Wolf bill up soon – ACTION NEEDED

MSSA’s “Wolf Recovery Act” (to help Montana recover from wolves), SB 183, has been passed by the Senate Finance Committee and will be before the full Senate on Second Reading some time this week (unknown now when).

It’s time to get messages to your State Senator or all State Senators asking them to support SB 183.

The general theme of messages can cover any or all of the following points (or others):

1) Montana needs strong medicine to save the patient – Montana’s hunting heritage and game herds;

2) Trend analysis of delisting is 100% failure and projected to continue to fail. The wolf advocates lawsuits to block delisting are prepared and ready to file before a sympathetic federal judge, giving them command of the battlefield – they will never quit suing;

3) Even if delisting should stick, that won’t save Montana game herds because wolves must be managed under the terms of the fed-mandated Montana Wolf Management Plan which requires wolf numbers that will continue to savage Montana’s herds of huntable game and livestock;

4) Wolves are beginning to run out of game to kill in Montana, at which point they will turn to wholesale slaughter of Montana livestock;

5) Federal imposition of wolves depends on the power of Congress to “regulate commerce among the states.” There are no wild wolves sold across state lines in the Rockies, so that federal power needs to be tested and rejected;

6) Montana needs to claim the restitution for ongoing wolf damages to Montana authorized under SB 183.

7) SB 183 creates the only bargaining power Montana has over wolves – otherwise Montana is totally at the mercy of wolves and the federal government;

Idaho has a similar bill working. Montana needs to stand together with Idaho and Wyoming;

9) If delisting actually happens and sticks, the terms of SB 183 are held in abeyance – affects nothing. SB 183 is only effective if delisting fails, again.

PLEASE get messages in to Senators asking for support of SB 183. Second Reading in the Senate will be a CRITICAL hurdle for SB 183.

The most certain way to get messages to Senators is via the Legislature’s ONLINE FORM. Here is a ROSTER of Senators.

Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com