More great news on the Wolf Battle

House and Senate pass bill today with wolf delisting language

Folks,

Congressional action to delist wolf populations in Idaho and Montana appears to be moving quickly toward passage. The House of Representatives voted today in support of the Continuing Resolution by a margin of 260-167. The Senate also has voted to pass the Continuing Resolution. We are awaiting confirmation of the actual vote tally in the Senate. The bill continues to include wolf delisting language for a portion of the Northern Rockies.

The President will need to sign the bill into law by midnight tomorrow April 15, 2011 to avoid a shut down of the government. It is expected the President will sign the bill into law.

As many are aware, the wolf language in the bill codifies the April 2009 delisting rule which focuses on the approved wolf management plans for Idaho and Montana. Despite language that would delist portions of Oregon and Washington and a nominal portion of Northern Utah in the delisted zone, the focus on approved management plans in the 2009 rule make clear that the states where management authority will be returned are Idaho and Montana.

Passage of this bill will demonstrate that Congressional delisting is not only possible, but also necessary for states to be able to manage and protect wildlife populations, including wolves, within their borders. We are hopeful the passage of a wolf delisting bill for a few states will be followed by a broader delisting bill which would include additional states in the West and Midwest. While passage of this bill is significant step in the right direction, it clearly does not solve the issue. We continue to support the right of all states to manage wolves and other wildlife within their borders without federal intervention.

The environmental and animal rights community have been working hard to derail the legislation. Feel free to take a minute and call or email your Congressional delegation to let them know your feelings on the pending wolf delisting language in the Continuing Resolution.

Ryan Benson

http://biggameforever.org/

ryandbenson@msn.com

Hunters Against PETA

Tags: Big Game Forever, deer, defenders of wildlife, elk, guns, Humane Society, ken salazar, PETA, wolves