Gray wolves are back on the endangered species list - at least for now.

U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy reinstated federal protection while he considers a lawsuit against the decision to let Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and other states manage the predators that have rebounded so well since being reintroduced more than a decade ago.

The late Friday decision raised questions about the fate of the wolves and Idaho's role in managing them:

Q: So what happens now?

A: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service once again is in charge of management. But under a new rule approved in February, the states of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Oregon have much more latitude to kill wolves - not only if they are attacking livestock but also if they are a threat to game populations. They cannot, however, open hunting seasons as they planned to do under delisting.

The federal government could appeal the ruling, but since an appeal won't come soon enough to open hunting seasons, the government and states could be better off moving the main case forward.

Q: How many wolves are out there?

A: Overall, federal officials estimate the population now tops 2,000. Wolves quickly wandered into Oregon when they were released in Idaho, and Washington state biologists have evidence that could lead to the first wolf pack there since the animals were eradicated from the West.

When delisted earlier this year, wolves in the Rocky Mountain region numbered 1,513, but the birth of pups has increased the population. Over the last few years the wolf population has been growing rapidly.

Q: What are hunters saying?

A: With 50,000 Idahoans preparing to go into the woods in the next two months to begin big game hunting, the decision has been met with anger and frustration. Mark Bell, president of the Idaho Sportsmen's Caucus Advisory Council, is worried the decision will turn the frustration into lawlessness.

"This is going to start a small riot," Bell said. "I'm worried that this will lead to illegal killing."

Q: What happens if you kill a wolf illegally?

A: You would face the potential of a federal fine of up to $100,000 if you are caught.

Q: Why did the judge relist the wolves?

A: Molloy said that wolves throughout the Rocky Mountain region need to be genetically linked - meaning wolves from Idaho and Montana must be interbreeding with wolves from Yellowstone - before delisting, or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had to do a better job of explaining why that didn't matter anymore.

"While the Fish & Wildlife Service can change its recovery criteria, it must nevertheless provide a reasoned analysis for the change of position, and if it does so, its decision is entitled to deference. The service has failed to do so here," Molloy wrote.

Ed Bangs, who led the recovery effort for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is confident the official record will show that wolves from outside Yellowstone have intermixed with Yellowstone wolves.

But Molloy also was critical of Wyoming's wolf plan, which allows any wolf to be shot in a zone where wolves are classified as predators.

"This revised plan suffers from the same deficiencies as the 2003 plan: It classifies the wolf as a predatory animal in almost 90 percent of the state and only commits the state to managing for seven breeding pairs outside the national parks," Molloy said.

Q: Why didn't he just put Wyoming wolves back on the list and leave Idaho and Montana alone?

A: Molloy considered that and even asked the lawyers on both sides what they thought. But in the end he said the three state plans will mean more wolves will be killed, and therefore the potential for a genetic link between the various populations will be reduced. If he were to rule that the genetic issue is resolved, it is conceivable he could issue a split decision with wolves delisted in Idaho and Montana and protected as endangered species in Wyoming.

Q: How much has wolf recovery cost?

A: Since 1995, the federal government has spent about $27 million on wolf recovery.

Q: How did this start?

A: In 1995 and 1996, officials introduced 66 wolves to central Idaho and Yellowstone National Park. But plans to reintroduce wolves to the area were first proposed in the early 1980s.

Rocky Barker: 377-6484