“The commission is who will ultimately make the choice of what to put out for public comment, and we’ll look to August to complete the commission process for the coming year,” Lemon said.
More restrictive proposals
Rep. Paul Fielder, a Thompson Falls Republican who carried the snaring and season expansion bills during the Legislature, said he has some concerns over the proposals and whether they follow the laws passed by lawmakers with the intent to reduce wolf numbers.
“It’s important that they follow the intent of the legislation, and if they don’t follow the intent, they’re not doing the right thing,” he said. “They should look at the bill as written and make sure they follow the intent.”
The snaring bill does not specifically mention limits for the commission to place on the devices compared to foothold traps. And the season-lengthening bill speaks to any reductions coming from FWP regional recommendations.
Fielder, and fellow Thompson Falls Republican Sen. Bob Brown, who carried the bill directing the state to reduce wolf numbers, pointed to hunter meetings in Montana’s northwest Region 1 as a driver of the legislation. During those meetings, hunters spoke of diminishing success in areas of high wolf densities. Recommendations to curb wolves from that region have previously failed to pass at the commission.
