Commission passes wolf resolution
CODY (AP) — Park County Commissioners passed a resolution stating that
something needs to be done about the expanding wolf population in Wyoming.
Commissioners say the resolution is the county’s way of making a
statement to state and federal officials about the problems wolves are
causing in northwest Wyoming.
“I believe wolves need to be controlled as soon as possible,” said
commissioner Tim French. “I feel within four years, the wildlife
populations will be decimated.”
The resolution says wolves are having a negative impact on big game
hunting and ranching in the area.
Wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park in 1995.
There were 36 wolves at that time and recent figures indicate there are
now nearly 300 wolves in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
Commission chairman Tim Morrison said a major concern of his is the
entire state of Wyoming is listed as a reintroduction area for wolves,
while only small portions of Montana and Idaho are designated for
reintroduction.
Also of concern is the number of wolves which are considered a pack.
Commissioners are pressing for that number to be five animals and they
also want the number of packs limited to 13 in Wyoming.
French said a pack of wolves recently “trotted into the National Elk
Refuge.”
That, according to all the commissioners, is a major concern because
they believe the number of elk and moose in the area is steadily
decreasing.
In the resolution, commissioners cite hunting as a “major component of the
custom and culture of our citizens, as well as being integral to the
subsistence of many citizens.”
They say the “presence of wolves will dramatically reduce, and may
eliminate, recreational hunting and subsistence hunting opportunities to
the citizens of the County of Park and State of Wyoming, severely
affecting our local economies, culture, customs and our citizens’
freedoms.”
The Wyoming Legislature has also been debating the wolf issue.
One of the biggest debates revolves around the classification of the
wolves.
Currently, they are listed as endangered species and cannot be hunted.
State officials want “dual classification” of the wolves. That means in
designated areas around Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, the
state could issue permits to take the animals as trophies. The other side
of the classification is listing them as “predators” in the rest of the
state, meaning wolves could be shot on sight.
Some contend if the state adopts that policy, the federal government
will not relinquish control of the management plan, thus leaving them
listed as endangered.
But state officials, and the commissioners, have insisted on the dual
classification listing, saying the state must have control over management
in order to control the wolf populations.