MT Governor Notifies Interior of New Wolf Management Directives
News Release, governor.mt.gov, 2/16/2011 [here]
(HELENA) – Governor Brian Schweitzer today sent a letter to Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar notifying Interior of new directives regarding wolf management in Montana. Text of the letter below (and attached):
February 16, 2011
To: The Honorable Ken Salazar
Secretary
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20240
Dear Secretary Salazar:
I write to you today regarding wolf management in Montana.
While almost everyone acknowledges that the Northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf population is fully recovered, as the Governor of Montana I am profoundly frustrated by the lack of any actual results that recognize Montana’s rights and responsibilities to manage its wildlife. Montana has for years done everything that has been asked: adopting a model wolf management plan; enacting enabling legislation; and adopting the necessary implementing rules. Our exemplary efforts have been ignored. I cannot continue to ignore the crying need for workable wolf management while Montana waits, and waits, and waits. Therefore, I am now going to take additional necessary steps to protect the interests of Montana’s livestock producers and hunters to the extent that I can within my authorities as governor.
First, for Montana’s northwest endangered wolves (north of Interstate 90), any livestock producers who kill or harass a wolf attacking their livestock will not be prosecuted by Montana game wardens. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) wardens will be directed to exercise their prosecutorial discretion by not investigating or citing anyone protecting their livestock.
Further, I am directing FWP to respond to any livestock depredation by removing whole packs that kill livestock, wherever this may occur.
Still further, to protect the elk herds in Montana’s Bitterroot Valley that have been most adversely affected by wolf predation, I am directing FWP, to the extent allowed by the Endangered Species Act, to cull these wolves by whole-pack removal to enable elk herds to recover.
At this point, I can do nothing less and still maintain my commitment as Governor to uphold the rights of our citizens to protect their property and to continue to enjoy Montana’s cherished wildlife heritage and traditions.
Sincerely,
Brian Schweitzer
GOVERNOR, State of Montana
pdf is [here]
by Jim
by Jim
Stay tuned as the Marvelous Molloy and his trusty sidekick Defenders of Wildlife attempt to make the “Non Essential Experiment” disappear! That’s right ladies and gentlemen… DISAPPEAR!! In a upcoming hearing to be held in Missoula. Backed by Billions of Taxpayer’s Dollars, this is one show you don’t want to miss. 
Well it’s about time Gov. Brian. Better late than never… I guess. I hope you hold on to your apparent concern. Would you mind getting a hold of Judge Donald Molloy and telling him it’s been fun while it’s lasted but it is time to return to Earth from Neverneverland and start doing what is right for the people in the States affected. While you’re at it, could you write USFWS and ask them what happened to the agreed upon numbers… you know 100 wolves or ten breeding pairs. That’s a question many would like to know. Of course by now most everyone knows this entire “non essential experiment” has been nothing short of bad faith from the beginning. What a tangled web…