Mich. House committee backs removal of gray wolf from endangered species list

The state House Committee on Tourism and Outdoor Recreation has adopted a resolution urging the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove the gray wolf from the federal endangered species list.

“Michigan’s current gray wolf population of nearly 600 wolves exceeds by nearly three times the number of wolves biologists consider necessary to maintain a healthy population,” states the resolution, which was introduced by Rep. Mike Lahti (D-Hancock).

Federal recovery goals for the number of wolves have been met, the resolution states, and Michigan is prepared to “maintain a healthy gray wolf population while allowing for more flexibility when conflicts between people and wolves arise.”

It is not known when the full House will take up the resolution.

Wolves have been blamed for a poor deer hunting season in the Upper Peninsula and some UP residents say that wolves pose a threat to people, pets and livestock.

Though the wolf’s protected status means that it is illegal to kill wolves, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports that six radio collared wolves were killed in Michigan during December 2009.

USFWS says that they are investigating the deaths of wolves in Ontonagon, Iron, Menominee, Schoolcraft, Luce and Mackinac Counties.

There have been reports of wolf sightings in the Lower Peninsula and this week the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality launched a survey to detect presence of gray wolves in the Northern Lower Peninsula.

The DNRE is asking the public to report wolf sightings to the Gaylord Operations Service Center at 989-732-3541, ext. 5901. Observation reports can also be submitted online year-round at www.michigan.gov/wolves. The Web site also contains identification information for wolves.

“It’s imperative that observations are reported in a timely manner so we can work with fresh evidence. If the public finds what appear to be wolf tracks, they should preserve the physical evidence and disturb it as little as possible or take a photo of the tracks with a ruler,” DNRE Wildlife Biologist Jennifer Kleitch said in a statement. “If someone has a photo or video of a wolf in the Lower Peninsula, we’re interested in that as well.”