Tools

Overwhelming Support to Delist Wolves

By KFBB News Team

Story Created: Jan 11, 2011 at 8:35 PM MDT

Story Updated: Jan 18, 2011 at 3:36 PM MDT

The controversy surrounding wolves in the Treasure State has played out for months and Speaker of the House Mike Milburn’s bill aims to put an end to the debate.

Lawmakers in the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee heard an overwhelming amount of support for House Joint Resolution One, which urges the Federal Government to remove wolves from the Endangered Species List. Only one person opposed the proposal.

Speaker of the House Mike Milburn, who is sponsoring the bill, says that wolf numbers are five times over estimated figures which is having a devastating effect on livestock and Montana farmers and ranchers.

The bill states that the wolf is fully recovered, and officials say managing wolves and dealing with the "wolf issue" has taken money and manpower away from FWP. Language in HJ1 says "any delay in the delisting of the gray wolf will exacerbate these negative biological and social impacts and erode the broad base of public support Montana has developed for its management of the gray wolf."

“The saga of the wolf delisting has gone on, I think much longer than anybody ever imagined," says Ben Lamb, Conservation Director for Montana Wildlife Federation. “I don’t want the Federal agencies to come here, they don’t live here," adds another supporter.

“We are a sovereign state; we do not need to wait on another state to take action on behalf of the people of Montana, says Tim Ravndal, Lewis & Clark Conservative Tea Party.

“If the wolves eat all the elk, I’m gonna probably starve to death,” says a disabled hunter. Another supporter says, “this has a great impact on our agriculture industry.”

“Definitely don’t support this bill, there’s too much hatred focused towards the wolves here,” says Mark Cook from Stevensville, who was the only person to oppose HJ1.

Those who support gaining back state control of wolves say that the Fed’s don't have Montana’s best interest at heart and "Montana can do a better job."

You have indicated this comment should be removed.

Close

The comment has been submitted for review. Thank you .

Bill said on Tuesday, May 10 at 8:25 AM

When I read some of the comments from some of the pro-wolf people it's clear that they know nothing about wildlife and the outdoors. They are two of a kind as the people that brought there Non-Native Wolves here and said they would be delisted when their where 300 of them here. Was this even the first lie from there radical bunch of idiots?

Anonymous said on Saturday, Jan 15 at 10:58 AM

Freddy, Where does all that hate come from? How about directing it towards a pillow.

Empire Builder said on Thursday, Jan 13 at 5:16 PM

Boycott Montana, Idaho and Wyoming travel and tourism!!! The scenery is soaked with the blood of innocent wildlife and cloaked from the shadow of shame of a citizenry that averts its eyes from a senseless slaughter.

Anonymous said on Thursday, Jan 13 at 4:48 PM

Why should wolf management be turned over to Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming when their governors, senators, and agencies have been repeating and responding to the most extreme and irrational elements of the anti-wolf factions? What the rest of the world sees in the news and internet media is an attitude that is a perpetuation of the cruel and irrational programs that led to the eradication of wolves from all but one of the lower forty eight states. The claims that deer and elk have been “all but wiped out in Montana”, that Yellowstone wildlife has been wiped out, that wolves are destroying ranching has been the voices that are most often heard, although they are contrary to all scientific data. Lacking a responsible management plan, calls for SSS, Wyoming's shoot-on-sight policy,and the decimating wolf hunts of 2009 prevent any rational, environmentally conscience person from believing that the Northern Rocky Mountains States can be expected to responsibly manage wolves.

Fixed the issue. said on Thursday, Jan 13 at 11:13 AM

Sadly the thing is, is that wolves only cover 15% of their former range. Humans dominate a population of 974989 people (MT) 544270 people (WY) 1.546 million people (ID) ----------------------------- 3,065,259 (tot) approx. Yet the wolves are around 2,000 in those states. Sounds a little disproportionate. The human population sadly is more devastating as climate change is reaching to bigger and bigger heights. Look at the consequences in the Northeast U.S., Australia. Or the hyper-use of resources which has led to the floods in Brazil, and Rio de Janeiro. Sadly the fear and hate of a maligned species through out time continues. It includes the media, the people elected in office, and the wildlife agencies that represent negative interests that want to see these animals wiped from the face of the Earth. Hopefully one day we can all live together in peace. But this will take a long time coming.

Someone Who Cares said on Thursday, Jan 13 at 11:05 AM

Typical Wolf hater he all but out right admits to being a poacher and is clearly under educated. When is the ignorance going to stop. I am very sad for the future of the wolves with people like this out there.

huh? said on Thursday, Jan 13 at 10:41 AM

freddy Your jabbering... what are you saying?

FREDDY FUDPUCKER said on Wednesday, Jan 12 at 10:59 AM

Why all the crying poor wolves,or maybe i will lose my job,no state has the wright to tell the people of montana how to run this state. Well come shoot your deer elk,with out paying,or drawing tags.Get caught pay a samll fine an go home,of course we have help from the cry baby outffiters who promote this in Montana,NOW WHO'S CRYING.WE DID NOT WANT THEM HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE,KILL THEM ALL! OR PUT THEM IN A CAGE WITH ALL THE WOLVES LOVERS,THEM ASK THEM HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT IT!AFTER A WEEK OR SO,LOCK FEDS IN WITH THEM FWP,AND THE REST OF THE WOLVE LOVERS.SEE WHO CHANGES THERE MINDS FIRST.THIS WOULD BE MORE FUN TO WATCH THAN ,THE CRAIG POUPLAR DIVE,ONE THING ABOUT THE WOLVES THEY DON'T CARE WHAT SHINKS...

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 1000 Characters Left

News, Sports, Weather for Great Falls, Helena, and all of Montana and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove or edit user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum.

Great Falls & Helena Weather

Icon
Great Falls Great Falls Intl Airport, MT
Current Temp 57.0 °F
Fair
Wind : Southwest at 8.1 MPH (7 KT)
Pressure : 1013.5 mb
Humidity : 53 %
Icon
Helena Helena Regional, MT
Current Temp 54.0 °F
Fair
Wind : Calm
Pressure : 1016.9 mb
Humidity : 55 %
Click here for our video forecast
More Weather
This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

AP Video