Idaho wins delay on destroying wilderness wolf, elk data

Idaho officials don’t have to immediately destroy information from tracking collars placed on wolves and by illegally landing a helicopter in a central Idaho wilderness area where engines are prohibited.

U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill earlier this week agreed to an Idaho Department of Fish and Game request to delay his order to destroy the information while the state appeals to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Fish and Game in January 2016 put collars on four wolves and 57 elk in the Frank Church Fire of No Return Wilderness.

Western Watersheds Project sued. Winmill then ruled that the U.S. Forest Service broke environmental laws by authorizing Fish and Game to land helicopters in the wilderness.

Fish and Game also collared wolves though it didn’t have authorization.