Update (March, 2014): This bill was signed into law by Governor Butch Otter. We will continue to fight its implementation, and use it as a prime example of why gray wolves deserve federal protection.
Bill Description:
The bill would establish a Wolf Control Fund and a State Board to direct and manage the fund. The fund would receive $110,000 annually for four years, beginning in 2015. The money allocated from this fund would be used for “control actions” (such as trapping) for wolves where there is depredation conflict between wolves and wildlife or livestock.[teaserbreak]
Background:
This bill was introduced to satisfy Governor Otter’s request for $2 million to bolster wolf control in Idaho. The governor made this request to satisfy special interests among livestock producers. The plan seeks to reduce Idaho’s population of wolves from around 600 to around 150, the minimum limit the state agreed to when the reintroduction of gray wolves was proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the early 1990s.
The gray wolf lost federal protections in the Great Lakes region, including Idaho, in 2011 – allowing the reintroduction of these brutal hunting and trapping seasons. Read our fact sheet on gray wolves for more information about this majestic and highly imperiled species.
Take Action:
Idaho residents, even though this bill passed, you can still tell your state legislators that you are opposed to this new law, and to the slaughter of gray wolves.
Read the full text here.