Parties wonder about money for wolf management
By TED MONOSON
Star-Tribune Washington bureau Friday, March 05, 2004
WASHINGTON — Supporters and opponents of a proposal under which ranchers would be allowed to kill wolves are united in questioning where the money to pay for the state management of the wolves would come from. Both Idaho and Montana have tight state budgets.
“We still need to work on the funding to manage this,” Montana Republican Gov. Judy Martz said. “Our hunters and our ranchers are already suffering, so I would hope this does not fall on their backs.”
The Interior Department’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2005 would reduce funding for endangered species by $7.6 million from $136.9 million this year to $129.4 million. It also specifically says Idaho, Montana and Wyoming wolf recovery programs would be reduced by $1.5 million.
Williams noted that the administration’s proposed budget was just the starting point. Members of Congress will write and pass the spending bills that would have to be signed by the president to become law.
“I can’t speak for what members of Congress will do,” Williams said.
Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton added that her department had not considered the potential cost while drafting the rule.
“This is a proposed rule that does not contemplate specific program costs,” Norton said. “That will be worked out later.”
Idaho Republican Gov. Dirk Kempthorne made it clear that Idaho residents would not be picking up the tab.
“This is something that we expect federal appropriations for,” said Kempthorne, who was a U.S. senator before being elected governor. “This is a federal asset we are managing. We are not going to be using sportsmen fees. We are not going to be using general funds.”
Tom France, who directs the National Wildlife Federation’s Natural Resource Center in Missoula, offered preliminary praise for the plan, but also expressed concerns about its cost.
“The concept of additional management authority for the states is a solid idea, but the details have to be worked out,” France said. “One of the details is the funding, and I am not just talking about funding for next year. There needs to be an adequate long-term source of funding.”