Unlike reintroduction projects, which involve reintroducing wolves to new areas, wolf recovery projects focus on the conservation and expansion of already existing wolf populations.
These projects aim to support and strengthen natural packs, as well as support wolves that naturally migrate across borders, from one state to another or even across national boundaries.
Major Recovery Projects
Wolf recovery efforts are ongoing and require continued collaboration between state, federal, and tribal authorities, as well as private landowners and conservation organizations.
The goal is to ensure that wolf populations can thrive without compromising the needs of local communities.
Great Lakes Region
The Great Lakes Region is home to the only wolves in the lower 48 U.S. that were not killed off during the 1900s.
This small group of wolves in northern Minnesota slowly began to repopulate the state and spread into neighboring Michigan and Wisconsin.
This region is also a leader in wolf research, primarily through Voyageurs Wolf Project contributing new findings to wolf biology.
Pacific Northwest Region
Washington, Oregon, and Northern California all have small wolf populations that have naturally migrated over from the Northern Rockies and down from Canada.
Although there seem to be some anti wolf sentiments in certain groups, the overall population has shown promising growth.
Government Involvement and Collaboration
Historically, there has been much less conflict around wolf recovery projects than wolf reintroduction projects.
This is likely because it occurred naturally and spread out over a longer period of time, rather than one big controversial event.
This has allowed for greater collaboration between state and federal governments.
California especially has been a source of hope for many wildlife advocates, showing the possibility of responsible predator management.
Wolves naturally spread into California in 2011, making their way down from where they were reintroduced in the Northern Rockies.
Since then, their population has grown due to legislative protections and efforts at both the federal and state level.
This is the kind of federal-state collaboration that we need in order to have healthy wolf populations across the country.