Clock ticking on wolf management plan

CHEYENNE — Time is getting short in the current Wyoming legislative session for any action to resolve a dispute between the state and the federal government over wolf management.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last year proposed creation of a permanent wolf management area in northwestern Wyoming. But top state officials say they are still waiting for the federal agency to agree to allow the state to kill some wolves to keep them from depleting state elk herds in the immediate future before they consider the federal plan.

"If we could arrive at a workable arrangement, I think both the legislative and executive branch are interested in pursuing it," Gov. Dave Freudenthal said Friday. "But I think the continued rigidity of the federal government makes you wonder if they really want it to happen."

Although bills are pending in both the House and Senate that could be used to put any wolf management agreement into state law, legislative leaders say any such measure would have to be in its final form no later than Feb. 12.

Freudenthal and other state officials say they need guarantees that the federal management plan won't leave the state paralyzed in the time between when the federal government takes action to remove wolves from protection under the Federal Endangered Species Act and when litigation over that action is completed. State officials say that period could last several years, and that the growing wolf population could devastate elk and moose herds during that time if the state's not allowed to kill wolves as necessary.

Once litigation over the federal action is completed, Wyoming would be able to control the wolf population through trophy hunting provided wolf numbers don't drop too low.

State officials say there are more than 300 wolves in the state with the population growing at about 20 percent a year. In its proposal for a permanent wolf management area, the Fish and Wildlife Service has said the state would be responsible for maintaining at least 10 breeding pairs, totaling at least 100 wolves.

Although the federal agency has approved wolf management plans in Montana and Idaho, it rejected Wyoming's original management plan in 2004. The state has sued over the issue in federal court and the litigation is still pending.