Legislators hear howling testimony
by Cat Urbigkit
They came from all corners of the state, driving for many miles to have
their say. Many of the stories were similar and all were heartfelt. They
filled the meeting room, nervously waiting their turn to testify.
Last Wednesday afternoon, the Joint
Travel, Recreation, Wildlife and Cultural Resources Committee of the
Wyoming Legislature held a public hearing to accept public input on wolf
management in Wyoming.
Co-Chairmen Senator Delaine Roberts of Etna and Representative Mike
Baker of Thermopolis presented opening remarks and comments about the
bills they were sponsoring.
Baker’s House Bill 229 proposed a dual classification for wolves, but its
17-pages of details, including a requirement for at least 15 packs for
wolves to be classified as predators, generated a great deal of concern
for those who attended to testify.
“House Bill 229 is not perfect,” Baker said, but pledged to work with the
public on improving it. He said one way to improve the bill would be to
insert a provision that would allow the state to withhold the names of
persons who legally kill a wolf.
Baker said this provision is necessary because he is aware there will be
threats, adding, “I have had some vague ones tossed at me.”
Roberts’ Senate File 97 proposed to assert the state’s jurisdiction over
its wildlife, imposing severe restrictions on federal actions in the
state. Roberts said doing so would eliminate the federal government’s hold
on state wildlife managers.
More than 50 Wyoming residents testified, from Chuck Sandberg, who owns
both game processing plants in Jackson Hole, to Crook County rancher JW
Nuckolls.
Moran rancher Alan Rosenbaum said he’s been on the frontline of the wolf
issue for the last three years, with the Teton wolf pack denning in his
area and recently coming less than 20 yards from his house. In addition,
there is a second wolf pack in the area that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service has yet to acknowledge, Rosenbaum said. The Teton pack recently
killed a two-year old, 1,100-pound pregnant heifer, Rosenbaum said,
adding: “I need help. … I need protection for my family, for myself and
for the property I’m entrusted to take care of.”
Lander’s Jim Allen, president of the Wyoming Dude Ranchers Association and
a board member of the Wyoming Outfitters Association, told legislators of
the impact of wolves on big game.
“We’re killing the golden goose and we can’t do that,” Allen said. He also
said he feared for his family’s safety: “They better stay safe or … I’m
going to shoot a wolf.”
Newly elected Lincoln County Commissioner Allan Linford reminded the
legislators that his county’s official position is that wolves aren’t
welcome because of the threat to the economy, health and safety of the
county’s citizens.
Dubois rancher and former state legislator Budd Betts testified that
wolves have killed three dogs on his ranch, including a precious family
pet: “shredded to bits, literally … 20 steps from the house.
“I do not believe wolves don’t present a threat to human safety,” Betts
said, despite claims to the contrary by wolf advocates.
Fremont County Commissioner Crosby Allen advocated wolves retain their
predator classification outside Yellowstone National Park. He noted that
there will be litigation over removing wolves from federal protections and
urged the state to go it alone, basing its decisions on its jurisdiction
of wildlife within state borders. Allen questioned the legislators, “Do we
want to go into that court handcuffed to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service?”
Farmer Glen French of Powell said that he joins others in enjoying area
wildlife, but herd numbers are dropping as the wolf population increases.
“The economic impact is tremendous,” French said. “When the elk are
gone, the ranchers are next.”
French noted that wolves are currently pushing the elk out of the
mountains and down onto farmlands in the Powell area.
Rancher Phil Cross of Dubois said of his place in the Dunoir Valley, “I
think we’re the leading beef feeders to the wolves at this stage of the
game – in fact, I know we are.
“We need to be rid of them,” Cross said, adding that he doesn’t begrudge
the wolves, but does “have a grudge against the people who put them in
here.”
Crowheart cattleman Joe Baine said he summers cattle on Cross’ ranch and
“We never get all of them back.”
Big Horn County Commissioner Keith Grant was firm in his stance: “We
don’t have any wolves and we’re not going to have any wolves … We’re
just not going to allow it.”
Big Piney elk feeder Mike Schaffer testified about his experience with
wolves on the North Piney elk feedground, until the wolves ran the elk
away, eliminating his feeding job.
Dunoir rancher Jon Robinette told of the history of depredations on the
Diamond G, which have persisted despite the fact that the ranch sold off a
great deal of its cattle. Wolves have also killed dogs on the ranch on
five occasions, coming on the ranch house’s front and back porches. In one
case, his wife was walking the dog to the barn to lock it up when the
wolves appeared and killed it instead. In addition to cattle and dogs,
wolves have killed two adult horses and a colt on the ranch as well.
“I blame the United States Congress for this,” Robinette said. “We can’t
go on with these kinds of losses.”
Robinette said when his wife takes her Jack Russell terrier outside at
night, it requires a leash, a pistol and a spotlight.
Representative Randall Luthi of Freedom noted that there is an expanding
front line of people dealing with wolves, noting that Utah officials
confirmed wolf presence as well.
