Editor’s note: Many large land owners in eastern North Carolina believe this program is doomed due to the inevitable cross-breeding that will occur with an increasing coyote population. The following is an official press release, which faintly alludes to the controversy.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working under a federal court-order to implement its Red Wolf Release Plan this winter. We know that the success of our red wolf program in North Carolina will depend largely on how well we can partner and communicate with landowners, the State of North Carolina, and the community. We want to provide information, listen to your concerns, and to open lines of communication between the Service and the public.
On Tuesday, February 1, 2022, from 7pm to 9pm, the Service will hold a virtual informational meeting and listening session on the recent transfer of nine red wolves to Service refuges, and upcoming court-ordered release of the wolves into the wild in the North Carolina nonessential experimental population, an area that spans the five counties of Beaufort, Dare, Hyde, Tyrrell, and Washington of eastern North Carolina. The following subjects will be discussed:
- Red wolf status
- The Service’s Coyote Sterilization Program
- How to communicate with the Service after the meeting
- How to get involved in red wolf recovery