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Stockgrowers denounce wolf lawsuit by environmentalistsMontana The Montana Stockgrowers Association denounce the decision to file a lawsuit by the twelve anti-agriculture groups seeking to place the gray wolf population in the Northern Rocky Mountains back under the protections of the Endangered Species Act. Environmental and animal rights groups filed a lawsuit on April 28 in front of Judge Donald Molloy, seeking an emergency injunction to block state management authority and to place wolves back on the endangered list. The plaintiffs include Defenders of Wildlife, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, The Humane Society of the United States, as well as eight other local and national ant-agriculture groups. These environmentalists assume that wolves will be wiped out across the region. This, however, is not possible due to the regulatory mechanisms put in place to ensure the wolf's continued survival. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has said it will put wolves back on the endangered list if the population dips below 300 animals. With a wolf population that is currently three times the recovery goal needed for delisting, MSGA believes the Federal Government has utilized the scientific data to make the right decision to take this species off the list. Since federal protection was lifted March 28, states of Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho took over management of an estimated 1,500 wolves. With public hunts intended this fall, these groups mistakenly fear this will devastate wolf numbers to a point of extinction. Federal biologists argue the wolves' rapid reproductive rate would allow them to withstand increased hunting. They project the three states will sustain a population of 883 to 1,240 wolves for the next few years, well above the government's goal of maintaining the population. The groups have no intention of allowing wolves to be delisted until viable populations of wolves inhabit all of the western U.S. "These groups wouldn't be happy with even 10,000 wolves in the U.S.," said Jay Bodner, MSGA Director of Natural Resources. "The recovery goals, that states have agreed to, will never meet the expectations of the environmentalists." In Montana, the only allowable killing of wolves is meant for protection and during the proposed hunt. All three states already have approved plans by the FWS. In addition, FWS also has regulatory oversight for the next five years. They will monitor the population levels and can step in if the levels fall below government regulation. This will guarantee extinction never occurs. Ross Middlemist, MSGA member effected by wolves compares his situation to that of a storeowner "How many other businesses are not allowed to protect their merchandise?" asks Ross. "Wolves are thieves, they come and go as they please and I am not allowed to do anything about it. If someone came in and stole merchandise from any other business, that thief would be held accountable. Ranchers should be allowed to protect their property." Regardless of the removal of wolves from the endangered list, killing them in the Northern Rockies is nothing new. Last year, a record 186 were shot, primarily by wildlife agents, for killing and harassing livestock. Confirmed cattle and sheep deaths due to wolf predation in Montana have steadily increased since the reintroduction of wolves in 1995. Livestock losses have historically increased as wolf populations have increased. MSGA supports the delisting of the gray wolf population with adequate funding provided by the federal government for the continued management of wolf populations within the state and also supports all options available to ensure livestock owners are able to defend their animals from wolf attacks. 5/19/08 Date: 5/14/08 Advertisement
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