We are 31 Montana professional wildlife biologists with more than 1,015 years of experience managing wildlife and wildlife habitat in Montana. Paul Fielder, a retired Washington state wildlife biologist, in his opinion piece on August 19 states that Congressman Ryan Zinke is right with his Congressional prohibition on listing wolverines and delisting grizzly bears in the Yellowstone, Northern Continental Divid and Bitterroot ecosystems. Mr. Fielder states that wolverine and grizzly populations have “healthy, stable populations within their biological ranges that can be effectively managed by the states.” Mr. Fielder is incorrect. The fact is that the total number of wolverines south of Canada number approximately 300 animals, although there is so little information on wolverines that this number is just an estimate. The Fish and Wildlife Service in their 2023 wolverine species status assessment states: “Uncertainty over the wolverine’s future condition in the contiguous U.S. is relatively high. Key questions remain around gene flow between the U.S. and Canada, core habitats and key dispersal corridors among core areas of the contiguous U.S., and the effective population size in the contiguous U.S. Nevertheless, the best available information suggests that habitat loss as a result of climate change and other stressors are likely to impact the viability of wolverines in the contiguous U.S. through the remainder of this century.” That hardly sounds like a healthy, stable population. As for the impacts of climate change on wolverines, we have a state administration and the Trump administration both of which actively deny that climate change is occurring, and in fact are accelerating climate change impacts by their energy policies.
As a legislator, Mr. Fielder has been the primary source of Montana legislation to increase baited wolf trapping and neck snaring in Montana. Such baited traps and neck snares are a grave risk to wolverines. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks says there are approximately 300 “active” wolf trappers in western Montana. If each active wolf trapper maintains between 10 and 20 wolf neck snares and leg-hold traps as permitted by state law, then there are between 3,000 and 6,000 baited wolf neck snares and leg hold traps distributed across wolverine habitat in western Montana every winter, and thousands more in Idaho. Under state management, there are no limitations on the use of any baited traps or neck snares within the range of wolverines. This is state management for the wolverine.
As for grizzly bears, the reason we have healthy grizzly populations in Montana is because of the listing of grizzlies under the Endangered Species Act. If grizzly bears had not been listed under the ESA in 1975, we would have very few grizzly bears today in the Northern Rockies. While grizzly numbers are doing well in the Yellowstone and NCDE, there are significant gaps in the regulation of grizzly mortality and habitat management, especially in the areas between the ecosystems. The long-term future for grizzlies will be based on their ability to successfully move between all the ecosystems in the Northern Rockies so that they have genetic, demographic and climate change resiliency. Mr. Zinke wants to Congressionally delist them by ecosystem, and he thus ignores the importance of landscape connectivity to long-term grizzly survival.
Chris Servheen, Ph.D. 35 years US Fish and Wildlife Service as Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator (retired), Missoula
Diane Boyd, Ph.D. 23 years: 8 years Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks as wolf and upland bird biologist (retired), 15 years University of Montana as large carnivore researcher (retired), Kalispell
Kate Kendall, M.S. 36 years National Park Service and US Geological Survey as research ecologist (retired), Columbia Falls
Mike Phillips, M.S. 35 years: US Fish and Wildlife Service Red Wolf Restoration Leader (retired); National Park Service Grey Wolf Restoration Leader (retired); Turner Endangered Species Fund Executive Director; Montana State Legislator 2006-2020, Bozeman
Douglas H. Chadwick, M.S. 43 years: author of The Wolverine Way; 3 years wildlife technician with NPS, 40 years independent wildlife biologist collaborating with various university and agency researchers, Whitefish
Jim Vashro, M.S. 39 years. Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as Fisheries Biologist (retired), Kalispell
Don Peters, M.S. 25 years Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as Fisheries Biologist (retired), Missoula
Dale Becker, M.S. 39 years: 7 years as a private wildlife consultant; 32 years Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes as Tribal Wildlife Program Manager, Polson
Greg Munther, M.S. 32 years US Forest Service as Biologist and District Ranger (retired), Missoula
Joe Fontaine B.S. 28 years: 6 years U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Wildlife Biologist,18 years U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as Deputy Wolf Recovery Coordinator (retired), 4 years as Deputy Project Leader National Wildlife Refuge Complex (retired), Helena
Kerry R. Foresman, Ph.D. author of The Mammals of Montana; 37 years University of Montana as Professor of Biology and Wildlife Biology (retired), Missoula
Bruce Sterling, M.S. 38 years Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as Management Biologist (retired), Thompson Falls
Sterling Miller, Ph.D. 21 years Alaska Fish and Game as Wildlife Management Biologist (retired). Affiliate Professor, University of Montana, Lolo
Tom Puchlerz, M.S. 38 years US Forest Service as Wildlife Biologist, District Ranger, and Forest Supervisor (retired), Stevensville
Tim Manley, B.S. 37 years Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in grizzly bear research and as Grizzly Bear Management Biologist (retired), Bigfork
Dan Vermillion, B.S. 13 years as Commissioner on the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission, Livingston
Glenn Elison, M.S. 25 years: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as Assistant Regional Director for Refuges and Wildlife (retired), Lewistown
Harvey Nyberg, M.S. 26 years Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, last position as Regional Supervisor (retired), Lewistown
Gary Wolfe, Ph.D. 42 years: 4 years as a Commissioner on the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission, 12 years Vermejo Park Ranch Wildlife Biologist/Manager and big game Hunting Outfitter and Guide; 15 years Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Wildlife Biologist/Field Director, Director of Field Operations, Chief Operating Officer, President & CEO (retired); 11 years Vital Ground Foundation, Wildlife Biologist/Executive Director (retired), Missoula
Edward Bangs, MS. 36 years US Fish and Wildlife Service as Wildlife Biologist on Kenai NWR and Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Coordinator (retired), Helena
Dan Carney, M.S. 31 years Blackfeet Tribe as Senior Wildlife Biologist (retired), East Glacier
Kristi DuBois, M.S. 34 years: 28 years Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks as a wildlife biologist (both game and nongame) (retired); and 6 years US Fish and Wildlife Service as a wildlife biologist (retired), Missoula
Bob Henderson, M.S. 30 years Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as Management Biologist (retired), Missoula
Gayle Joslin, M.S. 32 years Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as Wildlife Management Biologist and Research Biologist (retired), Helena
Larry Peterman, 36 years Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as Fisheries Biologist (retired), Helena
Patrick Byorth, M.S. 17 years Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as Fisheries Biologist (retired), Bozeman
Mike Jimenez, M.S. 20 years US Fish and Wildlife Service as Grey Wolf Research and Management Biologist (retired), Big Arm
Jack Stanford, Ph.D. 36 years Flathead Lake Biological Station as Director (retired), Bigfork
Lee H. Metzgar, Ph.D. 29 years University of Montana as Professor of Biology (retired). 13 years as independent wildlife consultant, Missoula
Chris Smith, M.S. 27 years with Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (retired), Helena Heidi B. Youmans, M.S. 27 years Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as Area Management Biologist, Upland Game Bureau Chief, Non-Game Bureau Chief (retired), Helena