Wolves

The Wyoming legislature is going to take up a <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/01/20/build/wyoming/30-wolfplan.inc">new bill to answer the problems</a> the FWS has with their present wolf management plan. I am very glad to see this development. While I do agree that outside of a certain area wolves should be considered as predator I was afraid that the bureaucrats in Washington would never accept this and not de-list them. This is exactly what happened and we are still stuck with the wolves on the endangered species list.<br />n<!–more–><br />nWhether we in the states like it or not the Endangered Species Act is a fact of life that we have to deal with. The wolves are listed and to get them off the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho have to have an acceptable plan to manage them. Acceptable to whom is the question? Well that is a bunch of bureaucrats in Washington who more that likely have never seen a wolf dining on a dead cow in his whole life. Now while it might not seem fair that these are the people making the decision, this is the system we have to deal with.<br />n<br />nI find this comment interesting made by Sen. Keith Goodenough, D-Casper.<br />n<br />n<i>Goodenough said he made a mistake in voting for legislation in 2003 that outlined the current plan.<br />n<br />n"I should have known better," he wrote. "I did not serve the interests of the ag community well when I voted for that bill last year." </i><br />n<br />nI would have to agree. To serve the interest of everyone we need to get the wolf de-listed first which means a management plan acceptable by the FWS. In my opinion, after the wolf is de-listed then with the number of hunting licenses, cost of hunting licenses, and protections to stock owners from trouble animals, the wolf situation can be addressed adequately by the states and we can get the federal gorilla off are backs. Who knows, a couple of years down the road, after the wolves are de-listed, maybe the legislature can turn around and list them as predators in certain areas. Things get accomplished by playing the game within the rules instead of beating your head against the wall.<br />n<br />n<b>Guidelines for bureaucrats: (1) When in charge, ponder. (2) When in trouble, delegate. (3) When in doubt, mumble.<br />nJames H. Boren </b>