Dear MSSA Friends,
MSSA’s “Wolf Recovery Act” has been introduced by Senator Joe Balyeat and now has been assigned a bill number – Senate Bill 183 or SB 183.
You may read the bill at:
http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2009/lchtml/LC0792.htm
This bill has been assigned to the Senate Fish and Game Committee. A list of committee members is at:
http://www.leg.mt.gov/css/Senate/senate%20committees.asp
Here’s what this bill will accomplish, if passed:
1) Declare Montana authority for wildlife management and challenge federal authority to force wolves on Montana;
2) Remove Montana from cooperation with the feds by voiding the cooperative management agreement between Montana and the feds and voiding the fed-driven Montana Wolf Management Plan;
3) Declare that federal wolves are not in compliance with Montana wolf policy;
4) Establish benchmarks that the feds must meet to bring federal wolves into compliance with Montana wolf policy; and
5) Establish consequences (serious consequences) for any period that federal wolves are not in compliance with Montana wolf policy.
I’ll let you know by email as soon as SB 183 is assigned a date for a public hearing before the Senate Fish and Game Committee.
When this public hearing happens, it will be essential for you to express your support for the bill – either travel to Helena to speak at the public hearing (Senate F&G meets Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3 PM) or contact senators on the committee to ask them to approve SB 183.
Gary Marbut, president
Montana Shooting Sports Association
http://www.mtssa.org
author, Gun Laws of Montana
http://www.mtpublish.com
