Wolves prey primarily on moose, deer, and beaver. Moose have been returning to the Adirondacks in recent years and now number about 40, but this is far less than the moose population in areas where wolves are successfully reestablishing. Beaver are abundant in the Adirondacks, with an estimated population of over 50,000.
Because wolves feed on beaver primarily in the spring and the moose population is small, the main food source for Adirondack wolves would be deer. Deer thrive in areas of early-successional forest and edge habitats, both of which have declined in the Adirondacks as logging has decreased on private forestland and has been eliminated altogether on public lands. Furthermore, the Adirondacks are at the northern limit of the range for white tailed deer, where harsh winters can result in significant mortality.
Today we are more dependent than ever on imported oil. We import about 65% of our oil, often from countries that do not particularly like us. This presents a security risk. Since the 1970s, U.S. consumption of gasoline for which most oil is used has risen 50%, while domestic production of oil has dropped by nearly one-half, due in part to a dramatic 50% reduction in Alaska’s oil production since the late 1980s.