Balancing Act

 Mostly the Endangered Species list in the U.S. consists of mammals belonging to the small to medium rodent family. There are however large predator species on the list which includes large cats and wolves; the latter of which is the center point of great political debate and turmoil right now. With the White House gearing up to accept a budget bill rider that would get around the Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves, and allow ranchers the ability to protect their livestock from frequent and vicious wolf attacks, protests from both sides of the table has reached a fevered pitch. Environmentalists fear this bill rider will lead to the demise of the Endangered Species Act. A handful of ranchers in the western states who would be most affected by this bill rider would prefer to see wolves removed entirely from their area, but the majority of ranchers here know that’s unrealistic in today’s world, and opt instead for the right to be able to protect their property and be compensated for livestock losses due to wolf predation. There has to be a way to reach a balance between environmentalist and rancher objectives, both which are equally important.