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Numeric List Accountability Health & Human Services Justice System Education State Employees Taxation & Revenue Wildlife & Environment Worker & Public Safety Tribal Affairs Senior Citizens	HB 229: Predator and Trophy Game Management 2003 General Session Sponsor: Rep. Mike Baker (R-H28, Thermopolis); co-sponsors Bob Brechtel (R-H38, Casper), Kurt Bucholtz (R-H47, Saratoga), Pat Childers (R-H50, Cody), Randall Luthi (R-H21, Freedom), David Miller (R-H55, Riverton), Mick Powers (R-H18, Lyman), Mark Semlek (R-H1, Moorcroft), Jeff Wasserburger (R-H32, Gillette), Jane Wostenberg (R-H27, Worland) and Sens. Hank Coe (R-S18, Cody), Gerald Geis (R-S20, Worland), Laness Northrup (R-S19, Posell), Delaine Roberts (R-S16, Etna) Legislator votes by regions Big Horn Basin Casper-Area Cheyenne-Area Gillette-Area Lander/Riverton-Area Northeast/East Central Sheridan-Area South Central Southwest West Central          The gray wolf, which was reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park (YNP) in 1995, has reached the recovery criteria of 15 breeding pairs set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) when the reintroduction occurred.          But the USFWS has been waiting to initiate the process to delist the wolf (that is, remove its current listing under the Endangered Species Act) until the agency is satisfied that all three surrounding states (Wyoming, Montana and Idaho) have developed management plans that ensure adequate protection for the animals to prevent their being re-endangered.          In Wyoming, wolves are currently classified as predators throughout the state under state law, which means they can be killed without a license anytime by anyone. This situation did not satisfy the USFWS that the state could adequately protect the wolf to ensure its long-term survival in Wyoming.          Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) biologists proposed a wolf management plan that would classify wolves as trophy game animals statewide. That classification would allow the wolf population to be managed through hunting, while still granting property owners the right to kill a wolf found destroying livestock.          The Wyoming Game and Fish Commission (WGFC) ordered the Department to rewrite the management plan to classify the wolf as trophy game in areas of northwestern Wyoming around Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and to retain the predator classification for wolves in the rest of Wyoming.          HB 229 would make this dual classification status for wolves Wyoming law. Initially the bill proposed trophy game classification in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and in the wilderness areas in the Shoshone and Bridger-Teton National Forests.          The bill was amended during extensive committee hearings to reduce the area where wolves would be classified as trophy game animals even further, down to those wilderness areas that directly adjoin Grand Teton or Yellowstone National Park.          The committee also amended the bill to require the WGFC to adopt rules that would ensure the survival of seven packs outside YNP. The amendment was intended to imply that the USFWS would be responsible for maintaining eight more packs inside the national parks, to achieve the required total of 15 packs statewide.          Supporters of HB 229 argued that wolves are a burden on the state and its citizens, and that Wyoming should try to force the USFWS to maintain some management responsibility. They wanted to provide citizens with the ability to kill wolves at will, but they maintained that they didn't want to prevent delisting of wolves.          Opponents of HB 229 argued that the best plan would be the original WGFD plan, to classify wolves as trophy game animals statewide. They noted that such status would give the WGFD maximum flexibility in managing wolves, and would raise revenue for the Department through hunting license sales. They believed active management under trophy game status would be most likely to ensure the long-term survival of wolves in Wyoming, and would be most likely to satisfy the USFWS's concerns about how Wyoming intended to manage wolves after they are delisted.          