Robert T. Fanning, Jr., Chairman and Founder of Friends of the Northern Yellowstone Elk Herd, is asking that question. He says also, “Assistant U.S. Secretary of Interior Craig Manson flew to Montana September 2002 & met with FOTNYEH and HB 283 bill sponsor Rep. Dan Fuchs, then Chairman of the Montana House Fish Wildlife and Parks Committee. Manson personally helped draft the original language of this legislation based on his personal DOI pledge to the State of Montana’s legislature through Rep. Fuchs to delist wolves by “date certain” Jan. 1 2004.

A severely watered down version of this bill passed by a super majority in 2003 and became law.
{the first reading of this bill had a super majority too.}”

Below is a copy of HB283. Fanning asks that you read this very carefully, especially through the lines that Mt. FWP had stricken and invites everyone to a function in Bozeman, Montana on May 16, to learn more about the wolf introductions of the mid-90s,

58th Legislature HB0283.03
- 1 – Authorized Print Version – HB 283
1 HOUSE BILL NO. 283
2 INTRODUCED BY FUCHS, ANDERSEN, BALYEAT, ESP, LAIBLE, RICE, SPRAGUE, GLASER
3
4 A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT PROVIDING A SUBSTITUTE STATE PLAN FOR WOLF
5 MANAGEMENT IF THE UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE DOES NOT REMOVE THE
6 NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN OR GRAY WOLF FROM THE UNITED STATES’ LIST OF ENDANGERED
7 OR THREATENED WILDLIFE BY JANUARY 1, 2004, UNLESS THE U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE
8 INTERIOR CERTIFIES THAT ADDITIONAL TIME IS NEEDED, OR IF DELISTING OCCURS BY JANUARY 1,
9 2004, BUT IS CHALLENGED IN COURT; DEFINING THE GRAY WOLF AS A PREDATOR FOR STATE
10 MANAGEMENT PURPOSES UNDER THE SUBSTITUTE PLAN; DIRECTING THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO
11 SEEK COMPENSATION FROM THE UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE FOR PREPARE A
12 PROACTIVE OPINION OF STATE OPTIONS REGARDING DELISTING AND POSSIBLE LITIGATION
13 SCENARIOS RELATED TO RECOVERY OF DAMAGES AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH WOLF
14 REINTRODUCTION IN MONTANA; REPEALING THE PRESENT STATUTORY WOLF MANAGEMENT PLAN
15 IF DELISTING DOES NOT OCCUR BY JANUARY 1, 2004, OR IF DELISTING OCCURS BY JANUARY 1, 2004,
16 BUT IS CHALLENGED IN COURT; REPEALING SECTION 87-5-131, MCA; AND PROVIDING AN IMMEDIATE
17 EFFECTIVE DATES DATE.”
18
19 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
20
21 NEW SECTION. Section 1. Substitute state wolf management plan. (1) The department shall
22 remove the Northern Rocky Mountain or gray wolf from the state list of endangered species and manage wolves
23 within the boundaries of Montana, but outside the boundaries of Yellowstone national park, as predators.
24 (2) The department, or the department of livestock, pursuant to 81-7-102 and 81-7-103, shall control
25 wolves as predators for the protection and safeguarding of HUMANS, livestock, and huntable game species.
26
27 NEW SECTION. Section 1. Attorney general to seek compensation for ANALYZE STATE DELISTING
28 OPTIONS AND POSSIBLE LITIGATION SCENARIOS FOR RECOVERY OF damages and costs associated with wolf
29 reintroduction. Pursuant to 2-15-501(9), the attorney general is directed to initiate litigation against the United
30 States fish and wildlife service for ANALYZE THE STATE’S OPTIONS RELATED TO DELISTING AND, IN COOPERATION WITH
58th Legislature HB0283.03
- 2 – Authorized Print Version – HB 283
THE 1 DEPARTMENT OF FISH, WILDLIFE, AND PARKS, PREPARE A PROACTIVE LEGAL OPINION FOR POSSIBLE LITIGATION
2 SCENARIOS REGARDING RECOVERY OF damages and costs incurred by the state of Montana that are associated
3 with wolf reintroduction. The attorney general may, if desirable, join the states of Idaho and Wyoming in bringing
4 the action.
5
6 NEW SECTION. Section 3. Repealer. Section 87-5-131, MCA, is repealed.
7
8 NEW SECTION. Section 4. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is intended to be codified as an
9 integral part of Title 87, chapter 5, part 1, and the provisions of Title 87, chapter 5, part 1, apply to [section 1].
10
11 NEW SECTION. Section 2. Effective dates DATE. (1) [Sections 2 and 4 and this section] are [THIS ACT]
12 IS effective on passage and approval.
13 (2) [Sections 1 and 3] are effective:
14 (a) if the United States fish and wildlife service does not remove the Northern Rocky Mountain or gray
15 wolf from the United States’ list of endangered or threatened wildlife by January 1, 2004, UNLESS THE U.S.
16 ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR CERTIFIES TO THE STATE IN WRITING THAT DELISTING WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED
17 BY A DATE BETWEEN JANUARY 1, 2004, AND JUNE 1, 2004, IN WHICH CASE [SECTIONS 1 AND 3] ARE EFFECTIVE IF
18 DELISTING IS NOT ACCOMPLISHED BY THE DATE CERTIFIED IN WRITING BY THE U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF THE
19 INTERIOR; or
20 (b) if the United States fish and wildlife service does remove the Northern Rocky Mountain or gray wolf
21 from the United States’ list of endangered or threatened wildlife by January 1, 2004, and the department of fish,
22 wildlife, and parks removes the wolf from the state list of endangered species, but either delisting is subsequently
23 challenged in court.
24 – END -

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