The recent killings of wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountains states have killed approximately 16% of the wolf population, and about 20% of the wolf population in the Rockies.

These current killings alone don't threaten the persistence of the species in the area, but do threaten the ability of the population to fulfill it's ecological function. They also are but one year's worth of what is liable to be a policy of many years, unless people intervene.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is currently reviewing the status of gray wolves in these states and may list them.

EDIT: Well, regardless of what the Fish and Wildlife Service says, federal protections are restored for the subpopulation.

I mentioned my biggest disappointment with the Obama administration the other day, but overall, I've been pretty pleased with the actions they've taken on environmental issues. Grist has a good write up of Obama's environmental actions and accomplishments so far.

I also found this interesting analysis of the wolf issue, which suggests that Obama might be making a political calculation to appease Western states in advance of a big push for clean energy and other climate issues. It wouldn't surprise me at all if this were true, I just wish wolves weren't caught, quite literally, in the crosshairs. :(

In what has been, for me, one of the greatest disappointments of Obama's presidency so far, gray wolves were delisted today in Idaho, Montana, and the Great Lakes. They were NOT delisted in Wyoming, although several groups have sued the government in an attempt to force that to occur.

To stay updated on the wolf situation in the Northern Rockies, I recommend these blogs:

Ralph Maughan's Wildlife News (wolf category)
My Yellowstone Wolves