|
Packed room at Ennis wolf meeting
(Note: Mention of folks that traveled from Idaho, Wyoming and South Dakota, in addition to Montanans, is missing.)
August 18, 2006
Billings, Montana 59107 406-259-5406 Fax: 406-259-6888 To submit a Letter to the Editor: editor@imt.net
In a packed room, over 50 people vested in Montana's wolf issues -- for and against, all listened and shared testimony at the EQC's public hearing August 11. The EQC's oversight committee has the ability to advise the agency on wolf issues surrounding state law. Data and testimony gave sharp evidence that even though Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is trying to be "proactive" in its management of the state's wolves, there are still increasing problems with wolf depredations on livestock, and inconsistencies regarding management authority for the control of problem wolves and packs. Data presented at the meeting showed that Montana has 53 wolf packs, while the state's wolf management plan allows for only 15 packs. Carolyn Sime, wolf coordinator for FWP, stated at the meeting that she realizes there is a miscommunication problem between FWP and Wildlife Services. There are questions over who has the authority to take appropriate action on Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) and other public wildlife lands, and it is something that needs to be addressed eventually. Sime said the state's management of wolves is a work in progress. "It doesn't mean we can't go down and make a new decision," she said. "All tools are on the table all of the time. We are trying to recognize each unique value and viewpoint." The majority of the ranchers at the meeting testified that the FWP's regional wolf specialists are working with them on problem wolves and that they do appreciate their quick response and effort. But they also testified a great need for active and consistent management with the increasing wolf population, and spoke to the need for more qualified field agents to get to depredation sites quickly to determine the cause of the loss. FWP officials noted that, according to their data, in 2005 only 33 sheep and 30 cows were "confirmed" wolf depredations in the state, and said that agency officials took lethal action on 35 wolves out of 256 known wolves in Montana -- resulting in a 12% to 15% mortality rate on the wolf population last year. Troy Mader, research director of the Abundant Wildlife Society of North America http://www.aws.vcn.com, contested those numbers, as did many ranchers, because "confirmed" and actual direct and indirect wolf depredation losses are much greater than those numbers depicted by FWP. Mader said he began his own research on wolves in 1987, and through the years, one of his biggest questions to affected producers has been: "How many of your animal losses are actually defined as 'confirmed' losses to wolves?" He said his data reports consistently that only about 10% of livestock deaths reported by producers as wolf kills actually end up being government-confirmed wolf depredations. As we know, it does not take long for a pack of nine or ten wolves to eat a yearling cow -- since they each need to eat approximately ten pounds of meat a day -- therefore eliminating many means of determining if the loss was actually caused by wolves. Bob Fanning, president of Friends of the Northern Yellowstone Elk Herd, was present at the meeting. He requested the committee to, "Judge the FWP by their actions, not their words." He asked the committee to join his organization in their anti-wolf lawsuit, which began in 2001 and has been held up in court due to new rulings in regards to wolf dispersal segments. Sportsmen and outfitters were a great addition to the testimonies at the meeting. The loss to regional and resident elk herds has been devastating, they reported, not only for businesses associated with wild ungulate populations, but also for actual wildlife populations. Bill Hoppe of Gardiner, also associated with Friends of the Northern Yellowstone Elk Herd, stated that his resident area elk and moose "are just not there anymore." A couple of sportsmen gave emotional testimony of eyewitness wolf attacks on their hunting dogs. They also told of their great concern that wolves are becoming increasingly more approachable around human activity. As proof, they said, attacks on humans are rising across the country. Toward the end of the meeting Joe Helle, a sheep rancher from the Dillon area, spoke. "Delisting is a dangerous statement (even though it is wanted) -- it's evident we're going to have wolves for a long time," he said. And because of that, all involved know that consistent management and control of the predators, through all the agencies involved, is CRUCIAL... whether Montana and Idaho pursue delisting, with or without Wyoming. For more information on this meeting please contact the EQC at State Capitol Room 171, PO Box 201704, Helena MT 59620-1704. Call their office at 406-444-3742 or log onto their website at http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/lepo/2005_2006/default.asp For more information on wolves in Montana, visit http://fwp.mt.gov/wildthings/wolf To report wolf sightings or to learn more about your rights as a
property owner, contact your local wolf specialist at 406-250-5047 Your input is critical in moving toward more effective management, control, legislative action, and accurate data surrounding what is really happening in Montana with the increasing wolf population.
Circulated with permission of Agri-News. Copyright 2006, Agri-News. |