Louie Gohmert: “It is important, I think, to note, so you get a sense of what the gray wolves have done, that 1987 was when a plan was…”

“It is important, I think, to note, so you get a sense of what the gray wolves have done, that 1987 was when a plan was finalized to restore them to the Northern Rockies by transplanting the wolves from Canada into central Idaho, Yellowstone National Park. In 1995 and 1996, 66 Canadian wolves were transplanted, with a goal of establishing 10 breeding pairs in each of three recovery zones in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming for three consecutive years. Well, guess what, Mr. Speaker? Those 66 Canadian wolves have done pretty well. In fact--and I think this is largely why the scientists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with whom I have had many disagreements--but in this, these folks have come out and said: You know what? The U.S. population of 5,500 wolves have done real well since being transplanted from Canada. They are not the original U.S. wolves, but from Canada. They are bigger, more aggressive. But there are 3,800 just in the upper Great Lakes, 8,000 to 11,000 in Alaska, and now 60,000 in Canada. As their numbers increase, so do the massive problems. I appreciated the anecdotal information about seeing more elk and moose. I would suggest, based on the rapidly escalating number of attacks, that you are going to see more and more elk and moose want to come hang around the cars so they don't get eaten by wolves. So you will have more and more tourists seeing elk and moose, but their populations are diminishing.…”