Senators added a clause to HB 229 directing the WGFD to monitor big game populations statewide to determine if wolves are impacting them and to what extent. The WGFD was also directed to manage wolves to ensure the long-term health and viability of those herds that are threatened by wolves.          HB 229 passed the House 56-2 (two excused), and passed the Senate 27-3.          The votes listed below are Third Reading (final passage) votes in the House and Senate.          A YES vote means the legislator support a dual classification scheme for wolves in Wyoming, classifying them as a trophy game animal in and near Yellowstone National Park, and as predators outside that area.          A NO vote means the legislator did not support such a dual classification scheme for gray wolves in Wyoming. Bighorn Basin Legislators House 3rd 2/12/03 Senate 3rd 2/27/03 S 18 Hank Coe (R) Yes H 24 Colin Simpson (R) Yes H 50 Pat Childers (R) Yes S 19 Laness D. Northrup (R) Yes H 25 Alan Jones (R) Yes H 26 Elaine Harvey (R) Yes S 20 Gerald E. Geis (R) Yes H 27 Jane Wostenberg (R) Yes H 28 Micheal Baker (R) Yes Casper-Area Legislators House 3rd 2/12/03 Senate 3rd 2/27/03 S 27 John Barrasso (R) Yes H 35 Roy Cohee (R) Yes H 36 Liz Gentile (D) Yes S 28 Keith Goodenough (D) Yes H 56 Tom Walsh (R) Excused H 57 Thomas A. Lockhart (R) Yes S 29 Bill Hawks (R) Yes H 37 Steve Harshman (R) Yes H 59 Mary Gilmore (D) Yes S 30 Charles K. Scott (R) Yes H 38 Bob Brechtel (R) Yes H 58 Ann Robinson (D) Yes Cheyenne-Area Legislators House 3rd 2/12/03 Senate 3rd 2/27/03 S 4 April Brimmer Kunz (R) Yes H 7 Tony Ross (R) Yes H 41 Becket Hinckley (R) Yes S 5 John Hanes (R) Yes H 8 Larry Meuli (R) Yes H 42 Pete Illoway (R) Yes S 6 Rich Cathcart (D) No H 9 Wayne Johnson (R) Yes H 10 Rodney "Pete" Anderson (R) Yes S 7 Kathryn Sessions (D) Yes H 11 Wayne Reese (D) Yes H 43 Ed Prosser (R) Yes S 8 E. Jayne Mockler (D) No H 12 Layton Morgan (D) Yes H 44 Floyd Esquibel (D) Yes Gillette-Area Legislators House 3rd 2/12/03 Senate 3rd 2/27/03 S 23 John Hines (R) Yes H 31 Jene Jansen (R) Yes H 52 George McMurtrey (R) Yes S 24 Richard A. Erb (R) Yes H 32 Jeff Wasserburger (R) Yes H 53 Frank Latta (R) Yes Lander/Riverton-Area Legislators House 3rd 2/12/03 Senate 3rd 2/27/03 S 25 Cale Case (R) Yes H 33 Harry Tipton (R) Yes H 54 Del McOmie (R) Yes S 26 Robert A. Peck (R) Yes H 34 Frank Philp (R) Yes H 55 David Miller (R) Yes Northeast/East Central WY Legislators House 3rd 2/12/03 Senate 3rd 2/27/03 S 1 Bill Barton (R) Yes H 1 Mark Semlek (R) Yes H 2 Ross Diercks (D) Yes S 2 Jim Anderson (R) Yes H 5 James C. Hageman (R) Yes H 6 Dave Edwards (R) Yes S 3 Curt Meier (R) Yes H 3 Deborah Alden (R) Yes H 4 Edward A. Buchanan (R) Yes Sheridan-Area Legislators House 3rd 2/12/03 Senate 3rd 2/27/03 S 21 Bruce Burns (R) Yes H 29 Jerry Iekel (R) Yes H 51 Rosie Berger (R) Yes S 22 John Schiffer (R) Yes H 30 Jack Landon (R) Yes H 40 Doug Osborn (R) Excused South Central WY Legislators House 3rd 2/12/03 Senate 3rd 2/27/03 S 9 Mike Massie (D) No H 13 Jane Warren (D) Yes H 45 Lorna Johnson (D) Yes S 10 Irene Devin (R) Yes H 14 Phil Nicholas (R) Yes H 46 James Slater (R) Yes S 11 Bill Vasey (D) Yes H 15 George Bagby (D) No H 47 Kurt Bucholz (R) Yes Southwest WY Legislators House 3rd 2/12/03 Senate 3rd 2/27/03 S 12 Rae Lynn Job (D) Yes H 48 Marty Martin (D) Yes H 16 Pete Jorgensen (D) Yes S 13 Tex Boggs (D) Yes H 17 Fred Parady (R) Yes H 60 Bill Thompson (D) Yes S 14 Larry Caller (D) Yes H 18 Mick Powers (R) Yes H 39 Chris Boswell (D) No S 15 Ken Decaria (D) Yes H 19 Owen Petersen (R) Yes H 49 Saundra Meyer (D) Yes West Central WY Legislators House 3rd 2/12/03 Senate 3rd 2/27/03 S 16 Delaine Roberts (R) Yes H 20 Stan Cooper (R) Yes H 21 Randall Luthi (R) Yes S 17 Grant Larson (R) Yes H 22 Monte Olsen (R) Yes H 23 Clarene Law (R) Yes See Southwest Region for H 16 and S 12