2006 Legislation
Print Friendly

HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 11 – Wolf monitoring, helicopter use

HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 11

View Bill Status

View Bill Text

View Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



Text to be added within a bill has been marked with Bold and
Underline. Text to be removed has been marked with
Strikethrough and Italic. How these codes are actually displayed will
vary based on the browser software you are using.

This sentence is marked with bold and underline to show added text.

This sentence is marked with strikethrough and italic, indicating
text to be removed.

Bill Status



HJM011........................................by RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION
WOLVES - Stating findings of the Legislature and urging that the U.S.
Forest Service enter a decision as soon as possible granting a special use
permit allowing the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to land helicopters
in the wilderness areas for the purpose of monitoring gray wolves in those
areas, which is essential for the state of Idaho to fulfill its obligations
under the Idaho Wolf Recovery Plan of 2002, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service 10j rule of 2005, as well as requirements imposed by the Endangered
Species Act.
                                                                        
02/02    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/03    Rpt prt - to 2nd rdg
02/06    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
02/08    3rd rdg - ADOPTED - 67-2-1
      AYES -- Anderson, Andrus, Barraclough, Barrett, Bastian, Bayer,
      Bedke, Bell, Bilbao, Black, Block, Boe, Bolz, Brackett, Cannon,
      Chadderdon, Clark, Collins, Crow, Deal, Denney, Edmunson, Ellsworth,
      Eskridge, Field(18), Field(23), Garrett, Hart, Harwood, Henbest,
      Henderson, Jaquet, Kemp, Lake, Loertscher, Martinez, Mathews,
      McGeachin, McKague, Miller, Mitchell, Moyle, Nielsen, Nonini,
      Pasley-Stuart, Pence, Raybould, Ring, Roberts, Rusche, Rydalch, Sali,
      Sayler, Schaefer, Shepherd(2), Shepherd(8), Shirley, Skippen,
      Smith(30), Smith(24), Smylie, Snodgrass, Stevenson, Trail, Wills,
      Wood, Mr. Speaker
      NAYS -- LeFavour, Ringo
      Absent and excused -- Bradford
    Floor Sponsor - Andrus
    Title apvd - To Senate
02/09    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to Res/Env
02/20    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 10th Ord
02/21    10th Ord - ADOPTED - voice vote
    Floor Sponsor - Brandt
    Title apvd - to House
02/22    To enrol
02/23    Rpt enrol - Sp signed
02/24    Pres signed
02/27    To Secretary of State

Bill Text


                                                                        
                                                                        
  ]]]]              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ]]]]
 Fifty-eighth Legislature                   Second Regular Session - 2006
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                                HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 11
                                                                        
                          BY RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                   A JOINT MEMORIAL
  2    TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED  STATES  IN  CONGRESS
  3        ASSEMBLED,  AND  TO THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION REPRESENTING THE STATE OF
  4        IDAHO IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.
                                                                        
  5        We, your Memorialists, the House of Representatives and the Senate of  the
  6    State  of  Idaho  assembled  in the Second Regular Session of the Fifty-eighth
  7    Idaho Legislature, do hereby respectfully represent that:
                                                                        
