Montana may join Wyo wolf suit
By MATT GOURAS
Associated Press writer
HELENA, Mont. — Some Democrats cried foul Tuesday over plans to send $150,000 to a Wyoming law firm so the Legislature can join a brewing lawsuit over the failure to remove wolves from the endangered species list.
The House endorsed the plan to help the Friends of the Northern Yellowstone Elk Herd challenge the federal government over the wolf issue. Supporters said the lawsuit, not yet filed, will give the state a seat at the table as an anticipated decision to delist moves into the courtroom.
Opponents said the lawsuit would be a waste of money since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is already working hard to delist wolves. They argued it is particularly wrong to pay a Wyoming law firm to do the work, and to send another $50,000 to beef up legislative staff to monitor the lawsuit.
“That just sounds like more government to me,” said Rep. Mike Phillips, D-Bozeman.
The House endorsed the bill to join the lawsuit on a 58-41 vote, with some Democrats joining Republican backers of the plan. It faces a Senate controlled by Democrats.
Supporters said wolves need to be delisted as soon as possible so that state managers can curb their numbers, perhaps with hunting. Ranchers are paying the price in the meantime, they argued.
“It is no longer profitable to raise cattle to feed to wolves,” said Rep. Diane Rice, R-Harrison. “This is such a serious issue.”
Rice said the Wyoming law firm was chosen because it has already taken the steps needed to file a lawsuit on behalf of the Friends of the Northern Yellowstone Elk Herd.
Opponents said it sets a bad precedent to let the Legislature get involved in lawsuits brought by third-party groups. Rep. Sue Dickenson, D-Great Falls, pointed out the state could next join the ACLU in a lawsuit against the federal government over the U.S. Patriot Act.
“The precedent here is the issue,” she said.
The measure earmarks the money specifically for the Budd-Falen law firm of Cheyenne, and includes a $15,000 retainer. It states that the Legislature would manage involvement in the lawsuit, not the attorney general.
Wolves were reintroduced to the northern Rocky Mountains a decade ago after being hunted to near-extinction. They now number more than 1,200 in the region, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has started the process of removing federal protections from wolves in Idaho and Montana within a year.