State wolf plan attracts 550 people to meetings
CHEYENNE – More than 550 people attended nine open houses last month to
discuss the state’s draft wolf management plan, according to Wyoming Game
and Fish officials.
Reg Rothwell, Game and Fish supervisor of biological services, said
attendance varied from more than 200 people at the Cody open house to only
24 people in Casper.
Rothwell said the open houses were useful in explaining to residents what
the Game and Fish Commission is proposing at this stage in the process of
developing a management plan for the gray wolf.
The plan would be used once the wolf’s protections under the Endangered
Species Act are removed.
Rothwell said the public comments will be reviewed and a new draft wolf
plan will be presented to the commission in January.
Montana, Idaho and Wyoming must have federally approved wolf management
plans in place before submission of a delisting petition.
Federal officials say expansion and growth of the population has made
delisting the wolf possible as soon as 2004.