- April 9, 2014
- By Melanie Sommer
But Phyllis Green, the superintendent of Isle Royale National Park, said Wednesday the Park Service doesn’t think that step is necessary yet.
Instead, she says park officials will develop a management plan to assess the wolves’ survival longer term, as well as their interactions with the moose that live on Isle Royale, the Associated Press reports. She said it’ll take about three years to put the plan together.
“This is an island,” Green told MPR. “Island biogeography is a developing science, and our understanding of how islands react to change is still really being studied in a lot of ways.”
“As long as there’s a breeding population, we’re going to let these animals have a chance to live their lives without us intervening,” Green added, according to the AP.
A long-running research project has been studying the relationship between the wolves and the moose on Isle Royale for more than 50 years. The scientists who lead that study, Rolf Peterson and John Vucetich of Michigan Technological University, are among the most vocal advocates for bringing more wolves to the island.
Vucetich declined comment about Green’s decision Wednesday but said he and Peterson would issue a statement next week, according to the Associated Press.
In a 2013 interview, Vucetich said it’s important to keep the island’s ecosystem healthy, with or without human involvement, the AP reports.
“As long as there are moose on Isle Royale there should be wolves on Isle Royale,” Vucetich said.
Exposing the Big Game 
Some will not be happy until the only wolves to be seen are ones in zoo’s !!
Sad – Sad – Sad !
Has there ever been a more vague and overused term than ‘management plan’ lately? How much longer do they need to draw this out? Hint: until the last wolf is gone
Three years to put a plan together? Even considering the glacial pace of the Park Service, this seems painfully stagnant. Does the plan need a wheelchair? I respect consideration and caution and thoughtfulness but this is pretty weak.