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House approves bill providing for state management of wolves
A bill that would authorize the governor´s Office of Species
Conservation and the Fish and Game Commission to begin taking over
management of protected gray wolves in Idaho passed the House 61-6
Wednesday. It now moves to the Senate.
“This issue has lingered too long,” said co-sponsor David Langhorst, a Boise Democrat, speaking for the bill. “This bill gives you a chance to say, ´Thank God we live in a state wild enough to have wolves and that we are clever and humble enough to live here with them,´ ” Langhorst told House members. The bill would repeal a 1987 state law that did not allow F&G to be involved in wolf management, said the other co-sponsor, Rep. Bert Stevenson, R-Rupert. State law reads that F&G “shall not be authorized to expend funds, transfer assets or enter into a cooperative agreement with any agency, department or entity of the Unites States government concerning wolves.´´ F&G can “meet and confer” with other agencies about wolves, but cannot participate in on-ground management of wolves. The Office of Species Conservation asked the Legislature to repeal that ban so that F&G can start preparing to take over wolf management. Idaho´s wolves are now managed by the Nez Perce Tribe and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “The public is pretty much demanding the state manage it,” said Steve Nadeau, F&G´s statewide large carnivore coordinator. “It´ll take a lot of work to bring us up to speed, but we´re ready for it.” Wolves have been in the state since 1995, when 35 were brought from Canada to Central Idaho. Today, Nez Perce Tribe wolf biologist Curt Mack estimates there are about 280 wolves in the state. The increase has caused concern among Fish and Game commissioners about wolves´ effect on big game herds, especially elk. Ranchers say wolves harm their income by eating livestock. F&G commissioners are keenly aware that state management of wolves will come with a price tag for their agency. F&G Director Steve Huffaker has said the department has no money earmarked for wolves, but some non-game money could be used. The bill´s fiscal impact statement specifies that state management will be funded “solely from federal pass-through funding and non-game funding sources and specifically not sportsmen fees.” Greg Schildwachter, policy adviser for the governor´s Office of Species Conservation, said some federal money may be available and Congress could provide more in the future. Montana and Wyoming are going through a similar transition to state-run wolf management. Between 2002 and 2003, Montana´s wolf population grew from 120 to about 180, according to Fish and Wildlife Protection Director Jeff Hagener. Wolves were downgraded last week to “threatened” instead of “endangered,” but in order for wolves to be managed by the state, they must be taken off the endangered species list entirely. Idaho, Montana and Wyoming must each have at least 30 breeding pairs and a federally approved management plan before federal officials will de-list the wolves. Idaho had nine or 10 breeding pairs in 2002 and more are on the way, since spring is breeding season for wolves, Nadeau said. Idaho is the only state with a federally approved plan, but Montana and Wyoming are working on theirs. GOP Reps. Lenore Barrett of Challis, Dick Harwood of St. Maries, Dennis Lake of Blackfoot, JoAn Wood of Rigby, Eulalie Langford of Montpelier and Shirley McKague of Meridian voted against the bill. To offer story ideas or comments, contact Caitlin Copple [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |