On June 26, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks announced the opening of public comment on a proposed $20 “Wolf Conservation Stamp.” The Fish, Wildlife and Parks commissioners voted unanimously to send the matter to the agency for rulemaking at their Fort Peck meeting May 22. The “Notice of Proposed Adoption” foresees “No Public Hearing Contemplated.”
Well, I’ve already sent my comment (deadline July 25) demanding a public hearing on this howling stupidity.
Wolf worshippers already can support wolf management, or at least help FWP’s funding problems. First, like anyone else, they can buy a Montana conservation license, eight bucks for residents and ten bucks for visitors or admirers from afar. Or, really dedicated wolf lovers can buy wolf tags, $19 for residents, $50 out of state on top of the conservation license. They could, of course, just write a donation check. But for some reason, they won’t.
So, why a stamp? After listening to the Fort Peck meeting audio and doing some digging, this scheme is apparently the brainchild of Zack Strong of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Strong prevailed on commission chair Dan Vermilion to put the matter before the commission, and no opponents spoke up, only Mr. Strong, along with Wolves of the Rockies, Living with Wolves, Endangered Species Coalition, Defenders of Wildlife and the Montana Wildlife Federation. Keep in mind that FWP’s wolf-management history page duly notes that “Defenders of Wildlife and the National Wildlife Federation spearheaded a successful effort to have wolves listed as ‘endangered’ under the ESA’s provisions.” Thanks, Wildlife Federation!
Using parts of Strong’s May 21 blog posting to the NRDC website “Switchboard,” after paying administrative overhead, one third of the stamp proceeds would go to livestock producers who install “nonlethal” defenses against predators. Another third would go to “studying wolves, educating the public” and buying “suitable wolf habitat.” The last third would go to hire more game wardens, specifically “in occupied wolf habitat.”
Not a penny of stamp money would compensate livestock growers for munched property, nor make up for all the munched hunting opportunity.
Strong writes such a stamp would be a “perfect opportunity for non-hunters, non-trappers, ‘non-consumptive’ wildlife watchers […to…] add their voices and perspectives to the development of wildlife policies in our state.”
Ah … perspectives. In a life long ago and far away in Colorado, I learned what happens when animal activists get ahold of wildlife policy. In 1977, Colorado was the first state to offer non-consumptives (basically freeloaders, who enjoy what sportsman dollars have kept available) a nongame checkoff to allow “the public” a chance to support wildlife. In the early ‘90s, that “public support” was abused by antis to pass two ridiculous ballot measures, one a spring bear hunt ban, and the other a partial trapping ban.
But actual “public support” was pathetic. The average Colorado sportsperson spent an average of $32 per year on licenses. The average Coloradan? 10.4 cents a year – now that’s depth of passion.
Montana also has a non-game checkoff. FWP’s site explains the checkoff produced $496,000 in 20 years, and has averaged $24,000 the past five years. Across about 380,000 tax filers in 2014, that’s 6.3 cents. A year. Man, what commitment.
In screaming contrast, in 2001, FWP claimed 254,453 hunters in 2001. Today, resident deer tags are $16; elk resident B tags $25; resident multi-species sportsman licenses $85. Really, who totes Montana’s wildlife freight – or used to?
A 2013 Responsive Management study shows, despite national increases in hunting, a shocking Montana-resident hunter decline from 145,000 hunters in 2006 to 104,000 in 2011, (alongside what the 2011 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Survey tallied as 46,000 nonresident hunters). Does anyone notice how Montana’s hunters stopped buying licenses about the same time wolves began seriously gobbling up Montana’s huntable game? Hunters sure did, and they voted with their wallets.
So what does the commission do? Turn away from the hunters, trappers and fishers who have loyally carried Montana’s wildlife ball for ages, in the vain hope of scoring a revenue stream from those who have never, ever supported sensible wildlife management – and never, ever will.
Howling stupidity, indeed.
Links:
Wolf history: http://fwp.mt.gov/doingBusiness/reference/montanaChallenge/vignettes/wolf.html
Strong’s blog: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/zstrong/
MOGA press release: http://www.montanaoutfitters.org/news/fwp-releases-proposed-rule-sale-wolf-management-stamps/
May 22 commission meeting audio/materials: http://fwp.mt.gov/doingBusiness/insideFwp/commission/meetings/agenda.html?meetingId=34028788
Montana nongame program: http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/nongameCheckoff/funding.html
Hunting study:http://www.responsivemanagement.com/fdownload/reports/hunt_fish_increase_report.pdf
Stamp proposal public notice, and commenting instructions: http://fwp.mt.gov/news/publicNotices/armRules/pn_0177.html