JACKSON - An apparent shift in federal policy is opening doors for Wyoming to craft an "acceptable" state plan on how to manage wolves, although what the plan will actually look like is unclear.

Mitch King, regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Denver office, said he has been involved in the wolf issue for about a year and cannot speak to previous discussions and ideas. But he said from his view, "it seemed biologically we're not that far apart."

The problem in Wyoming's original plan was the area where wolves would be considered trophy game - in national parks and wilderness areas - was too small to support the minimum number of wolves and wolf packs, federal officials said. The federal government needs to approve a plan that will ensure wolves will not become endangered again before removing them from Endangered Species Act protection.

Now, an idea has been floated to extend the trophy game area to a greater area outside parks and wilderness areas.

"Experts said the line that we now have laid out is sufficient to support that minimum number of wolves," King said Friday. That line extends east to Cody and down through Meeteetse, to Pinedale and Alpine and to the Idaho border.

King said outside that line, there's no natural prey for wolves, and they start "getting into trouble" with livestock.

"Consequently, we, as part of our management responsibility, have to start killing them," he said. "Whether or not you call them predators, it really doesn't matter to the overall recovery of the wolf population."

As long as there are 30 breeding pairs, and 300 wolves, equitably distributed among Idaho, Montana and Wyoming, wolves are OK, King said. Wyoming now has 15 breeding packs, and an estimated 22 wolf packs outside Yellowstone. Inside the park, there are about seven breeding packs. There are an estimated 184 wolves in Wyoming outside Yellowstone.

Last week, representatives of the federal government met with Wyoming officials to talk about a possible compromise. Wyoming is the last state to develop a wolf management plan that is acceptable to the federal government, largely because the state wants to classify wolves as predators outside parks and wilderness areas in northwest Wyoming. With that status, wolves would be treated the same as coyotes and could be shot on sight.

The negotiations have been in the works for several weeks, and some are concerned the only consultation the state did was with agricultural groups. Rep. Pat Childers, R-Cody, said the negotiations are still conceptual.

"Before we do anything, we need to hear from the public," he said. "We will have public meetings, whether before or during the legislative session, if we proceed with anything. That's a big if, because we need to clearly understand what they're offering."

Any change in the Wyoming wolf plan must be made by the Legislature.

Terry Cleveland, director of the Wyoming Game and Fish Department, said trophy game status in northwest Wyoming would mean wolves can only be killed with permission from Game and Fish. There will be a hunting and trapping season with licenses issued, and there may be some killing by government agents if wolves get into conflicts. "Take" permits may also be issued to landowners, he said.

The shift in the federal position regarding Wyoming's wolf plan may herald a new way for states to deal with the federal government, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer said last week.

Schweitzer said Wyoming's willingness to dig its heels in over control of wolves - and convince the federal government to compromise - might be an important lesson on how Montana should deal with federal agencies over bison management controversies outside Yellowstone.

"That sly old Dave Freudenthal, he stared the feds down," Schweitzer told the Billings Gazette.

King said it is likely wolves will be proposed to be delisted in January, and it generally takes a year for that process. If Wyoming does not come up with an agreeable plan during the upcoming legislative session, the federal government will propose delisting for Idaho and Montana only.

NewsTracker

* Last we knew: Wyoming was in negotiations with the federal government to develop a wolf management plan acceptable to federal officials.

* The latest: The apparent shift in federal policy seems to have come from the regional director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, who said the state and federal plans are biologically not that different.

* What's next: State Rep. Pat Childers, R-Cody, said there will be public meetings to possibly help craft a new state plan.

Environmental reporter Whitney Royster can be reached at (307) 734-0260 or at royster@tribcsp.com.