U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service News Release

The gray wolf population in the Northern Rocky Mountains is thriving and no longer requires the protection
of the Endangered Species Act, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Lynn Scarlett announced today. As a result, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will remove the species from the federal list of threatened and
endangered species.

"The wolf population in the Northern Rockies has far exceeded its recovery goal and continues to
expand its size and range. States, tribes, conservation groups, federal agencies and citizens of both regions can be proud of their roles in this remarkable conservation success story," said Scarlett, noting that
there are currently more than 1,500 wolves and at least 100 breeding pairs in Montana, Idaho, and
Wyoming.

Service-approved state management plans will provide a secure future for the wolf population
once Endangered Species Act protections are removed and the states assume full management of wolf
populations within their borders. The northern Rocky Mountain DPS includes all of Montana, Idaho and
Wyoming, as well as the eastern one-third of Washington and Oregon, and a small part of north-central
Utah.

"With hundreds of trained professional managers, educators, wardens and biologists, state
wildlife agencies have strong working relationships with local landowners and the ability to manage
wolves for the long-term," said Lyle Laverty, Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks. "We're
confident the wolf has a secure future in the northern Rocky Mountains and look forward to continuing
to work closely with the states as we monitor the wolf population for the next five years."

The minimum recovery goal for wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains was set at a minimum of
30 breeding pairs (a breeding pair represents a successfully reproducing wolf pack) and a minimum of
300 individual wolves for at least three consecutive years. This goal was achieved in 2002, and the wolf
population has expanded in size and range every year since.

"These wolves have shown an impressive ability to breed and expand - they just needed an opportunity
to establish themselves in the Rockies. The Service and its partners provided that opportunity, and
now it's time to integrate wolves into the states' overall wildlife management efforts," said Service Director
H. Dale Hall.

Gray wolves were previously listed as endangered in the lower 48 states, except in Minnesota,
where they were listed as threatened. The wolf population in the western Great Lakes was delisted in
early 2007. When the delisting of the Rocky Mountain population takes effect 30 days from its publication
in the Federal Register on February 27th, the Service will oversee the only remaining gray wolf recovery
program, for the southwestern U.S. wolf population. The delisting announced today affects only
the northern Rocky Mountain population of gray wolves. Gray wolves found outside of the Rocky Mountain
and Midwest recovery areas, including the southwest wolf population, remain protected under the
Endangered Species Act and are not affected by actions taken today.

- FWS
Contacts
Ed Bangs (406) 449-5225, x 204
Joan Jewett (503) 231-6211
Sharon Rose (303) 236-4580
Joshua Winchell (703) 358-2279