AT THE FRONTLINES OF WILDLIFE ADVOCACY WITH WOLVES OF THE ROCKIES
In 2021, the Montana Wildlife Commission expanded aggressive wolf hunting and trapping seasons and lifted the quota that helped to protect wolves from being needlessly killed in areas bordering Yellowstone — a decision that was strongly opposed by much of the public. That winter, the total number of Yellowstone wolves killed in the small slice of Montana adjacent to the park shot up from the average of no more than four a year to 19.
Pushing back against the state’s drastic hunting and trapping allowances, which includes the use of neck snares and night hunting, for instance, requires some serious advocacy backed by credible scientific research. It requires having boots on the ground, having unwanted conversations within the halls of power, shaking the proverbial hands and kissing the proverbial babies. Or, as Kim Bean, vice president of Wolves of the Rockies calls it, “kickin’ boots and flippin’ hats.”
Founded by Marc Cooke and Kim in 2010, Wolves of the Rockies (WotR) has long been engaged in the work of driving positive change for the gray wolf in America, a vital keystone species. As the disputes between Montana and pro-wolf advocates seem to become increasingly hot, WotR has made it a point to increase their efforts.
During the 87 days of the Montana Legislative Session that began in January of this year, Wolves of the Rockies had representatives at the capitol for 67 of them. Bracing for the worst anti-wolf and wildlife laws possible to be passed, they made the rounds, talking to elected officials and developing relationships. It was during these sessions that Marc reached out to Lance Four Star, director of the Montana American Indian Caucus (MAIC). Together, the two groups would work effectively together in helping to defeat bad wolf, bison, and grizzly bear bills, including HB 662 and HB 630, which would revise wolf trapping and black bear hunting laws. Continuing to work together, the MAIC sponsored three of WotR’s pro-wildlife bills during 2023’s legislative session. With their cooperation, Marc and Kim have been able to go on the offensive.
In July 2023, A Helena judge ruled that hunting wolves using thermal imaging technology was not explicitly allowed by the 2021 law that expanded when and how the animals can be legally killed on private land. The lawsuit was filed in 2021 by WotR and Trap Free Montana, with the summary judgment finding that the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission strayed outside its authority when it gave hunters the ability to pursue wolves using infrared technology for hunting on private land.
Another important victory came for the group just last week when, as the result of a lawsuit filed by WotR, Montana's state wildlife management agency was forced to admit to violating the Montana constitution by failing to produce public records information related to its 2021 adoption of aggressive wolf hunting and trapping methods. Yet another reminder that without legal safeguards and members of the public to hold wildlife decision makers accountable, wolves and the many values they bring are jeopardized and democracy diminished.
These important milestones, along with the successful production of the 2023 Yellowstone Wolf Summit—a first-of-its-kind gathering of wolf experts, advocates, and pro-wolf non-profits from around the U.S.—has kept Marc and Kim busy, but they are far from finished. “The next commissioner’s hearing is coming up on October 19,” says Marc. “Under Montana law we have the right as citizens in good standing to petition the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission on things that we would like to see happen.”
Some of the most challenging but important work in wildlife advocacy is ensuring decision-makers are responsive to the interests of the majority of the public that largely values wolves and wants to see wildlife and wild places conserved. Unfortunately, state wildlife decision makers are often influenced by politics more than science and too often cater to an extreme, anti-wolf minority that views wildlife as a resource to exploit and control.
That’s whythe organization plans on submitting three petitions. “One is going to be for a wolf advisory collaborative,” explains Kim, which is basically a committee that requires total agreement among its members in order to enact measures, and would allow for organizations such as WotR to potentially have a voice at the table. “The second is that we’re going to ask the department to get away from algorithms and do an actual wolf count in Montana, so we know how many wolves we have before setting goals for how many they think should be killed.”
“And the third petition is for a wolf stamp,” she continues. “The stamp, which we proposed about three years ago, would act like a traditional long-term funding mechanism to give money to Montana Fish and Wildlife to help manage wolves in non-lethal ways.”
These may or may not be successful, but you lose 100% of the battles you don’t fight, and WotR and its coalition of wolf warriors are looking to proactively take the fight to the frontlines. Small, strong, and mighty, WotR will continue working with partners like the Montana American Indian Caucus to combat harmful wildlife policies—and introduce new proactive measures—in an effort to defend and protect the wolves that live in Yellowstone National Park and Montana.
“I don't want to give false hope,” says Marc, “but I believe in my heart that it's always darkest before dawn. And I see change coming. Groups and organizations, nonprofits in our community, we never really used to work well together. But I'm seeing change. And once we unite together, we're gonna kick some ass. I think we're right on the threshold of doing that now.”
