Spokane7
65°
April 10, 2011 in City, Idaho
Budget would delist wolves
Bill puts management in hands of states
BILLINGS – Gray wolves in Montana and Idaho would be taken off the endangered list under the budget bill pending before Congress, two Western lawmakers said.
Inclusion of the language to lift protections for wolves was confirmed by the offices of Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and Idaho Republican Rep. Mike Simpson on Saturday.
“It’s high time for a predictable, practical law that finally delists Montana’s wolves and returns their management to our state – for the sake of our wildlife, our livestock, and for the jobs that rely on them,” Tester said in a statement.
Simpson spokeswoman Nikki Watts said the bill also would prevent courts from reversing any congressional action.
“This wolf fix isn’t about one party’s agenda,” Tester said. “It’s about what’s right for Montana and the West – which is why I’ve been working so hard to get this solution passed, and why it has support from all sides.”
Environmental groups fought prior efforts to remove more than 1,600 wolves in the Northern Rockies from the endangered list. In a bid to pre-empt congressional action, 10 groups recently signed an agreement with the Obama administration that would lift protections but provide safeguards against overhunting.
Lawmakers including Tester and Simpson said they didn’t want to risk that agreement being rejected in court. A final vote on the budget bill is expected this week. It was uncertain Saturday if the bill would take more than 300 wolves off the endangered list in Wyoming.
Also on Saturday, U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula denied a proposed settlement agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 10 conservation groups that would have lifted endangered species protections for wolves in Montana and Idaho. Molloy had twice before rejected attempts by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to declare wolves recovered in the Northern Rockies.
Political pressure to reduce wolf numbers in Montana and other states has been mounting in recent years as wolf attacks on livestock gradually increased and some big-game herds suffered declines.
© Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
1992 murder trial begins against sex offender 
nowolves on April 11 at 7:58 a.m.
The big difference between Simpson and Tester is that Simpson has his name on bills s249/hr509. This bill would end the litigation for wolves by removing the gray wolf from consideration under the ESA! In essence saving federal dollars and eliminating a part of the rich environmental lawyer’s cash cow! Tester is giving the anti-hunting groups exactly what they now want. They know that something needs to be done & this legislation will not stop the abuse in the rest of the US!
ManleyPointer on April 11 at 11:18 a.m.
These sorts of issues should be handled at the state level, without interference from the Feds.