gznokes
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Got this email from Rep. Jim Matheson (Democrat: Utah) about his position on wolf legislation.
I've been emailing representatives through the www.biggameforever.org campaign and it is really easy. Big Game Forever seems to be really pushing this issue.
Dear,
Thank you for sharing your concerns on the gray wolf's status on the endangered species list. I appreciate your interest in the issues facing our country and state, and I am glad for the opportunity to respond to your inquiry. By contacting me on issues important to you, I am better able to represent Utah in Congress.
As you may know, the Endangered Species Act (ESA)?adopted in 1973?was created to increase protection for, and provide for the recovery of, vanishing wildlife and plants. In 1978, the gray wolf was listed as endangered in all of the continental 48 states except Minnesota, where it was listed as threatened.
In March 1995, 14 wolves were reintroduced in Yellowstone National Park; another 35 were released into central Idaho by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS). The original recovery goals established by the agency were 30 breeding pairs and 300 total wolves. Today, federal wolf recovery experts agree that the re-introduction of the species is a resounding success. Wolf population numbers are conservatively estimated to be 1,700. For more than 15 years, the USFWS, state wildlife agencies, Indian tribes, conservation organizations, ranchers, and other landowners have worked diligently on wolf recovery.
A diverse group of scientists and sportsmen's groups have completed studies documenting that not only have gray wolves recovered, their numbers are contributing to a dramatic drop in elk, deer, and moose populations. This is hurting hunting opportunities and?as a result?harming rural economies that rely on money spent by sportsmen and sportswomen in the West.
I am a cosponsor of H.R. 509?a bipartisan bill to provide that the ESA shall not apply to the gray wolf. This allows the professionals in the state wildlife agencies to take over management of wolves?including ensuring their survival?as they manage all wildlife. This legislation is partially a response to legal challenges by some environmental groups who have argued that the gray wolf should not be removed from the ESA until it has been re-established in all the lower 48 states. Although USFWS previously de-listed the wolf in Idaho and Montana, it maintained the endangered listing for wolf populations in Wyoming, due to an internal disagreement with Wyoming's wolf management plan. The court ruled federal law prohibits USFWS from the partial de-listing.
Please know that I agree that the ESA plays a key role in our nation's environmental policy and the success enjoyed by the wolf recovery attests to the effectiveness of the law. We must now work to establish balance between predator and prey by professional wildlife managers and utilize scarce resources for habitat conservation and other urgent wildlife needs.
Again, thank you for sharing your concerns with me. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact my office
I've been emailing representatives through the www.biggameforever.org campaign and it is really easy. Big Game Forever seems to be really pushing this issue.
Dear,
Thank you for sharing your concerns on the gray wolf's status on the endangered species list. I appreciate your interest in the issues facing our country and state, and I am glad for the opportunity to respond to your inquiry. By contacting me on issues important to you, I am better able to represent Utah in Congress.
As you may know, the Endangered Species Act (ESA)?adopted in 1973?was created to increase protection for, and provide for the recovery of, vanishing wildlife and plants. In 1978, the gray wolf was listed as endangered in all of the continental 48 states except Minnesota, where it was listed as threatened.
In March 1995, 14 wolves were reintroduced in Yellowstone National Park; another 35 were released into central Idaho by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS). The original recovery goals established by the agency were 30 breeding pairs and 300 total wolves. Today, federal wolf recovery experts agree that the re-introduction of the species is a resounding success. Wolf population numbers are conservatively estimated to be 1,700. For more than 15 years, the USFWS, state wildlife agencies, Indian tribes, conservation organizations, ranchers, and other landowners have worked diligently on wolf recovery.
A diverse group of scientists and sportsmen's groups have completed studies documenting that not only have gray wolves recovered, their numbers are contributing to a dramatic drop in elk, deer, and moose populations. This is hurting hunting opportunities and?as a result?harming rural economies that rely on money spent by sportsmen and sportswomen in the West.
I am a cosponsor of H.R. 509?a bipartisan bill to provide that the ESA shall not apply to the gray wolf. This allows the professionals in the state wildlife agencies to take over management of wolves?including ensuring their survival?as they manage all wildlife. This legislation is partially a response to legal challenges by some environmental groups who have argued that the gray wolf should not be removed from the ESA until it has been re-established in all the lower 48 states. Although USFWS previously de-listed the wolf in Idaho and Montana, it maintained the endangered listing for wolf populations in Wyoming, due to an internal disagreement with Wyoming's wolf management plan. The court ruled federal law prohibits USFWS from the partial de-listing.
Please know that I agree that the ESA plays a key role in our nation's environmental policy and the success enjoyed by the wolf recovery attests to the effectiveness of the law. We must now work to establish balance between predator and prey by professional wildlife managers and utilize scarce resources for habitat conservation and other urgent wildlife needs.
Again, thank you for sharing your concerns with me. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact my office
