On wolf delisting
As a member of the Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) Committee, I felt it important that I share with you the developments in Helena with regard to the wolf delisting process.
The FWP Committee sent to the full House a bill, SJ15 sponsored by Republican Senator Bruce Tutvedt of Kalispell, which urges the Federal Government to follow through on the recent decision to delist the Gray Wolf.
I firmly agree with Senator Tutvedt’s proposal. As I see it, the sooner the wolf is delisted, the sooner our livestock community will be able to protect livestock without having their hands tied at every turn.
Opponents of this bill point to the fact that wolves should remain listed as an endangered species since wolf numbers have declined this past year. However, many other people, including most wolf biologists, feel that this recent decline is part of a natural cycle of population swings that includes disease, normal mortality swings and even the wolves own social factors. It’s important to note that despite the diminished wolf population, the current population is still considerably higher than the target numbers of the original delisting plan.
Unlike Wyoming, Montana has a good plan for managing wolves. Wyoming continues to fight with the Federal Government regarding their own policy. Wyoming’s conflict has been largely responsible for Montana having to deal with wolves as an endangered species even though the wolf population here has continued to exhibit healthy numbers.
SJ15 will send a strong message to the Federal government that, unlike Wyoming, Montana has a good plan that serves our livestock industry while protecting our wolf numbers. If you support this policy, you can help. Please urge the Governor lend his support. That, in turn, will go a long way to encouraging President Obama to keep the wolf delisted in Montana.
Sincerely, Rep. Paul Beck
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