I am your vice president and will be offering this occasional column on the plight of the wolf in our country. As a lifelong admirer and supporter of this animal, it is indeed my totem, and its troubles surviving are never far out of my mind. I have been pleased and honored to hold this office for many years, and am indebted to the number one wolf advocate in the Northeast, our president, John Glowa Sr., for my tenure in that regard. I will forever be in awe of his selfless devotion and very hard work, year in and year out, on behalf of our beleaguered wolf friends.

An important item our current interest focuses on the State of California. Although this State has many problems, a favorable attitude toward returning wolves is not one of them. As you probably know, it all started about six years ago when male OR-7 ventured into the State from Oregon. Now there is a state issued Conservation Plan for Gray Wolves in California. OR-7’s progeny has given the State its first wolf family in a long, long time, now known as the Shasta pack. While they have not been seen recently, they are protected under both the Federal and California Endangered Species Acts. It does appear, however, that the patently false claim of hunters who say “I thought it was a coyote” will continue to be a problem there as it is elsewhere. That “defense” should be irrelevant if an endangered wolf in fact ends up being killed.

Very recently, a new pack, the second in the State, has shown up and is being called the Lassen pack. The male is a son of OR-7, so that famous pioneering wolf now has two packs to carry on his legacy. Needless to say, the conservation community is delighted with this development. You may be interested in a new book, Journey: The Amazing Story Of OR-7, The Oregon Wolf That Made History, by Beckie Elgin. Although it is geared to the young reader, its factual content is worth receiving attention.

Thank you for taking the time to peruse my words offered on my favorite subject- the wolf and its struggle now to survive in a place where it was once plentiful.

 

Walter L. Pepperman ll, Attorney, Wildlife Advocate and Registered Maine Guide

Vice President, The Maine Wolf Coalition, Inc.

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