by Jim Beers
...If you have read this far
without giving up, let me share what I believe is our best hope about what to
do about wolves in 2013. Here are 3 suggestions that I recently
recommended in another article:
1.
A vast majority of State wildlife agencies, conservation organizations, outdoor
writers, sporting goods dealers, farm organizations, ranching groups,
veterinarians and other assumed “allies” in opposing these laws and their
pernicious effects have been AWOL. They are like the old Bill Mauldin,
Willie and Joe cartoon where Willie and Joe are helmeted, dirty, tired and
disheveled with their M-1’s over their shoulders as they drink a beer at a
bombed-out café. Two big clean-uniformed MP’s with holstered pistols,
pressed uniforms, bloused boots and jauntily-worn garrison caps march by in
unison. As they pass on, Willie tells Joe, “We calls ‘em
‘Garritroopers’. They are close enough to the Front that they don’t have
to wear ties and far enough to the rear that they have to blouse their pants in
their boots”. Like the Tea Party and others against Obamacare, unless and
until those harmed by these laws overcome or change “their” own alliances and
support groups, things will only get worse and being “nice” alone “ain’t going
to cut it”.
2.
Legally, Yellowstone Park is practically unique in that it is federal property
that was never under the jurisdiction of any state government. It shares
with the District of Columbia the dubious distinction of being completely a
federal enclave. If there is such a great desire on the part of many
radical Americans to see/hear wolves closer to home than Canada or Alaska, let
the federal government put wolves in Yellowstone AND simply let the 220+ year
legal precedent of state authority over resident wildlife remain in
effect. If any wolves step into Montana or Wyoming or Idaho, let that
state determine their fate up to and including exterminating them continuously.
The federal government has no more honestly legal, historic or moral
justification for imposing wolves on any state or community without their
consent than they have to impose martial law in rural precincts because Mayor
Bloomberg wants them to collect all the guns.
3.
I have come to believe firmly that enlisting our Local elected officials
(Sheriffs, Commissioners, Superintendents, etc.) in re-orienting State
politicians and bureaucrats to representing the interests of their state is an
absolutely vital first step. Only when Locally-elected officials stand
firm and the state performs its historic role of protecting its communities and
their elected officials from harm will a credible political power exist to
refute the raw political power being employed by federal bureaucrats and
politicians working at the behest of environmental extremists and animal
rights’ radicals. Working with and electing state politicians from the
ranks of proven Local politicians is the second step. Third, electing
Congressional Representatives from the ranks of State and Local political ranks
of those with a proven stomach for the fight is next. Finally and step
four either: a.) elect US Senators from the ranks of proven Local, State, or US
representatives or, b.) best of all repeal the 17th Amendment and
return appointment of US Senators to “chosen by the (sic, State) Legislature
thereof” as originally laid out in the Constitution to assure that US Senators
fought for their State and did not become the current pompous and
self-important worthies, like English Lords once were, they pretend and imagine
themselves to be. Today’s Senators are just as likely to support European
Parliamentarians, the UN or wealthy New York donors before they give a thought to
this or that small group “back home”.
HOW
LOCAL OFFICIALS CAN SAVE RURAL AMERICA FROM WOLVES
1.
It isn’t easy and it takes determination.
2.
Local elected officials are most prone to citizen wants and citizen
wrath. Lobby them and elect good ones and defeat bad ones.
3.
Read their responsibilities of office carefully. Rework them where
necessary to enable what I am suggesting.
4.
Consider County responsibilities concerning free-roaming dogs. What does
the County do or should do about feral or loose dogs that enter yards where
children play; attack or kill the owner’s dogs; that approach persons going to
mailboxes; that kill and attack livestock; that kill big game animals; that
hang around school bus stops or stalk children afoot; that invade camping spots
or threaten hunters or hikers; etc., etc.? If the dogs are trapped and
the owner identified; is not the owner liable for costs of capture and
transportation? Is the owner fined? Are dogs without proof of
“shots” (i.e. rabies, distemper, parvo, etc.), released without shots? Are dogs
that have not been de-wormed for tapeworms released to contaminate yards and
wild spots with tapeworm eggs dangerous to humans and other animals? Are dogs
marked so as to be identified if it repeats the offense? Are repeat
offending dogs euthanized? Are offending dogs neutered? Do owners
pay for all this BEFORE getting their animal back? Do not state laws
allow one County to operate like this while another runs and funds no-kill
rescue shelters and yet another simply says if it is on your place you can
shoot it? Does one County have the right to tell another County how to
control nuisance or dangerous animals in THEIR County: of course not. Rather
than exposing the father or rancher or dog owner or hunter, etc. to federal
wrath for protecting his or his families’ life and property by killing a wolf,
let the federal bureaucrats argue the right of Sheriffs and County officials –
backed up by state law and authority- to protect County residents’ life and
property from wolves just as they (must) do from free-roaming dogs!
