News Release
Federal and State Wildlife Officials to Brief Gov. Martz on Wolf Recovery and Delisting
Meeting to Occur Friday, May 31 at 11:00 a.m. in Governor'sReception Room
5/24/2002
Tom Palmer
406-444-3051
tpalmer@state.mt.us
"With wolf population numbers where they are, we are optimistic that we can initiate the federal delisting process by the end of this year," said Governor Martz. "We want to be certain that Montana and our neighboring states are following similar paths and that federal authorities agree that our work to develop state wolf management plans is appropriate, timely and effective enough for the recovery and delisting process to proceed."
Ralph Morgenweck, regional director, of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Denver-based Mountain Prairie Region will attend the briefing, along with Ed Bangs, the USFWSís wolf recovery coordinator in Helena.
Also attending will be Jeff Hagener, director, Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks; Chase Hibbard, cattle and sheep rancher and chairman of the Montana Wolf Management Advisory Council; Carolyn Sime, FWP wildlife biologist and Montana wolf conservation and management plan coordinator; Greg Shieldwachter, Idaho Office of Species Conservation; and Lorraine Quarberg, Wyoming Governor's Office and Dr. Tom Thorne, Director of Wyoming Game and Fish.
An estimated 570 wolves in 35 or more breeding wolf packs inhabit the Montana, Idaho and Wyoming recovery areas, with 18 wolf packs and about 100 wolves in Montana. Federal wolf managers conclude that a total of 30 breeding pair, equitably distributed in the tri-state recovery area for three years, will trigger USFWSís proposal to delist the wolf, a process that could begin in January.
Before wolves can be delisted, however, Montana, Idaho and Wyoming are required by federal law to have adequate regulations in place to prevent wolves from becoming threatened or endangered again.
In March and April, more than 800 people participated in FWPís community works sessions designed to help build the stateís proposed wolf management plan. Over the course of a 60-day period to gather public comment on wolf management in Montana, FWP received a total of more than 4,000 comments.
Comments have come from nearly every Montana county, 49 states, and eight
foreign countries. Montana is working to have its plan completed by the end of December.
Idaho's Legislature, meanwhile, recently approved a wolf management plan, and in Wyoming, wildlife officials announced in April that the state would launch its wolf management planning effort. Also in April, Gov. Martz, Idaho's Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, and Wyomingís Gov. Jim Geringer reaffirmed their commitment to regional management of wolves by updating agreements that ensure the three states will take a coordinated, regional approach to wolf management. The governorsí agreement is key to delisting the species under the federal ESA.
The Governorís progress and policy briefing on northern Rocky Mountain wolf recovery and delisting is set for Friday, May 31, at 11 a.m. in the Governor's Reception Room in the Montana State Capitol in Helena.
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(see agenda below)
DRAFT AGENDA
Montana Wolf Conservation and Management
Northern Rocky Mountain Region, Wolf Recovery and Delisting
Progress and Policy Briefing for Governor Judy Martz
Governor's Reception Room, May 31, 2002, 11:00 a.m.
Introduction & Overview
Jeff Hagener, director, Montana Department of Fish Wildlife & Parks, Helena, Montana
Current status of wolf population in Northern Rocky Mountain Region and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recovery efforts in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming
Ed Bangs, wildlife biologist and wolf recovery coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Helena, Montana
Living with wolves in Montana
Chase Hibbard, cattle and sheep rancher and chairman of the Montana Wolf Management Advisory Council, Helena, Montana
Montanaís wolf management plan, public participation, and progress Carolyn Sime, wildlife biologist and Montana wolf conservation and management plan coordinator, Kalispell, Montana
Idahoís wolf management plan and progress
Greg Shieldwachter, Idaho Office of Species Conservation, Boise, Idaho
Wyomingís wolf management plan and progress
Lorraine Quarberg, Wyoming Governor's Office; and Dr. Tom Thorne, director,
Wyoming Game and Fish
Summary and introduction of Mr. Ralph Morgenweck
FWP Director Hagener
The national commitment for Northern Rocky Mountain wolf recovery and delisting.
Ralph Morgenweck, regional director, USFWS-Region 6, Mountain Prairie Region, Denver, Colorado
Response, questions, and direction
Governor Judy Martz
Adjourn
