Faster horses
Well-known member
Received this in an email from someone who is a real watchdog for
our industry:
Feds reject Wyoming's concerns about wolves, wildlife
>>
>>
>> By BEN NEARY
>> Associated Press Writer
>> Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
>> February 9, 2007
>>
>> CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has rejected a
>> proposal from Wyoming officials to allow the state to kill some wolves to
>> keep them from depleting the state's elk herds.
>>
>> In a letter delivered to Senate President John Schiffer, R-Kaycee, and
>> House Speaker Roy Cohee, R-Casper, on Friday, Fish and Wildlife Service
>> Director Dale Hall states that the federal government is not willing to
>> enter into an agreement with the state that would allow it to kill wolves.
>>
>> Cohee said Friday he's deeply disappointed in the federal decision. He
>> said it means that wolf management legislation that's moving through both
>> houses of the Wyoming Legislature this session won't have any effect.
>>
>> "It's incredibly disappointing, particularly to people in the livestock
>> industry," Cohee said. "But it should be disappointing to all people in
>> Wyoming in regard to their natural wildlife resources."
>>
>> The Fish and Wildlife Service last year proposed creation of a permanent
>> wolf management area in northwestern Wyoming. The agency last month
>> announced a proposal to remove Rocky Mountain gray wolves from the
>> endangered species list in Wyoming as well as Montana and Idaho. Although
>> the federal agency has approved wolf management plans in Montana and
>> Idaho, it rejected Wyoming's original management plan in 2004.
>>
>> Top Wyoming officials have suggested that the federal government enter an
>> agreement with the state that would allow the state to kill some wolves to
>> keep them from depleting state elk herds.
>>
>> In his letter to the state, Hall writes: "While I agree that wolves are
>> impacting wildlife populations, after seeking advice from legal counsel,
>> we do not believe we can mutually reach a settlement of the pending
>> litigation that would necessarily ensure the type of substantive relief
>> that is being sought."
>>
>> Instead, Hall wrote that he believes the best option for dealing with
>> wolves in Wyoming is to proceed with the process of taking the animal off
>> the federal threatened and endangered species list.
>>
>> Mitch King, regional director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, said
>> Friday that Hall's letter is the federal government's last word on the
>> state's proposal.
>>
>> "I think what the letter is telling the state is that the Fish and
>> Wildlife Service has gone as far as we can possibly go on this," King
>> said.
>>
>> Gov. Dave Freudenthal has joined legislative leaders in expressing concern
>> that proceeding to take wolves off the threatened and endangered species
>> list without an agreement to protect the state's wildlife herds over the
>> next few years would be devastating to the state.
>>
>> The governor has said he expects there would be a period of perhaps a few
>> years between the time the wolves are removed from the list and the time
>> that litigation over the issue is resolved and the state takes over wolf
>> management.
>>
>> Rob Black, spokesman for Freudenthal, said Friday that the governor would
>> have a statement on Hall's letter on Friday afternoon.
>>
>> King said his agency still hopes that Wyoming will consider accepting the
>> federal proposal.
>>
>> "At some point Wyoming has to just move ahead and try to deal with the
>> wolf issue," King said. "I certainly sympathize with Wyoming hunters and
>> the impacts that wolves are having on the elk population."
>>
our industry:
Feds reject Wyoming's concerns about wolves, wildlife
>>
>>
>> By BEN NEARY
>> Associated Press Writer
>> Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
>> February 9, 2007
>>
>> CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has rejected a
>> proposal from Wyoming officials to allow the state to kill some wolves to
>> keep them from depleting the state's elk herds.
>>
>> In a letter delivered to Senate President John Schiffer, R-Kaycee, and
>> House Speaker Roy Cohee, R-Casper, on Friday, Fish and Wildlife Service
>> Director Dale Hall states that the federal government is not willing to
>> enter into an agreement with the state that would allow it to kill wolves.
>>
>> Cohee said Friday he's deeply disappointed in the federal decision. He
>> said it means that wolf management legislation that's moving through both
>> houses of the Wyoming Legislature this session won't have any effect.
>>
>> "It's incredibly disappointing, particularly to people in the livestock
>> industry," Cohee said. "But it should be disappointing to all people in
>> Wyoming in regard to their natural wildlife resources."
>>
>> The Fish and Wildlife Service last year proposed creation of a permanent
>> wolf management area in northwestern Wyoming. The agency last month
>> announced a proposal to remove Rocky Mountain gray wolves from the
>> endangered species list in Wyoming as well as Montana and Idaho. Although
>> the federal agency has approved wolf management plans in Montana and
>> Idaho, it rejected Wyoming's original management plan in 2004.
>>
>> Top Wyoming officials have suggested that the federal government enter an
>> agreement with the state that would allow the state to kill some wolves to
>> keep them from depleting state elk herds.
>>
>> In his letter to the state, Hall writes: "While I agree that wolves are
>> impacting wildlife populations, after seeking advice from legal counsel,
>> we do not believe we can mutually reach a settlement of the pending
>> litigation that would necessarily ensure the type of substantive relief
>> that is being sought."
>>
>> Instead, Hall wrote that he believes the best option for dealing with
>> wolves in Wyoming is to proceed with the process of taking the animal off
>> the federal threatened and endangered species list.
>>
>> Mitch King, regional director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, said
>> Friday that Hall's letter is the federal government's last word on the
>> state's proposal.
>>
>> "I think what the letter is telling the state is that the Fish and
>> Wildlife Service has gone as far as we can possibly go on this," King
>> said.
>>
>> Gov. Dave Freudenthal has joined legislative leaders in expressing concern
>> that proceeding to take wolves off the threatened and endangered species
>> list without an agreement to protect the state's wildlife herds over the
>> next few years would be devastating to the state.
>>
>> The governor has said he expects there would be a period of perhaps a few
>> years between the time the wolves are removed from the list and the time
>> that litigation over the issue is resolved and the state takes over wolf
>> management.
>>
>> Rob Black, spokesman for Freudenthal, said Friday that the governor would
>> have a statement on Hall's letter on Friday afternoon.
>>
>> King said his agency still hopes that Wyoming will consider accepting the
>> federal proposal.
>>
>> "At some point Wyoming has to just move ahead and try to deal with the
>> wolf issue," King said. "I certainly sympathize with Wyoming hunters and
>> the impacts that wolves are having on the elk population."
>>
