Montana to hold public meetings to discuss wolf management plan

Want to weigh in on Montana’s wolf management? Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) is holding two public scoping meetings on April 4 and 11 as part of a proposed action to develop a new wolf management plan. 

The current Montana Gray Wolf Conservation and Management Plan is 20 years old and doesn’t include the up-to-date research, management tools and methods that have been incorporated into the present wolf management strategy. As a result, FWP is preparing an environment impact statement (EIS) as part of a governor-driven initiative to create a new wolf management plan with “broad public engagement due to the interest in wolf management across the state,” according to the agency. 

Specifically, the new plan will achieve the following: 

• Articulate contemporary updates in wolf-related research;
• Describe new and available wolf management tools and methods employed by FWP;
• Provide FWP with the flexibility needed to incorporate new wolf management science and tools, as they become available;
• Describe the public engagement process as new information related to evolving wolf management strategies in Montana becomes available.

FWP will be holding two virtual public scoping meetings for the EIS to collect public input on April 4 and 11 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Login information will be posted to FWP’s website prior to the start of the meetings. 

Comments will be collected through April 22 and can be emailed to fwpwolfplaneis@mt.gov.