Wolves find few friends at the Capitol

As the Legislature moves into the second half of the session, the gray wolf is proving to be one creature with few friends in the Capitol. Lawmakers are advancing a slate of bills that call for decreasing protections for the gray wolf, while Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer encouraged ranchers and state agents last month to kill wolves in defiance of the federal Endangered Species Act. This year's bills against wolf protection underscore a long time Montana frustration with the animals. The majority of the Legislature, as well as the livestock and wool industry, say the wolves have recovered beyond expectations and prey on lucrative livestock and fragile elk populations. Some conservationists and biologists on the other hand, say the animals still need protection to survive and could be driven toward extermination if state officials have their way. Suggestive of the general animosity toward wolves inside the state Capitol, a resolution urging their removal from the federal endangered species list passed the House with 99 of 100 votes. One of the most aggressive measures against wolves calls for Montana to reject federal authority over the species and start curbing the population regardless of their endangered status...more