5.
Now consider wolves that do all these things and more. Consider wolves
that carry all these disease and infections and more.
6.
County officials should develop local ordinances and regulations that control
Canids (dogs, wolves, etc.). They should hire (jointly?) personnel and
build (share?) holding-facilities.
7.
Counties should control/manage Canids (coyotes are almost universally subject
to year around 24/7 control under state regulations therefore they are
irrelevant to this discussion. Other Canids (dogs and wolves) should be
treated similarly when they endanger lives or property. Differences
between County policies due to varieties of human populations, livestock,
magnitude of hunting and recreation or the presence of elderly, children,
retirees, etc. are only natural and to be expected in any state. The key
is THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE OF THAT COUNTY AND WHAT THEY ELECT OFFICIALS TO
DO!
8.
County policies can be changed as situations demand it. Just as Local-elected
officials are far more susceptible to local voter’s wrath than State officials
and certainly far more than federal officials: so too are Locally-generated
policies the most appropriate policies for Local families and communities to live
under.
9.
Local officials should work with state officials to solidify the authority of
Local communities to manage/control Canids in accordance with Local
standards. This solid position enables state and Local officials to stand
together against federal demands for numbers and densities, indeed the presence
of wolves in the state. It is political power to fight political
power. State and Local standards suddenly make it irrelevant for state
and Local officials to jump through the federal hoops generated in league with
the radicals that are changed rapidly to make any opposition to federal
mandates simply unreported campaigns lost in a maze of rigged “hearings”,
“meetings”, “10(j) appeals”, etc., etc.
10.
Counties can share revenue from fines to pay personnel. Counties can rent or
sell live traps to hold Canids for County pickup for rural residents
experiencing Canid problems or who may experience such problems in the
future.
11.
Counties can hold them (Canids) for owners for a few days or a week before
euthanizing and ONLY RELEASE THEM TO OWNERS THAT PAY A FINE, PAY FOR THEIR
UPKEEP, PAY FOR SHOTS AND DEWORMING after they are marked to be killed
if they are repeat offenders in the County. Consider neutering them.
12.
Clearly convince state bureaucrats that they work FOR the County and its
residents, NOT federal interlopers. This will be easier said than done in
many states.
13.
Clarify and strengthen Authority for County officials to authorize lethal Canid
control on private property much like Weed Control. If property owners
resist needed controls, like reluctant weed controllers or owners of dangerous
dogs roaming freely, send in a County contractor to conduct the control (like
County weed controllers are authorized to do) and charge the landowner for the
control activity and if he refuses to pay, place a lien on the property and
collect it as you would other such public bills.
14.
Identify and work with state politicians through your Local elected officials
and construct a powerful state lobby against federal wolf impositions.
Never mind the rigged public federal meetings and the lying lobbyists for the
urban enviro/animal rights radicals and use raw, unified state power to stop
it, just as it was raw federal power that started the whole mess.
15.
Recognize and protect the ability of certain Counties to entertain wolves to
their hearts’ content. Those Counties that want wolves should have their
right to keep wolves protected: just as those Counties that value children,
human safety, livestock, dogs, hunting, camping, fishing, etc. should have
their right to intervene forcibly whenever any wild domestic Canid is
threatening the “domestic Tranquility” and/or “general Welfare” of their
communities.
Maybe
this will one day reform the Washington political mess by replacing the current
worthless federal pols with former state and Local officials that once solved
the wolf mess by Constitutional means and just might be able to do the same for
all the other stuff plaguing us today. We
can always HOPE!
Jim Beers is a retired US Fish & Wildlife
Service Wildlife Biologist, Special Agent, Refuge Manager, Wetlands Biologist,
and Congressional Fellow.
No comments:
Post a Comment