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Greetings!
Thank you for reading these important updates. We appreciate your support as we educate, advocate and participate on behalf of wolves.
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Montana Proposes Three New Bills Aimed at Wolves
Your comment is requested to support wolves in the region!
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We learned on Friday, Jan. 25th that Montana Fish, Wildlife, Parks CANCELED its January 29th meeting to reconsider a recent court-challenged decision to close the wolf hunting and trapping seasons in two areas north of Yellowstone National Park. Despite overwhelming public support for the closures, the agency decided that since the wolf hunting/trapping season is set to end in 34 days (Feb. 28th), there is no time to obtain the required hearing and subsquent court action to reinstate the zone closures.
Recently, Dr. Dan Stahler, a wildlife biologist with the Yellowstone Wolf Project and members of the National Park Service were interviewed by Mike Koshmrl of the Jackson Hole News & Guide about the impact of the hunts on Yellowstone's wolf population. In this comprehensive report , Dr. Stahler stated, "In Yellowstone, where a legal debate swirls over trapping in Montana north of the park, there are now an estimated 20 to 28 percent fewer wolves than the 98 counted at this time last year." Recently, a flurry of new state bills - HB 73, 31, 33 - have been introduced in the Montana Legislature that seek to make it easier to hunt and trap more wolves. Some proposals also affect areas near Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks.
Interestingly, Yellowstone National Park is posting record attendance - a 2 percent increase to 3.4 million visitors in 2012. With three of the five gateways to the park accessed through Montana, the state serves to benefit the most from eco-tourism. And yet, at the North Entrance in Gardiner, the very area where zone closures were recently proposed near Yellowstone, there was a 5% LOSS in visitors in 2012 - the only gateway to show a loss.
These anti-predator, anti-science, anti-tourism and anti-JOBS bills are gaining traction. Is Montana killing its eco-tourism industry - the largest growing industry in the region - along with its apex predator? We think so...
Wolfwatcher has been in contact with Gov. Bulllock's office and his representatives are well aware of these concerns. These are critical times for wolves and the industry that depends on them for its livelihood. We feel it is important that you also reach out to Gov. Bullock, his Natural Resources Adviser, and the Office of Tourism before these bills gain even more traction and advance further in the legislative process.
Visit our website update for details and links:
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Educate, Advocate, Participate
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National Wolfwatcher Coalition is a 501(c)(3)
nonprofit, all volunteer organization
on behalf of
wolf education, conservation and advocacy.
We advocate for the long term recovery of wolves by informing the public about the challenges to their conservation, supporting measures that promote the acceptance of wolves on the landscape, and educating the public about ways it can participate as an effective voice for scientific decision making in their behalf. All donations, no matter the amount, will help us to educate, advocate and participate via:
- educational programs, materials and events
- participation in conferences, seminars, and consultation with other professionals in the field of wolf biology, research, conservation and environmental law.
- Wolfwatcher Legal Fund to address costs related to our potential engagement in litigation that challenges local, state and/or federal policies that affect wolf conservation.
To donate online, please click on the Donate button at the top. To donate by check or money order, please send your donation to our business office at: National Wolfwatcher Coalition, PO Box 84, East Greenwich, RI 02818
We appreciate your kind support.
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