RECOMMENDED WOLF PLAN HIGHLIGHTS
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks provided these highlights from the recommended Montana Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan:
Wolf Conservation and Management
* establishes an incremental approach to wolf management and control based on the presence of 15 breeding pairs of wolves
* establishes an active public outreach program to provide information, technical assistance and open lines of communication
* seeks to manage wolves in a manner similar to the way Montana manages mountain lions and black bears, based on habitat requirements and public acceptance
* provides the federally expected assurances that Montana can maintain more than 10 breeding pairs
* sets a benchmark of 15 breeding pairs to allow managers more latitude and greater confidence that local decisions to manage a wolf pack to resolve a conflict won't set the state back to the brink of endangering the wolf population
* offers FWP flexibility to manage and adjust wolf numbers and distribution
* allows for a regulated harvest of wolves as a wildlife management tool when the population reaches a level that is biologically sustainable
* assures that Montana provides wolf-travel links between Wyoming, Idaho and Canada
* provides mechanisms for interagency and interstate cooperation
Funding
* full implementation of the $913,000 to $945,000 plan is contingent on adequate funding
* plan would be funded through a combination of federal funds, state funds and supplemental private sources
* no FWP or matching federal monies, or State of Montana general funds are to be used for compensation for livestock losses
Prey
* integrates management of wolves, deer, elk, moose and other wildlife;
* increases prey monitoring in areas wolves inhabit
* adjusts hunter opportunity for predators and prey where appropriate and where necessary
Landowners and Stockgrowers
* allows for defense of property from wolves attacking, killing, or threatening to kill livestock, including herding and guarding animals, in a manner similar to other large predators under state management
* seeks cooperative agreements among state and federal authorities to rapidly address wolf-livestock conflicts and control of wolves involved in depredation incidents;
* directs FWP to provide active assistance to landowners to reduce the risk of livestock losses;
* directs State of Montana to develop, in cooperation with livestock producers and private groups, an entity to administer and fund a compensation program for damages caused by wolves.
Human Safety
* human safety is protected by discouraging and removing wolves that become habituated to humans and allowing lethal take to defend human life.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks provided these highlights from the recommended Montana Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan:
Wolf Conservation and Management
* establishes an incremental approach to wolf management and control based on the presence of 15 breeding pairs of wolves
* establishes an active public outreach program to provide information, technical assistance and open lines of communication
* seeks to manage wolves in a manner similar to the way Montana manages mountain lions and black bears, based on habitat requirements and public acceptance
* provides the federally expected assurances that Montana can maintain more than 10 breeding pairs
* sets a benchmark of 15 breeding pairs to allow managers more latitude and greater confidence that local decisions to manage a wolf pack to resolve a conflict won't set the state back to the brink of endangering the wolf population
* offers FWP flexibility to manage and adjust wolf numbers and distribution
* allows for a regulated harvest of wolves as a wildlife management tool when the population reaches a level that is biologically sustainable
* assures that Montana provides wolf-travel links between Wyoming, Idaho and Canada
* provides mechanisms for interagency and interstate cooperation
Funding
* full implementation of the $913,000 to $945,000 plan is contingent on adequate funding
* plan would be funded through a combination of federal funds, state funds and supplemental private sources
* no FWP or matching federal monies, or State of Montana general funds are to be used for compensation for livestock losses
Prey
* integrates management of wolves, deer, elk, moose and other wildlife;
* increases prey monitoring in areas wolves inhabit
* adjusts hunter opportunity for predators and prey where appropriate and where necessary
Landowners and Stockgrowers
* allows for defense of property from wolves attacking, killing, or threatening to kill livestock, including herding and guarding animals, in a manner similar to other large predators under state management
* seeks cooperative agreements among state and federal authorities to rapidly address wolf-livestock conflicts and control of wolves involved in depredation incidents;
* directs FWP to provide active assistance to landowners to reduce the risk of livestock losses;
* directs State of Montana to develop, in cooperation with livestock producers and private groups, an entity to administer and fund a compensation program for damages caused by wolves.
Human Safety
* human safety is protected by discouraging and removing wolves that become habituated to humans and allowing lethal take to defend human life.
