Western Media
Wolf Decision Coverage
Idaho suspends tag sales; more on the reaction to yesterday's ruling by U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy.By Jule Banville, 8-06-10
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| Photo courtesy of the Flathead Beacon. | |
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The Idaho Statesman this a.m. has Fish & Game and Gov. Butch Otter on the record about yesterday afternoon’s decision to relist the grey wolf as an endangered species.
Idaho immediately stopped sales of wolf tags.
Idaho Fish and Game Deputy Director Jim Unsworth told the paper, “We’re frustrated; we’re angry; we’re disappointed. We’ve played by the rules, but his decision allows procedural technicalities to overcome sound science and common sense.”
Gov. Otter vowed to appeal. “I don’t know why any state would ever allow another reintroduction of a species because the federal government and radical environmentalists simply cannot live up to their word and allow state management,” Otter told the Statesman.
Ammoland.com has news that the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s reaction to the decision was to immediately call on Congress to reform the Endangered Species Act.
Kirk Repanshek has a pro-listing take for National Parks Traveler. That site also has a pdf link to the actual decision.
For more pros and cons, NBCMontana has reaction from bloggers, others.
Elsewhere, the Wall Street Journal quotes Interior’s assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Tom Strickland, as saying the decision means his department will work with Montana, Idaho and Wyoming--where wolves had not been delisted-- as well as with tribes, environmental groups, ranchers and other landowners “to manage wolves and ensure the species continues to thrive and coexist with livestock, other wildlife populations, and people.”
The New York Times’ Green blog pulled out an especially colorful quote from Molloy’s 50-page ruling regarding his contention that protection extended in Wyoming is not consistent with delisting in the other two states. It’s “like saying an orange is an orange only when it is hanging on a tree.”
Prior to his decision, an L.A. Times blog, Greenspace, took a look at the “tough Montana judge” who sticks it to the government to prove its case.
And while we’re on the subject, Molloy was a Butte boy, according to Wikipedia.
His decision shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. He essentially outlined his position in June, according to this rundown in the Missoulian.
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Comments
god bless wyoming
I'm suggesting that there is a whole lot of hypocrisy in less populated, poor, conservative, red state attitudes against the federal government
mickey puts in a nutshell the basic misconception that the " blue states" have about the world at large. the only thing he actually got correct is that we are conservative and we are a red state.
true we have less population than most, and we are glad this is the case, but wyoming is far from poor, in fact we have plenty of money that is generated from our industries within the state. heck our energy industry alone probably produces some of the highest revenues of any industry in the Midwest just by itself.
what he refers to as " red state attitudes against the federal government" we view as " geeze, why wont those blue states get off the goverment dole and make it on their own like we do"
what they don,t realize when they look at the numbers is that the feds have vast holdings in wyoming, just like they do in nevada, and each one of those holding requires money to run and maintain, as well as someone in wyoming hired by the feds to run and maintain them. once again it is someone from far away blathering about something they no nothing about. it is not that the federal hand is feeding us because we ask for it, it is the federal hand ponying up for looking out for their " doodads" that they have vested in our state. don,t believe me ?? why is wyoming not suffering under the economic budgetary woes the way california,florida,wisconsin, and all those Blue states are. . it ain't because we get tons of gov money, it's because we have the resources and the wisdom to keep ourselves in good shape.
The presence of the huge federal land estate must account for a huge check every year. Something like 20% of Western Jobs are in "federal goverment". I guess they got to get paid too. I guess the park service is a "subsidy" that would be considered pork. Of course "irrigation" was a huge subsidy. The Burec never did get paid back, but then I doubt theres a dime going to water development now. That FDR was a great pork dispenser.
Ummmmmm mickey, have you ever even been to wyoming. The federal goverment IS the large corporate and agricultural interest.
here this may clear it up for you
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming
i am with todd on this one, feel free to withold all the fed money in trade for the federal holdings ( this includes both interstate highways) and let us manage them and keep the money they generate. also feel free to keep the wolves as they are not to be part of the deal since they are simply being overseen by the federal government and are technicaly not owned by them. we will of coarse still pay our taxes to keep yahoos like you afloat till the economy comes back this of coarse will be easy since the miniral royalties will more than cover this bill.
now back to the subject at hand, i just loved the gubernatorial candidates debate last night on pbs. looks like regardless of which republican wins ( and i predict it will be a republican) the wolves will be a court issue untill we can get the managment tools we want. with the lawsuit in cheyenne already in motion and the peer review almost over things are looking good for wyoming