The recent shooting by a hunter of 926F, a collared female admired by wolf watchers, has reignited the debate on hunting wolves near national parks. Protected in parks—as 926F was in Yellowstone—wolves can hunt, breed, and raise families without fear of humans. Watching them do so excites and educates tens of thousands of park visitors and informs many scientists. But once wolves step outside a park they can become trophies—as 926F did—for a few hunters or trappers.

If the Lewis River Bridge in Yellowstone National Park becomes too unsafe for traffic, the South Entrance to the park will essentially be a dead-end for tens of thousands of visitors, who instead would have to make an hours-long detour to reach one of the park's other entrances. That's the scenario the park staff has drawn in an environmental assessment calling for the 58-year-old steel-and-concrete span to be replaced.

While the National Park Service Organic Act directs the National Park Service to be a guardian of the parks and the flora and fauna within them, politics don't always make that easy. Proof of that can be seen in Alaska, where the agency has done a complete reversal in trying to protect wolves, bears, coyotes and other predators from rampant hunting and trapping.

Thinking of visiting Yellowstone National Park next summer? Great idea, as it's an incredible park. But you better factor in delays or limited parking in the park as visitation continues to grow.