Otter picks three to help manage wildlife

BOISE - Gov. Butch Otter on Monday announced the appointment of three members to the new Idaho Wolf Depredation Control Board.

The board was created by the Legislature, effective July 1, to help protect Idaho wildlife and livestock from the transplanted predator.

Along with its co-chairs - Idaho Department of Fish and Game Director Virgil Moore and Idaho State Department of Agriculture Director Celia Gould - the new board will include Hamer rancher and former Idaho Cattle Association president Richard Savage representing the livestock industry, Carl Rey of Meridian representing the general public, and former Idaho Fish and Game Commission member Tony McDermott of Sagle representing sportsmen.

Savage and McDermott will serve terms expiring July 1, 2016. Rey's term will expire July 1, 2017.

At Gov. Otter's request, the Legislature appropriated $400,000 from the General Fund and approved fees of $110,000 from sportsmen and $110,000 from the livestock industry in creating the Wolf Control Board. It will be responsible for allocating funds to control wolves when there are conflicts with Idaho's livestock and wildlife populations.

The goal is improved coordination of control efforts as the state works through the five-year period of Endangered Species Act (ESA) delisting oversight by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. That period ends in May 2016. Legislation creating the Wolf Depredation Control Board sunsets in 2019, enabling lawmakers at that point to evaluate the continuing need.

"Managing wolves is expensive, and federal funds to sustain the Idaho management plan approved by the Legislature in 2002 are drying up," Otter said. "This solution was developed collaboratively by wildlife managers, sportsmen and ranchers to provide a reliable funding source from stakeholders for this important work. It's up to us to address damage to our livestock herds and native wildlife while maintaining state control over this species that was foisted upon Idaho by the federal government."

Creation of the Wolf Depredation Control Board will not eliminate the Idaho Department of Fish and Game's day-to-day wolf management responsibilities. That includes the continued listing of wolves as a big game species for controlled hunting and trapping.