Isle Royale National Park to hold public meetings on wolf management beginning Nov. 12 in Houghton

Wolves of Isle Royale. (Photo by Rolf Peterson and courtesy ScienceDaily.com. Reprinted with permission.)*

HOUGHTON -- This month Isle Royale National Park will hold a series of public meetings to discuss the status of wolf management on the island. During the meetings, the Natural Resources team will present information about the history of wolves on Isle Royale, climate change implications, and current and future status. The presentation will be followed by an opportunity for the public to discuss natural resources, ecology, climate change, and wildlife management as well as ask questions and provide comments to park staff.*

"Isle Royale has a long-standing history of broad ecosystem management," commented Park Superintendent Phyllis Green. "I hope the public takes this opportunity to become more informed on the natural resources of the island."

The first of these meetings will be held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. this Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the Franklin Square Inn, 820 Shelden Ave., Houghton. The presentation will begin at 3:30 p.m. followed by an open house.

Additional public meetings will be held as follows:

Public Meeting 2: Chelsea, Michigan
Date: Thursday, Nov. 14,  2013
Location: Chelsea Depot, 125 Jackson Street
Time: 3 p.m. -5 p.m. (Presentation at 3:30 p.m. followed by open house)

Public Meeting 3: St. Paul, Minnesota
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 19,  2013   
Location: TBA. 
Time: 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. (Presentation at 3:30 p.m. followed by open house)

Public Meeting 4: Duluth, Minnesota
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2013
Location: Environmental Protection Agency Mid-Continent Ecology Division Laboratory, 6201 Congdon Boulevard
Time: 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. (Presentation at 3:30 p.m. followed by open house)

* Editor's Note:  According to Rolf Peterson, co-director of the Isle Royale Wolf-Moose Study, the National Park Service (NPS) is considering three options: (1) do nothing, even if wolves go extinct; (2) allow wolves to go extinct (if that is what they do), and then introduce a new wolf population; or (3) conserve Isle Royale wolves with an action known as genetic rescue by bringing some wolves to the island to mitigate inbreeding. See "Message from Rolf Peterson: Public input needed on future of Isle Royale wolves," posted on Keweenaw Now Oct. 11, 2013.