HAMILTON- Letter writers are telling Ravalli County commissioners say they “fully support” the county’s efforts to draft a policy on wolf management.
The Ravalli County Commission released the draft wolf policy two weeks ago, culminating more than six months of work on the issue.
The board says its goal is not to tell state or federal agencies how to manage the growing wolf populations, but to get the county some “standing” to have a voice in how those decisions are being made.
The county’s six page predator policy touches on a number of wolf issues from the animals’ impacts on the local economy through ranching and hunting to pressing biologists for answers on how to maintain viable populations of wolves as well as deer and elk.
As one might expect given the public hearings on the policy last year, nearly all of the comments so far have been supportive.
Groups like the Montana Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife call the policy a “long overdue action to reduce a trend of lost customs, culture and historic use of property”.
Brent Olsen writes “it’s time for our local government to step in to help get this wolf disaster under control.” Larry Garrin thanks the commissioners for trying to help “sportsmen everywhere.”
Many of the comments are coming from outside the area, from other parts of Montana and even other states, with the writers expressing support and saying they wished their local governments would follow suit.
Not everyone is thrilled however with the Wolf Watchers group blasting the county for developing a document that shut wolf supporters out of the development process, a point the commissioners have soundly refuted.
County officials will be accepting more public comments through the week and will discuss the policy again on Thursday the 9th.