A federal judge in Washington DC has decided to nix the delisting of wolves in Wyoming. It's not known how long the relisting will last but as of today Wyoming is refunding people who bought tags for the upcoming season and has stopped all culling in the predator zone.
In United States District Court in Washington, Judge Amy Berman Jackson ruled that the wildlife service’s judgment that the wolf was no longer imperiled in much of its range was reasonable. She also deferred to the wildlife service’s judgment that the wolf was not unduly threatened by Wyoming’s decision to brand it a predator, noting that its numbers were small or nonexistent in much of the area covered by that designation. But she said that the state’s management plan was inadequate and unenforceable and that federal officials were “arbitrary and capricious” in accepting it.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
There's much there for Wyoming to like. The judge agrees wolves are fully recovered in Wyoming and that populations are doing fine, she just doesn't like the way they have declared most of the state unaccountable as far as numbers and population are concerned.
Governor Mead of Wyoming intends a quick remedy.
“There are many positives in Judge Jackson’s decision. However, she held that Wyoming’s plan was not sufficiently formalized to support the Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2012 rule allowing limited take of gray wolves. We believe an emergency rule can remedy this, and I have instructed the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and the Attorney General to proceed accordingly,” Governor Matt Mead said.
http://content.govdelivery.com/...
I can't off the top of my head think of any consequences except further polarization.
I haven't even looked at who brought the suit, but I'd think this would be a windfall in the form of money from the Equal Access to Justice Act, and being the only legal action currently under way lots of lawyers would have been booking lots of hours. Donations should also get a lift.
I don't think the income to Wyoming Game and Fish from license sales was significant. More important are federal funds for management. Wolves have been a much less significant factor in livestock predation and elk hunting in Wyoming than in Idaho and Montana, so I'd think they could weather a slight uptick in wolf populations. Income to outfitters was already severely depressed.
Long term this is another factor that will contribute to the upcoming re write of the Endangered Species Act, national wolf delisting, red wolves, mexican wolves, and so on. Often remedies are worse than solutions.