Big news! Wolverines have now been listed by the US government as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Over the past 30 years there have been a number of organizations petitioning to have Wolverines included on this list. The first petition was submitted in 1994. Wolverines are a valuable member of high mountain ecosystems, where they specialize in scavenging across rugged terrain and deep snowpack. They’re considered an indicator species, meaning that their presence on the Pacific Northwest landscape provides a measure of mountain ecosystem health, as well as connectivity to habitat beyond the Cascades.
The ESA was passed 50 years ago and has been instrumental in helping many different species recover from the brink of extinction. However, as with many issues associated with government bureaucracy, the reality of this laws implementation is quite complex. Remember how it took 30 years to get Wolverines on this list? On average it takes 12 years to protect a species through the ESA even though, by law, it should take only two years!
Following the decision to list a species, a recovery plan must be created. This can take years. Then comes the implementation (or lack there of) of the recovery plan, and the protection of critical habitat. All of this must be monitored closely by citizens and environmental organizations. Some of the regulations defined in the ESA give citizens teeth to hold agencies accountable to follow through on their obligations to protect listed species. The recent listing of wolverines is an important step towards helping this species survive in the lower 48 states but will require ongoing attention to make sure this progress continues and to determine if implemented conservation measures are working.
Our work at Cascades Wolverine Project is an important piece of monitoring Wolverine recovery in the North Cascades and engaging the human community in the importance of this species and mountain ecosystems like the North Cascades. We’re well set up to carry on the research we've been doing for the last 6 years for years to come!
You can join this project and contribute to our efforts to understand and care for wolverines in the North Cascades in a few ways. Donations to the project are vital to continuing this work. Anything helps and it's all greatly appreciated.
Learn more about wolverines and what their tracks look like, so you can contribute to our community science program and submit observations you make while recreating in the mountains.
A wolverine inspects a deer mandible at a research station in the North Cascades.
Stephanie Williams inspects fresh tracks of a wolverine during a day in the field servicing camera traps in the North Cascades.
Right hind track, likely placed directly on top of a front track of a wolverine.
