Montana fish and Game Included petition

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MFWP Tracking Number:05232017

To request a change to regulations under the authority of the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

MFWP We are requesting that this Petition be considered at the next Meeting.

SECTION I:

1. Person or organization requesting the change

Organization: Protect The Wolves™ Pack a Native American Group

Name of primary contact person: Roger Dobson, Director of Media.

Patricia Herman, President

Address: 27946 Henry Mayo, Castaic CA 91384

Telephone number: 406-219-8690

Email address: roger@protectthewolves.com

2. Rulemaking Authority – Petition to the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

Commission pursuant amend hunting regulations and hunting areas pertaining to wolves pursuant to the Montana Gray Wolf Management Plan.

3. Overview – To amend the Sections/ add Sections

Add 50 km Sacred Resource Protection Zone surrounding all National Parks within Montana.

Marked or Radio-Collared Animals – To be changed from Legal to Illegal. It is illegal to shoot game animals that have radio collars, neck bands, ear tags and/or other markers,

Making it illegal to take an animal with a collar on it.

Adding Section to Wolf Hunting Regulations for Varmint hunting as well to ban the Use of Predator Calls with 15 miles of protective Corridors, refuges, or Sacred Resource Protection Safety Zone.

4. Rationale – To save taxpayers the cost of collaring wildlife an expense that MFWP finds necessary to install new collars each year, in addition to prevent the human-caused mortality of humanized wildlife, legal or otherwise (wildlife that have become accustomed to human presence, such as in Yellowstone, or Glacier etc, wherein they are unaware of human threat due to hunting or otherwise) that venture outside of National Parks. Those Resources are not only state but they are federal resources; they are sacred tribal resources, as well as public resources. As Such, need their Federal Protections within the SRPSZ. These Wildlife reside within National Parks are not State Resources and fall under National Park Protections regulations which include Sacred sites and resources for the Indigenous.

SECTION II:

5. Date of Petition: Will be emailed to Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks

6. Category of Proposed Change

☐ Hunting/Trophy areas surrounding all designated National Parks including Yellowstone and Glacier etc. The Sacred Resources in these areas have been humanized.  Wildlife that are used to being near Humans as the resources of all the people of the United States, Tribes included, due to these being sacred resources.

7. The proposal to Amend Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Wolf Hunting Regulations

☐ Amend Wolf Regulations to add Section  that includes establishing

A SACRED RESOURCE PROTECTION SAFETY ZONE of 50km surrounding All National Parks within Montana including Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, etc and that wolves within this zone must be protected from any and all human-caused mortality to the greatest extent possible. Further banning the use of Predator Calls within 15 miles of established Sacred Resource Protection Zone

☐ Add new line item designated National Park Resources adding the following: Wolves in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, or other National Park ecosystems are resources of the public of the United States of America, and as such will not be managed by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks as Trophy Game Animals. (These Public Resources are Protected under not only the Indian Trust, but the Public Trust, as well as National Park Policy and cannot be managed at the hands of special interest hunter or rancher groups

Wolf Regulations shall be amended to ban all hunting of predators in the SRPSZ; this is defined as thirty minutes after sunset to thirty minutes before dawn or sunrise. The hunting and the killing of predator animals including Coyotes is likely to result in the mistaken ID take of predatory animals and of gray wolves. It has already been used as an excuse in illegal takes in various states prior to making this request.

A Further Amendment Montana Wolf Regulations shall preclude and ban the use of the “Calls” of Predatory Animals within 16 miles of the established SRPSZ. Hunters shall not be allowed to call the Grey Wolf and other predators from closer than 15 miles of the SRPSZ the safety zone of the National parks and refuge boundaries.

Montana Wolf Regulations shall also be amended to preclude the use of bear bait in the SRPSZ zone. This practice has resulted and does result in the mistaken ID shooting of Grizzly Bear a threatened and federally protected species. It is not legal for hunters to feed or chum wild animals with bait other than permitted bear bait sites. Many of these bear bait sites are in the SRPSZ and directly adjacent to cattle ranches. Bear Bait shall result in attracting the Gray Wolf to inappropriate locations. This shall not be allowed in the SRPSZ

8. Effective date This proposed change requires either immediate implementation,

or a delay in the setting or initiation of any wolf hunting season in Montana. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks is attempting to manage federal public resources without involving all parties that should be included in the management of our federal, public and Indian trust

resources under mentioned trusts with those sacred resources (Indigenous Sites are but 1 of our Sacred Resources) within Yellowstone National Park, or other National Parks are being currently federally protected.

9. Supporting documentation: See Attachment A

10. Economic or Fiscal Impacts: Continued hunting as Trophy Animals, or as Predatory Animals will impact greatly the ability of not only Yellowstone National Park, but also all National Parks, and National Wildlife Refuges (being a designation to protect and preserve their natural heritage for the use and enjoyment of the people), impair the ability of these National Parks and National Wildlife Refuges to continue drawing visitors for the viewing of wolves and other wildlife.

11. Definitions. For the purpose of this regulation, definitions shall be as set forth in Montana Statutes and we petition the Commission also to adopt the following definition:

(a) “Human-caused mortality” means any legal or illegal human-caused gray wolf death that occurs during an open gray wolf hunting season or at any other time, including gray wolves taken by the Department, gray wolves taken under that authority or taken under Lethal Take Permits and known natural and accidental gray wolf deaths. Shall be represented in Montanas target quotas.

12. Should Montana Fish Wilflife and Parks refuse to give this matter the Public Comment Period worthy of a national resource, not merely a state resource, then Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks will be in direct conflict with the mandates placed upon them by the Trusts as a Trustee.

(a)Further The State of Montana needs to acknowledge the death of the female wolf known as “The White Lady” that Yellowstone National Park officials had to euthanize due to the actions of a poacher. Necropsy results prove this human-caused mortality was from gunshot wounds. While this crime most likely occurred in Montana, current lax regulations in Wyoming make this type of event likely in Wyoming as well. Wyoming Trustees need to be accountable for including resource loss and reflect such in their trophy areas.

The Grey Wolf Management Plan Shall include adequate regulatory mechanisms to ensure the preservation of the grey wolf species in the (SRPSZ). This requirement includes and is not limited to regulations, which clearly define each element of the crime of illegal take of a Gray Wolf. This shall include clear definition of the penalty for said illegal take which shall be a clear deterrent to a violation of this law. It is mandatory that the deterrent include a loss of hunting license/privilege for an appropriate period of time and restitution in the amount to be determined from public input and from the science of wolf management to date.  The laws shall be clear and irrefutable if you kill a wolf illegally you will lose your ticket to hunt and you will pay. You may go to jail depending upon the gravity of your offense. The mandatory jail term offense shall be clearly defined

SECTION 3: WGF Commission Staff Only

Date received:

MFWP staff action:

MFWP authority

Tracking Number:

Date petitioner was notified of receipt of petition and pending action:

Meeting date for MFWP consideration: