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BREAKING NEWS: Trap Free Montana/Wolves of the Rockies vs Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks/Commission  

On February 10, 2022, a preliminary injunction hearing occurred on behalf of Trap Free Montana and Wolves of the Rockies concerning Montana 2021 wolf regulations. 

     

Trap Free Montana and Wolves of the Rockies filed a lawsuit in December and asked a judge to eliminate the use of infrared and other night hunting aids and to prevent the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks from allowing aerial spotting and hunting of wolves. 

The complaint contends changes were made to the Montana 2021 wolf regulations without public comment. The request for a temporary restraining order was denied on January 28, 2021. 

“Wolves of the Rockies and Trap Free Montana want to thank Rob Farris Olson of Morrison, Sherwood, Wilson & Deola law  firm for a solid and defendable argument before Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Michael McMahon,” said Marc Cooke, president of Wolves of the Rockies.

“Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks and Commission have a responsibility under the Public Trust doctrine to manage wildlife responsibly to ensure their sustainability for present and future generations of Montanans,” said Marc Cooke.

“Since Montana’s 2002 wolf management plan and the 2009 wolf delisting, wolves in Montana have been classified as a ‘species in need of management’. Rather than reclassify wolves as ‘game’ or ‘furbearers’, wolves are now being treated as ‘predators’. Altering the 2021 wolf regulations, the killing of wolves is further eased with the added use of night vision, thermal, and infrared imagery, and to the arsenal, the spotting and shooting of wolves from aircraft. This arbitrary species classification is somehow being used to try to justify the exclusion of the public in the due process of these additives,” said KC York, president and founder of Trap Free Montana/TFMPL.

Research shows from the states that allow night hunting, 3 prohibit artificial light and 10 prohibit night vision. It is basically unheard of to allow the night hunting of game animals. In 2019, Montana FWP came out formally in opposition to Rep. Bob Brown’s HB551, Allowing for wolf hunting at night on private lands. The bill failed to pass in the House 44:56.

During the February 10th, 2022 hearing, Attorney Farris-Olsen stated, “The department does not have the authority to change regulations.” He went on to say, per Montana statute, “The Commission shall establish the hunting, fishing, trapping rules of the department. The Department doesn’t get to just simply change regulations or adopt some implied interpretation of those regulations simply because it wants to. It needs to follow the process, and that process wasn’t followed here.”

Montana FWP received ~ 25,000 public comments and consistent with the 2021 legislative bills the far majority were in opposition to the aggressive measures proposed and killing more wolves.

“Transparency in the department is waning, too. It all diminishes public faith in Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks and the Commission. This is taking a tremendous toll, emotionally and financially, on all those who care about wolves. But we are here today, and we will be here tomorrow to right wrongs we feel conducted by the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks and Commission,” said Marc Cooke.

“Montana’s wildlife management system is broken. The public has been ignored, denied public comment, kept in the dark, and violated in our constitutional right to participate. The wolves, however, are paying the ultimate price with their lives,” said KC York. 

Judge McMahon plans his decision after March 1st.

Contacts:                                                                                                                                                                                              
KC York
President/Founder.                
Trap Free Montana                                                           
info@trapfreemt.org
www.trapfreemt.org 
406-218-1170                                                                            

Marc Cooke
President
Wolves of the Rockies
info@wolvesoftherockies.org
www.wolvesoftherockies.org
406-493-5945

Media articles
FWP aerial hunting of wolves legal in Montana.
FWP wolf hunting regulations adopted in August were not subject to public participation laws.

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As wolves in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming remain under intense fire, wolves elsewhere will now be spared. Other than our three states and portions of the other Northern Rocky Mountain states….on February 10, 2022,

ELSEWHERE, Judge Orders Federal Protections for Gray Wolves Be Restored! 

In 44 of the 48 lower states the gray wolves are relisted!

Our Western states’ gray wolves were delisted over a decade ago. Carried by Montana Senator Jon Tester, the means by which it was done through Congress, the wolves cannot be relisted through the courts. However, given the 2021 aggressive wolf management plans, they are being reviewed for relisting by the US Fish and Wildlife Agency (USFWS).

Please continue to be the voice for wolves in the Northern Rocky mountain region. Urge the USFWS to relist the gray wolf. Submit your public comment. With what is happening in these states, there is plenty of ammo to provide in your comment to fight for the wolves and their rightful respectful place in the ecosystem. Always in public comment use your own words.

The USFWS are reviewing the comments now. They encouraged getting comments in by the end of January, but the comment period has NOT closed. 

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Interior Secretary Deb Haaland addressed the killing of wolves, finally! Although it is beautiful and eloquently stated, wolves in our states need far more than words, they need help! They will never be able “to flourish” or possibly survive under the current management regimes.

Continue to respectfully contact-her and urge protections for our wolves!
Phone 1-202-208-3100

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We want to extend our thanks to Rick Lamplugh for his help in our request for witnesses, i.e. Yellowstone business owners and especially those who did not get to give public comment on January 28, although registered to do so, like many of us. We appreciate all who came forward to help and to Jeff Reed for being one who was able to testify.

Over 30% of Yellowstone wolves are allegedly missing and the wolf hunting and trapping season does not close in the state until March 15. Region 3 which abuts Yellowstone National Park is reporting 80 wolves shot, trapped, or snared. The threshold for closing that region is a reported 82 wolves killed. The latest reported toll for the 2021 Montana wolf season, effective February 11, 2022:




To all of our supporters, thank you!  Stay tuned!

We could not do this without you!