By Bill Brewster for the Prairie Star Thursday, February 3, 2005 8:32 AM MST

HELENA, Mont. - In an action sought by this state's livestock industry, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is inching closer to become the lead agency in managing the experimental wolf population in southwestern Montana.

The rule only applied to Montana and Idaho with their approved wolf management plans. Wyoming does not have an accepted plan.

Although the regulation legally goes into effect on Feb. 7, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials are currently working out the details of the new memorandums of agreement and cooperative agreements at this point, according to Ed Bangs, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wolf program coordinator. The rule allows landowners to shoot wolves attacking livestock herding and guarding animals on private land without prior written permission.

It also notes that wolves attacking the livestock and dogs on public grazing allotments can be taken by grazing permittees, guides and outfitters and on ceded lands by tribal members without written authorization.

"In practice, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is doing a lot of the things on the round now," Bangs said. "We are trying to turn over full authority within the next couple of months."

Since May, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has been the lead agency managing the Northwestern area wolf population where wolves have been downgraded from the "endangered" to "threatened" category.

Bangs said there is more flexibility with managing wolves than with grizzly bears because of "the nature of wolves."

The estimated 850 wolves in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming have presented new challenges to livestock producers since the numbers have increased after the experimental group was introduced in Yellowstone National Park a decade ago.

As the population increased and wolf packs dispersed to the three states, the predators have changed the way livestock producers manage and protect their cattle, sheep and working dogs. Since that date, Defenders of Wildlife have written over $400,000 in compensation checks but the amount doesn't take into consideration the time, effort, labor costs and stress that the introduction of the big predators has inflicted on producers in areas where the wolf populations have expanded.

In areas like the Paradise Valley and the Madison country and the Red Lodge area, the introduction of the animals has changed the paradigm of the way ranchers care for sheep and cattle and created situations where 24-hour surveillance was required as well as costly fencing and protection construction.

In the future, many biologists expect the wolves to expand their range to other regions of the state.

Carolyn Sime, gray wolf program coordinator for Montana, said the estimates by state biologists range from 160 to 180 wolves within the Big Sky State. She said Idaho holds over 400 wolves and Wyoming has an estimated population of about 300 wolves at this point. Sime said the larger numbers in Idaho and Wyoming occur because the habitat for them is more conducive since the predators are lower elevation animals which tend to stay away from remote wilderness areas.

Over the last few years, there have been between 35 and 30 wolf kills per year. Because wolves tend to like certain landscapes, the encounters have been greater in certain specific areas.

"Wolves are like big lazy dogs and not a wilderness species," she said.

At this point, Fish, Wildlife and Parks wolf personnel are stationed in Kalispell, Dillon, Bozeman, Red Lodge and Helena. Sime said one of the most important tasks is to monitor the wolf populations and documenting new activities in all of the areas. Another key component, she said, was to work with land owners while trying to learn more about the challenges.

In addition to the work with landowners, the wolf program objectives call for more outreach and education with schools and the general public to help people understand the principles of wolf biology and the details of the wolf management plan.

"We are trying to manage wolves like we manage other wildlife to meet the needs of both wolves and people," she said.

But she stressed that wolves are not going away and they will be part of the new Montana landscape.

At this point, Fish, Wildlife and Parks have taken the lead to form a diverse ad hoc committee to explore compensation, insurance and incentives. Meetings are schedule in March and April.

Nelson Wert, a Broadwater county rancher and member of the original wolf council that developed the overall wolf program for the state, believes that compensation needs to be in place from the start.

Under the compensation program conducted by Defenders of Wildlife, $2,000 was the maximum allowed for cattle loss. That amount, Nelson pointed out, does not take into consideration the value of purebred or higher priced animals.

The 10j rule has been supported as a step in the right direction by other livestock groups including Montana Stockgrowers, Montana Wool Growers and the Montana Farm Bureau Federation.

But, Jay Bodner with the Montana Stockgrowers, said citizens of Montana should not have to pay for the costs of wolf management and compensation expenses.

Nor, said Bodner, should they be forced to find alternative grazing or reduce the herd size or change their operations because of wolf recovery programs.

He suggested that a neutral group should handle the compensation program rather than a pro-wolf group. "The burden, he said, has been on the landowners."

Suzanne Stone, western field representative for Defenders of Wildlife, in the mean time said her organization would continue, at least for the time being, with its payment program."

"We plan on continuing with compensation and to continue with the proactive works such as electric fencing and guard dogs as well for the time being," she said. "If we make any changes, we will give people substantial warning time."

Stone said over two-thirds of the compensated ranchers were satisfied with the program according to a survey that the environmental group conducted.

http://www.theprairiestar.com/articles/2005/02/07/ag_news/local_and_regional _news/local01.txt

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