The grey wolf once inhabitated most of North America, but was nearly extirminated over the last century.  A top predator species, wolves are critical to sustaining the proper functioning of ecosystems by helping keep prey populations in check. 

Under protection of the Endangered Species Act, wolves are now rebounding in parts of their historic range.  In the Northern Rockies region, reintroduction of wolves to Idaho, Montana and Wyoming began in the mid-1990's, and has been a success.  Wolves can now be readily viewed not only in the Yellowstone region, but the Sawtooth Valley and other parts of Idaho and Montana.

Yet animosity to wolves still runs deep in some circles, including among many public lands ranchers who fear -- unjustifiably -- wolf predations of their liestock.  Because of the ranching industry's political clout, state and federal wildlife managers will kill entire wolf packs when even a single sheep or calf may have been killed by wolves -- even though the ranchers may have turned out their livestock right in the midst of a wolf den.  

Removing wolves from Endangered Species Act protection in the northern Rockies threatens to undo the gains made in recent years.  Eliminating or limiting domestic livestock grazing on public lands in wolf areas is one key step to reducing conflicts and ensuring future survival of wolf populations in the West.