  8        WHEREAS, it is essential for the state of Idaho to monitor gray wolves and
  9    fulfill its obligations under the Wolf Recovery Plan  approved  by  the  Idaho
 10    Legislature  in  2002, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 10j rule of 2005, as
 11    well as maintain minimum counts as required by  the  Endangered  Species  Act,
 12    which  also requires, prior to de-listing wolves, that the state have adequate
 13    regulatory mechanisms in place and recovery goals achieved; and
 14        WHEREAS, because the state formally took over wolf management responsibil-
 15    ities on January 5, 2006, and due to the fact that the wolf population is  now
 16    estimated  in excess of 500 in 36 breeding pairs distributed across the state,
 17    it is critical for the state to gain a better understanding of  pack  activity
 18    and their use of the wilderness; and
 19        WHEREAS, over the last decade, backpacking, horse packing, and using steel
 20    foothold  traps  in  monitoring  efforts  have  proven largely unsuccessful in
 21    collaring wolves in the wilderness and the Department of Fish and  Game  wants
 22    to employ other techniques for obtaining information about wolves; and
 23        WHEREAS,  it  is estimated that there are a minimum of eight packs of gray
 24    wolves currently using the wilderness areas that do not have radio  monitoring
 25    collars,  and  radio  telemetry  is important to determine pack size, breeding
 26    success, rendezvous and denning sites as well as pack territory; and
 27        WHEREAS, in early 2005, the state of Idaho requested permission  from  the
 28    U.S.  Forest Service to allow the Department of Fish and Game to land helicop-
 29    ters in federally protected wilderness areas during  the  winter  months  when
 30    wilderness  use  is minimal, snow typically protects any underlying vegetation
 31    from damage during landings, and concentration of wolves is  optimal  for  the
 32    purpose of monitoring in those areas; and
 33        WHEREAS,  if  granted  permission  to land helicopters, the state of Idaho
 34    proposed collaring up to 16 gray wolves and this research activity would  sup-
 35    port  Idaho's wolf recovery plan by providing information on wolf demographics
 36    and behavior, movement patterns, and activity sites within the wilderness; and
 37        WHEREAS, use of aircraft, including helicopters, in  wilderness  areas  is
 38    permitted  only  at  established  airstrips, or as minimally necessary for the
 39    administration of the area as a wilderness and this determination must be made
 40    by the U.S. Forest Service Regional Forester for the area through issuance  of
 41    a special use permit; and
 42        WHEREAS,  the  state  worked  with the U.S. Forest Service in completing a
 43    minimum requirements analysis that indicated that  the  use  of  a  helicopter
 44    would  be  the minimum tool to accomplish the project objectives in comparison
                                                                        
                                           2
  1    with the use of trappers traveling into the wilderness using established land-
  2    ing strips, by foot or by horseback during the  summer  months  and  locating,
  3    luring  and trapping wolves via leg hold traps, a method that is less success-
  4    ful, requires significantly more time, and has a greater potential for  damage
  5    to captured wolves; and
  6        WHEREAS,  on  December  4, 2005, the Regional Forester published a Scoping
  7    Notice, consisting of a two-page summary  of  the  proposal  and  the  minimum
  8    requirements analysis, seeking public comment and, although expected to make a
  9    decision  on  January  10, 2006, the U.S. Forest Service Regional Forester has
 10    now delayed decision pending further analysis of public  comments  and  issues
 11    related to the request; and
 12        WHEREAS,  this  delay  significantly hinders Idaho's efforts at monitoring
 13    during a time of year when wolves are easier to find, potentially forcing  the
 14    state  to  deploy  field efforts during the summer months when there is higher
 15    human use of the wilderness areas and catching wolves will be more intrusive.
 16        NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the members of the Second  Regular  Ses-
 17    sion  of  the Fifty-eighth Idaho Legislature, the House of Representatives and
 18    the Senate concurring therein, urging that the U.S.  Forest  Service  enter  a
 19    decision  as soon as possible granting a special use permit allowing the Idaho
 20    Department of Fish and  Game  to  land  helicopters  in  wilderness  areas  as
 21    requested  for  the  purpose of monitoring gray wolves in those areas which is
 22    essential for the state of Idaho to fulfill its obligations  under  the  Idaho
 23    Wolf  Recovery  Plan  of  2002, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 10j rule of
 24    2005, as well as requirements imposed by the Endangered Species Act.
 25        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chief Clerk of the  House  of  Representa-
 26    tives  be, and she is hereby authorized and directed to forward a copy of this
 27    Memorial to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Repre-
 28    sentatives of Congress, and  the  congressional  delegation  representing  the
 29    State of Idaho in the Congress of the United States.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact



                       STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

                             RS 15787 
       
A Memorial to Congress and to the Idaho Congressional Delegation
requesting that they urge the U.S. Forest Service to enter a
decision as soon as possible granting a special use permit
allowing the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to land
helicopters in wilderness areas as requested for the purpose of
monitoring gray wolves in those areas which is essential for the
state of Idaho to fulfill its obligations under the Idaho Wolf
Recovery Plan of 2002, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 10(j)
rule of 2005, as well as requirements imposed by the Endangered
Species Act.



                           FISCAL NOTE

There is no fiscal impact.




Contact:

Name: Rep. Ken Andrus 
      Rep. Mike Moyle
Phone: (208) 332-1000



STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                        HJM 11