New rules help state wolf management

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced new rules Monday that will allow the state of Montana to assume lead management authority, along with additional management flexibility, over wolves across the state.

The policy change, announced by Secretary of Interior Gale Norton, essentially extends the management authority Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has over Northwest Montana wolves to southern areas of the state that have "experimental" populations of wolves.

The Fish and Wildlife Service currently has lead management authority over those packs while the state has an advisory role. The rule change will take effect in 30 days, according to Carolyn Sime, Montana's gray wolf coordinator.

While the rule change provides Montana with considerable autonomy, the state is still restricted in the methods it can use to manage wolves, mainly because the state's wolf populations are still protected by the Endangered Species Act.

The state cannot allow hunting or trapping of wolves until they are delisted.

But Montana has its own wolf management plan, and the new rule change will give the state new management flexibility.

"It includes provisions to protect livestock both on public and private land, which is an important provision for Montana," Sime said."We will be implementing as much of the state plan as possible, up to what the federal regulations allow."

With funding provided by the federal government, Montana has hired Sime along with four wolf management specialists who are assigned to geographic areas inhabited by wolves.