“Utah was so excited about it, they sent it back to Wyoming,” Luthi
said, urging the legislators to remain firm in its dealings with federal
officials on the wolf issue. Local governments need to help decide where a
species like wolves are allowed to live, Luthi said.
Afton outfitter Maury Jones told the legislative committee that he
supports wolves outside Yellowstone National Park being classified as a
predator.
“If he steps foot outside that park, he’s a coyote,” Jones said.
B.J. Hill, a Jackson Hole outfitter, said he’s watched wolves run cattle
on federal grazing allotments.
“Between the grizzly bear and the wolves, the cowman in western Wyoming
has no chance,” Hill said. Hill referred to environmentalists, with their
“anti-elk feeding agenda … This Canadian killer is their guarantee to
get rid of sport hunting.” Hill said the non-essential, experimental wolf
reintroduction conducted by the federal government was a failure.
“The experiment failed because it was too successful,” Hill said.
Lincoln County Commissioner Kathy Davison said her county commission
stood in opposition to the wolf reintroduction. She said there used to be
13 domestic sheep outfits in the county, but that number has dropped down
to about two. Davison said she fears “this industry will be completely
lost” without controls put on the wolf population.
Wyoming Game and Fish Commissioner Linda Fleming of Baggs advocated a dual
classification for wolves.
“We need to have dual classification … as quickly as possible to
minimize the damage and danger to the people of this state,” Fleming
said.
Darlene Vaughan of Lander told the committee, “A week ago today, my life
was changed,” when wolves moved onto her ranch just three miles outside of
Lander.
“These wolves will eat us out of house and home,” Vaughan said, noting she
and husband Dave are due to begin calving in two short weeks.
Dave Vaughan testified that he’s the most recent graduate of the
“rubber-bullet, bean-bag shooting school” sponsored by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
“I feel like a hostage,” he said.
Big Piney cattleman Bill Barney is in the same boat. He told the
committee calving would start soon.
“We’re going to have the only calves on the ground for about a month,”
Barney said. “We’re not looking forward to that.”
Barney urged the committee to modify its legislation so it works for
people in Wyoming.
“If we can’t do that … delay delisting,” Barney said.
Bill Barney’s son Colin Barney testified as well, noting he had the
difficult realization recently that he has to lay down new rules for his
five-year-old daughter and three-year-old son because wolves have moved
into the area near their home, just south of Big Piney.
Daniel rancher Charles Price said HB229 needed some changes and
cautioned the committee, “don’t buy anything we can’t live with.”
Price’s neighbor Albert Sommers told of livestock losses in the Upper
Green River region.
“I can’t sustain a seven-percent calf loss on my summer range … I
simply will run out of business,” Sommers said. He urged changes to
HB229 as well, adding, “I do not want delistment to feed me to the
wolves.”
WG&F Commissioner Kerry Powers of Lusk said it’s apparent how the major
stakeholders feel about wolves. He said there is no way to control wolves
as a trophy game animal statewide, so the commission supports the dual
classification instead.
Fontenelle sheep rancher Mary Thoman told a story of wolves preying on her
sheep herd, scattering injured sheep for miles.
“It was a massive massacre,” Thoman said, occurring 150 miles south of
Yellowstone park. “We’re running in the red because of these losses.”
Thoman also urged the legislators, “Don’t compromise our industry or our
way of life.”
Angela Denney of Cheyenne said she and her husband, Scott, own an
outfitting business in Wyoming and Idaho.
“I’ve seen the devastation in Idaho … It’s only a matter of time,”
Denny said.
E.K. Bostick of Cody Outfitters said, “We have dogs in our yard to keep
the grizzlies away. With the wolves I can no longer turn my dogs out.”
Bostick said, “The dual classification everyone talks about is a death
knell.” He said the committee must insist on “no wolves nowhere outside of
Yellowstone National Park.”
Jim Magagna, taking off his Wyoming Stock Growers Association hat and
putting on his ranching Stetson, read aloud to the legislators a letter
from a Sublette County rancher, noting that she couldn’t attend the
hearing because the wolves have been cornering her horses “so I can’t
leave.”
Larry Bourett of Laramie, a long-time opponent of wolf reintroduction,
asked the legislators to consider: “Not all stakeholders have the same
stake … You need to remember that,” suggesting that people in northwest
Wyoming have the greatest stake in the outcome.
Fremont County Commissioner Doug Thompson said he had just left a
meeting of the Wyoming County Commission Association where a unanimous
vote was cast “supporting the concept that the State of Wyoming must have
effective management and control authority over the gray wolf in order to
protect private property, public health and safety.”
Three environmentalists spoke in support of wolves: Patricia Dowd of the
Wyoming Chapter of the Sierra Club, Larry Boessler of the Wyoming Wildlife
Federation and Jason Marsden of Wyoming Conservation Voters. They
advocated wolves be granted trophy game status statewide.
After more than three hours of testimony, the committee hearing ended. The
committee was expected to continue to rework the proposed wolf legislation
this week.