural Resource Group submitted a summary of the comments on the Idaho Wolf Conservation and Management Plan to the governor's Office of Species Conservation and the Legislative Wolf Oversight Committee.

June 2001 - The Wolf Oversight Committee submitted draft 16 of the Management Plan to the USFWS which included recommended changes by the Fish and Wildlife Service.

August 2001 - Draft 16 of the Management Plan was sent out for professional review.

September 2001 - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service documents 30 pairs of wolves in the three-state area of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, triggering the three-year countdown to delisting.

October 2001 - Gov. Dirk Kempthorne directs the Office of Species Conservation to work with the Fish and Wildlife Service, Idaho Fish and Game, Nez Perce Tribe, and others in the delisting of wolves in Idaho.

March 2002 - Idaho Legislature passes a joint resolution to accept the Idaho Wolf Conservation and Management Plan as written; identifies Fish and Game as the primary entity responsible for wolf management following de-listing; identifies the Nez Perce Tribe as having a significant role in wolf management following delisting.

April 2002 - Begin working with the Office of Species Conservation in developing a memorandum of understanding with the Nez Perce Tribe, identifying the tribe's future involvement with wolves and developing a wolf harvest agreement following delisting.

2002 - Work with the Office of Species Conservation, the Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana and Wyoming to develop a wolf de-listing package that would turn over wolf management authority to the states following delisting.

• Increase efforts to record statewide wolf observation records and develop a procedure to document and monitor wolf recovery in conjunction with the Fish and Wildlife Service and Nez Perce Tribe.

April 2003 - Legislature repealed law 36-715 and passed HB294 to allow Fish and Game to fully implement the Idaho Wolf Conservation and Management Plan and work with the Office of Species Conservation prior to delisting in wolf management.

November 2003 - The Fish and Wildlife Service requests 11 wolf experts to review the three state plans and determine whether they are adequate for preservation of wolves once delisted.

January 2004 - The Fish and Wildlife Service deems Montana and Idaho plans are adequate, but the Wyoming plan is inadequate for delisting.

February 2004 - Wyoming decides to sue the Fish and Wildlife Service to accept their plan. Fish and Wildlife delays delisting until Wyoming plan is accepted.

March 9, 2004 - The Fish and Wildlife Service published in the Federal Register its proposal to revise wolf management rules under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act. The proposed rules would allow more flexibility in managing wolves and would allow states with accepted wolf managment plans to take over much of the wolf management roles and responsibilities. Fish and Wildlife will make a decision on the rule amendment following a 60-day public comment period.

March 2004 - Wolf management training of Idaho Fish and Game staff members across Idaho was conducted with assistance of cooperating agency wolf specialists. About 300 staff members were trained to understand their roles and responsibilities in monitoring and management of wolves, coordination protocol and outreach, and other management responsibilities.

Summer 2004 - Fish and Game work with cooperators to transition into wolf management duties statewide.

January 6, 2005 - The Fish and Wildlife Service publishes the final revised 10(j) rules in the Federal Register.

February 7, 2005 - Revised 10(j) rules take effect, easing wolf management rules, and giving states a role in wolf management under agreements to be negotiated with the Fish and Wildlife Service.

May 2005 - Memorandum of Agreement between Idaho and the Nez Perce Tribe signed, giving the tribe a significant role in wolf conservation. Tribal officials will monitor wolves within the McCall Subregion and the Clearwater Region and participate with Idaho Fish and Game in other wolf conservation measures.

January 5, 2006 - Memorandum of Agreement between Idaho and the U.S. Department of Interior signed by Gov. Dirk Kempthorne and transferring authority for day-to-day wolf management to the state as agent for the Fish and Wildlife Service under the revised 10(j) rule.

January 29, 2007 - Fish and Wildlife Service announced intention of starting the process to remove gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains from the endangered species list. Public hearings set and 60-day public comment period launched.

February 8, 2007 - Notice of delisting process published in Federal Register. Delisting is proposed in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and parts of Washington, Oregon and Utah. Delisting may proceed without Wyoming.

February 21, 2008 - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service filed the rule that would remove gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains from the federal endangered species list. Delisting will proceed including Wyoming. The rule was posted in the Federal Register on February 27 and will take effect 30 days later on March 28.

February 27, 2008 - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisting rule posted in the Federal Register.

March 28, 2008 - Delisting rule becomes final and Idaho assumes full responsibility for wolves, which will be managed as a big game animal. Fish and Wildlife would continue to monitor wolf recovery for five years.