Wyoming without a plan for wolves
The Associated Press
CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Wyoming Legislature completed its 2004 session without approving a wolf management plan that would satisfy the federal government, ending for now efforts to remove the predator from the endangered species list.
ýýý But while some lawmakers expressed regret, others were unapologetic, saying the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has not dealt squarely with Wyoming.
ýýý The failure to act also brought Wyoming closer to an expected lawsuit against the federal government over its rejection of a wolf management plan adopted administratively last year.
ýýý “We’re going to be in lawsuits regardless, no matter what we do,” Roberts said. “My opinion is we have to base the lawsuit on our own grounds.”
ýýý Montana, Idaho and Wyoming must all submit acceptable wolf-management plans before Fish and Wildlife will consider removing wolves from federal protection and turning management over to the states. Although it approved plans from Idaho and Montana, the agency rejected Wyoming’s plan in January, about three weeks before the start of the session.
ýýý The main point of contention is Wyoming’s proposal to allow wolves to be shot virtually on sight outside of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks and adjacent wilderness areas.
ýýý One bill before the Legislature would have brought state policy more in line with the wishes of federal game officials. The bill followed negotiations between Fish and Wildlife Director Steve Williams and lawmakers in Cheyenne.
ýýý However, the bill failed to get enough votes to make it to the House floor and the talks ended, according to Rep. Mike Baker, R-Thermopolis, one of the principal negotiators.
ýýý “Not enough people were aware of the management flexibility that we were going toward,” Baker said. “The situation was so fluid, it was very difficult to get people up to speed and keep people up to speed on what was happening.”
ýýý Another bill would have taken the opposite tack, revising state law to conform to the rejected administrative plan. The reasoning was that a seamless position would bolster the state’s standing in court. That bill passed the House but died in Senate committee.
ýýý Roberts, who is chairman of the committee, questioned whether the bill would have made a difference.
ýýý “We’re in just as good a position to litigate now as we were before,” Roberts said. “… I don’t think we’re willing to compromise any more.”
ýýý Sen. Bruce Burns, R-Sheridan, said he would have preferred to negotiate further, but talks were hampered because Fish and Wildlife Service Director Steve Williams did not realize how short the Wyoming legislative session is.
ýýý “When he showed up here and we … told him that we had to have a settlement in two days, you could have knocked them over with a feather,” Burns said. “They had no idea they were under that sort of time restraint.”
ýýý Lack of trust also undermined any possible compromise.
ýýý “Due to previous misstatements and misunderstandings, the trust level in Cheyenne for the federal government was very low,” Burns said. “They had no credibility.”