Groups petition for southeast Alaska wolf protections

By BECKY BOHRER Associated Press
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Conservation groups want the federal government to provide Endangered Species Act protections to a southeast Alaska wolf population they say is under threat from factors including loss of habitat and hunting and trapping. The Center for Biological Diversity, Alaska Rainforest Defenders and Defenders of Wildlife submitted the petition Wednesday. The Interior Department did not immediately comment. The petition seeks protections for the Alexander Archipelago wolf, a gray wolf subspecies. While the wolf’s range includes coastal rainforests of southeast Alaska and British Columbia, the groups say the wolves in Alaska, and particularly on Prince of Wales Island, are at notable risk.