On the recordDecember 21, 2010
I wish to rise to speak about an issue that has been at the center of debate in the northern Rockies for quite some time; that is, the issue of the wolf. The wolf was introduced into the northern Rockies in the 1990s and has flourished. Wolves are now abundant in the region, but, unfortunately, we have not been able to return the management of the wolves to the State, mostly due to litigation and to the inflexibility of the Endangered Species Act. In the meantime, wolf populations are growing at a rate of about 20 percent a year, resulting in substantial harm to our big game herds and domestic livestock. Whenever I am back in Idaho, I hear from hunters who are angry their favorite hunting spots are no longer rich with elk and deer or from sheep and cattle ranchers who have lost many a head of cattle or sheep due to the wolf predation. The State of Idaho has done everything it has been asked to do in order to manage wolves, and we continue to be denied that much needed opportunity. As such, it is time for Congress to act.
