Feds seek comment on Unimak wolves

December 17, 2010|by Jackie Bartz | Channel 2 News

The Unimak Island caribou herd is the only island caribou herd in the country, and biologists say it's in danger of extinction. The state says wolves are killing caribou calves at an alarming rate.

But before it can kill the wolves, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service need input from the public. Friday Fish and Wildlife presented its draft assessment of Unimak Island wolf and caribou issues.

The study shows about 400 caribou on Unimak.

State biologists say it has the lowest bull-to-cow ratio it's ever seen, and the percentage of calves that survive is in the single digits.

Biologists say that caribou herds across the Alaska Peninsula are on the decline, but the Unimak herd is the most serious.

During the calving season in May, the state wanted to shoot wolves from the air, but the calving grounds lie on a national wildlife refuge.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said before any action could be taken, it needed to do its own study and then open it up to public comment.

The two squared off in federal court where a U.S. District court judge sided with the feds.

The four options the feds are seeking comment on range from not shooting wolves at all, to the state's preferred plan of killing wolves using helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.

“Our plan is to get through this whole process so that we have an option selected and we're ready to begin implementing that option on the ground in may which is when the calving period begins,” said Bruce Woods with U.S. Fish and Wildlife.

“We're trying to just take the fewest number of wolves possible to improve calf survival, and in the southern peninsula herd we've seen a tremendous rebound in the population -- 15 percent annual increase and the bull numbers are coming back very rapidly in that area,” said Lem Butler with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

The feds have not selected their preferred method yet.

Public comments are due by Jan. 31.

Contact Jackie Bartz at jbartz@ktuu.com

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