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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
]]]] 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
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