Another suit to be filed against Wyoming wolf management
By ROBERT W. BLACK
Associated Press writer
CHEYENNE (AP) — A coalition of more than two dozen Wyoming agricultural,
sportsmen and predator control groups along with county governments
announced Tuesday they have served notice of intent to sue over the
federal gray wolf recovery program.
The Wolf Coalition, as it calls itself, intends to seek judicial and
monetary relief in federal court for alleged violations of the Endangered
Species Act because of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s rejection of
the Wyoming wolf management plan.
The groups also contend the service failed to properly manage wolves in
the state or follow its own recovery plan.
“Our criticisms of the FWS relate to its efforts to change the rules of
the game after play has already started,” Lincoln County Commissioner
Kathleen Davison said in a release.
“The Recovery Plan, Final Rule and Environmental Impact Statement all
defined what the end goals were to be. We have met those goals, yet the
FWS is now attempting to impose other requirements.”
The Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking to dramatically expand the
geographic region for the wolf beyond the Yellowstone area, Davison said.
When Wyoming’s plan was rejected in January, concern was expressed by
federal officials over a so-called “shoot-on-sight” provision in much of
the state outside the Yellowstone area to help control a rapidly expanding
wolf population.
Ed Bangs, Rocky Mountain wolf coordinator for the service, said from his
office in Helena, Mont., he has no problem with citizens filing suit.
“I don’t trust government that much, so I’m glad we have a system where
people can challenge these decisions,” he said.
Bangs said he’s somewhat disappointed that the Fish and Wildlife Service
wasn’t able to more clearly express the reasoning and rationale behind its
wolf management decisions.
“We’ll defend our position,” he said. “I think we made the right decision
and I think all the records will clearly show that.”
A notice of intent must be filed 60 days before a lawsuit is filed against
the government over the Endangered Species Act.
The group’s notice was delivered June 28 to Secretary of the Interior Gale
Norton, Fish and Wildlife Service Director Steven Williams and Ralph
Morgenweck, Denver-based regional director for the service.
The Wolf Coalition claims Fish and Wildlife rejected Wyoming’s plan
despite the fact the gray wolf population has not only met but exceeded
recovery criteria.
The coalition said the government anticipated a “recovered” population
would total about 300 wolves. The groups point out that in 2003, the
service estimated at least 761 wolves, including 51 breeding pairs, in
Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.
By the end of 2003, there were at least 174 wolves in 14 packs living in
Yellowstone National Park and 76 to 88 wolves in eight packs living in
Wyoming outside the park, according to agency estimates.
The notice further points out that all but one member of an independent
review panel concluded that Wyoming’s plan would, collectively with the
Idaho and Montana plans, maintain recovery goal population numbers.
The groups claim Fish and Wildlife turned down Wyoming’s plan not because
of science but political reasons and potential litigation, contrary to the
Endangered Species Act, which requires decisions based “solely upon the
best scientific and commercial data available.”
The coalition claims that wolves have severely damaged Wyoming’s wildlife,
including elk, moose, deer, bighorn sheep and antelope; the state’s
ability to manage that wildlife and raise revenue; the outfitting and
sportsmen industries; agricultural interests because of depredation on
cattle, sheep and horses; and property rights of coalition members.
In April, the state of Wyoming filed a similar complaint against the
federal government.
Harriet Hageman, a Cheyenne attorney representing the Wolf Coalition, said
the groups still have the option of filing to intervene.
“The state’s lawsuit is a bit more narrow than ours in terms of the claims
being made and we wanted to make sure all of the bases were covered,” she
said.