Wolf debate heats up

A biologist says laws should be science-based.

LEGISLATURE ISLOOKING AT SEVERALPROPOSALS THATWOULD EXPANDWOLF HUNTING INIDAHO.BUT ARE THEPROPOSALS BASEDON SCIENCE ORPOLITICS?HERE'S STEVELIEBENTHAL WITHTONIGHT'S IDAHOBACK ROADSCARTER NIEMEYERHAS LITERALLYWRITTEN THE BOOKON WOLFREINTRODUCTION.

INFACT HE'SCURRENTLY WRITINGHIS THRID.

NIEMEYERIS A WILDLIFEBIOLOGIST, AHUNTER, AND A SELFPROCLAIMED WOLFADVOCATE.

HE WASDIRECTLY INVOLVEDIN THE TRAPPING ANDRELEASE OF 35WOLVES IN IDAHOMORE THAN TWENTYYEARS AGO,NIEMEYER BELIEVESRECENT INCREASESIN THE NUMBER OFWOLVES HUNTERSAND TRAPPERS CANKILL IN IDAHO AREMOTIVATED BYPOLITICS RATHERTHAN SCIENCE."I'M NOT GONNAJUDGE THE IDAHODEPARTMENT OF FISHAND GAME.

I'M AWILDLIFE BIOLOGISTAND I KNOW MANY OFTHE BIOLOGISTSWHO WORK FOR THEAGENCY, AND I'MGUESSING THEYDON'T LIKE WHAT'SGOING ON, BUT IFTHE LEGISLATUREDICTATES TO THEMTHAT THEY HAVE TODO SOMETHING,THEY'REPROFESSIONALS,AND THEY WILLRESPOND TO THAT.TO ME THE BIGGESTPROBLEM IS HAVINGLEGISLATORSDICTATE WILDLIFEMANAGEMENTPOLICY.

I JUST THINKTHAT IS DEADWRONG."WOLVES WEREBROUGHT TO IDAHOBY THE FEDERALGOVERNMENT, BUT IN2008 THE IDAHODEPARTMENT OF FISHAND GAME TOOKOVER THEIRMANAGEMENT.EVERY YEAR THELEGISLATUREAPPROPRIATESHUNDREDS OFTHOUSANDS OFDOLLARS TOCONTROL THE WOLFPOPULATION, ANDFISH AND WILDLIFESERVICES SPENDSTHAT MONEY, MOSTLYTAKING OUT WOLVESWITH AREALGUNNING."AND ACCORDING TOTHEIR ADMISSIONTHEY'VE BEENSPENDING EIGHTTHOUSAND DOLLARSPER WOLF TO KILLONE.

I'VE LOOKED UPTHE COST OFEDUCATING A CHILDIN IDAHO, AND THECOSTS ARE VERYSIMILAR, TO EDUCATEONE CHILD OR KILLONE WOLF."THROUGH THE USEOF WOLF COLLERINGAND MORERECENTLY, TRAILCAMERAS,BIOLOGISTSESTIMATE THAT SINCETHIRTY FIVE WOLVESWERE RELEASED INCENTRAL IDAHO, THEPOPULATION HASINCREASED TOAROUND ONETHOUSANDMANY HUNTERSBELIEVE THEGROWING WOLFPOPULATION ISLEADING TODECLINING ELKPOPULATIONS.NIEMEYER SAYS THATIS NOT THE CASE."STUDIES AROUNDYELLOWSTONENATIONAL PARKSHOW THAT WOLVESSELECT FOR OLDERELK, AND NOTYOUNGER,ESPECIALLY TALKINGABOUT BREEDINGCOWS, THEY'REDOING ELK HERDS AFAVOR BYELIMINATING OLDERCOWS, MAKING ROOMFOR MOREPRODUCTIVE COWS,SO AGAIN IF YOULOOK AT IT CLOSELYTHE SCIENCE SHOWSTHAT WOLVES AREBENEFICIAL IN MANYWAYS."STUDIES SHOWMOUNTAIN LIONS ANDBEARS ARE MOREPROLIFIC IN IDAHO,AND THOSEPREDATORS KILLMORE ELK THANWOLVES.IDAHO RANCHERSARE ALSOCONCERNED ABOUTTHE WOLFPOPULATION.

ANDWHILE THE NUMBEROF LIVESTOCK BEINGKILLED BY WOLVESHAS GENERALLYDECREASED OVERTHE PAST TEN YEARS,THE LEGISLATURE ISCONSIDERING A BILLTHAT WOULD ALLOWYEAR-ROUNDHUNTING IN AREASWHERE WOLVES ARECAUSING PROBLEMS,AND THE FISH ANDGAME DEPARTMENTIS TAKING PUBLICCOMMENTS ONPROPOSALS THATWOULD ALLOWHUNTING IN THOSEAREAS THROUGH THEEND OF JUNE."WE'VE GOT QUITE AFEW WOLVES IN THESTATE ANDESPECIALLY IN SOMEPROBLEM AREAS,WHERE WE WOULDLIKE TO SEE FEWER,SO THIS IS ANOPPORTUNITY FORHUNTERS ANDTRAPPERS TO BEOUR FIRST LINE OFDEFENSE TO REDUCESOME OF THOSECONFLICTS."NIEMEYER SAYSEXPANDING WOLFHUNTING ANDTRAPPING GOESAGAINST COMMONPRACTICES THAT ENDSEASONS WHENANIMALS LIKEWOLVES AREBREEDING ANDREARING THEIRYOUNG.

HE SAYSWOLF PELTS HAVEVERY LITTLE VALUE INSPRING, AND OTHERTHAN REDUCING THEWOLF POPULATION,HE SEES NO REASONTO ALLOW HUNTINGPAST MARCH."TO ME AS A WILDLIFEBIOLOGIST, AND AHUNTER, AND A WOLFADVOCATE, IT'S JUSTINAPPROPRIATE ANDDISRESPECTFUL OFTHE ANIMAL TO BEHUNTING THEM INTOTHE BREEDINGSEASON."NIEMEYER BELIEVESTHE CHANGES WILLHAVE LITTLE IMPACTON WOLFPOPULATIONS, ANDHE SAYS A VOCALMINORITY ISCREATING ANATMOSPHERE INWHICH POLITICS ARETAKING PRECEDENTOVER SCIENCE."I THINK IT'S WRONGTHAT THELEGISLATURE ISDICTATING WILDLIFEMANAGEMENT TOTHE STATE FISH ANDGAME MANAGEMENTAGENCY.

IRECOGNIZE THATTHAT'S THEPOLITICAL REALITY,BUT I THINK THEIDAHO DEPARTMENTOF FISH AND GAMESHOULD BE LEFT TOTHEIR OWNRESOURCES, ANDTHEIR THOUGHTSAND PROFESSIONALTRAINING TO MANAGEWOLVES IN IDAHO."STEVE LIEBENTHAL,SIX ON YOUR SIDE."AND NOW, THE