Good news is hard to find. But for imperiled wolverines, two new efforts are giving hope for the future.

With only about 300 wolverines in the entire Lower 48, FOC achieved a huge win when the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) finally listed wolverines in December 2023.

However, we are not resting on our laurels, and have been proactive in fighting for this icon of the alpine West. We are involved in two actions to save wolverines nationally and in Idaho:

1. Suing the USFWS to designate critical habitat for wolverines
2. Protecting wolverines in the Idaho Panhandle from snowmobiles

Let's look at both actions in more detail.

1. Establishing Critical Habitat for Wolverines Nationally

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to designate critical habitat (areas where a species have additional protections for their recovery) within one year of listing. They are now more than a year overdue in designating critical habitat for wolverines.

Friends of the Clearwater, along with several allies, are suing the USFWS to force action. We are represented by Western Environmental Law Center (WELC).

You can read the full press release here.

From our Forest Policy Director Jeff Juel:

"In an age when wild, undisturbed areas have already become too rare, we believe it is vital that the USFWS identify and protect the critical habitat the wolverine, a species which perhaps best symbolizes the spirit of wildness, needs to survive.

And this means improving core habitat security and also landscape connectivity so this wide-ranging species can increase its precariously low population of only about 300 in the Lower 48 states to fully recover across its historic home range in the Northern U.S. Rocky Mountains and beyond."

2. Defending wolverine habitat in the Panhandle

Keeping snowmobiles off of wolverine dens

In a win for local wolverine populations, the Idaho Panhandle National Forests (IPNF) has agreed to reconsult the USFWS to make sure the Kaniksu Over-Snow Vehicle (OSV) Project won't harm habitat for the imperiled wolverine.

The Kaniksu OSV Project, designed to increase snowmobiling opportunities, originally faced scrutiny for its potential impacts to federally threatened grizzly bears. We, along with Western Environmental Law Center (WELC), WildEarth Guardians, Selkirk Conservation Alliance, and Inland Empire Task Force, believed that authorizing the plan without consulting on newly-listed wolverines would constitute a violation of the ESA.

Fortunately, the IPNF conceded to our request, and is now seeking reconsultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service. That means over 1 million acres of key habitat are temporarily safe from the impacts of snowmobiling.

Special thanks to activist Paul Sieracki, who put in many hours creating maps of wolverine habitat that helped make the case for reconsultation.

If you support our work protecting wolverines, please consider becoming a monthly donor on our website. Monthly donations (even small ones) make a huge difference for keeping our organization at full capacity year round.

Thank you!