SWAN QUARTER—The fate of the only red wolf population in the world will be decided in early 2015, based on a series of public evaluations.

The first of the evaluations will be held in Swan Quarter on Sept. 10 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Mattamuskeet High School Cafeteria. The evaluations, conducted to review the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s attempt to reestablish endangered red wolves in the wild, have been contracted to the Wildlife Management Institute of Cabot, Va, said Tom MacKenzie, USFWS southeast region chief of media relations.

MacKenzie said the evaluation will be complete in 60 days by Oct. 10, which under the Service’s contract, will be peer reviewed and then used to help the Service determine the program’s future. The evaluation will cover three primary areas: scientific, management and public attitudes, MacKenzie said.

The public forums will allow those interested from all sides to sit down together and discuss various issues, said Leopoldo Miranda, assistant regional director of Ecological Services in the Service’s southeast region in a press release.

“Program evaluations are a normal practice to ensure optimal effectiveness and have been conducted in other recovery programs, such as the Mexican wolf recovery program,” Miranda said. “Once we receive the final evaluation, we will review it and make a decision to continue, modify or end the eastern North Carolina nonessential, experimental red wolf population. We are interested in the public’s perspectives regarding red wolves and red wolf recovery efforts in eastern North Carolina. As part of the public attitudes piece of the evaluation, the Service also asked WMI to conduct two public focus group sessions.”

MacKenzie said the red wolf has been on the endangered species list, and all remaining populations were placed in captivity in facilities across the United States to bring the species back from the edge of extinction. In 1987, four pairs of red wolves, born in captivity, were released on Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in Hyde County. That population has grown to about 100 animals that live and roam on federal, state and private lands in five counties.

“The intent of the evaluations are to basically establish the social dimension for support for or in opposition to the program,” MacKenzie said.

Interested individuals may submit comments, concerns, or information regarding the red wolf population in eastern North Carolina and the program evaluation by emailing redwolfreview@fws.gov, MacKenzie said. WMI is also conducting a brief voluntary online survey that does not request any personal identifiable information. Interested individuals may submit input to either, or both. To access the survey visit the following link: http://jgassett.polldaddy.com/s/red-wolf-restoration-recovery-program. Any comments should be submitted no later than September 12, 2014. This will allow WMI time to review the comments and ensure relevant information can be considered during the review. Comments received after that date will not be considered in the program evaluation.

For more information on the USFWS work, visit http://www.fws.gov/.