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2004-2005 Interim Action Alert: Joint Ag Committee Meeting

Help Temper Lawmaker Focus on Predator Removal
Tell Joint Ag Committee Members That Habitat is Key

The Wyoming Legislature's Joint Interim Agriculture, Public Lands and Water Resources Committee meets Thursday, April 29 and Friday, April 30 at the Sheridan Holiday Inn, 1809 Sugarland Drive.

Committee members will discuss predator management issues; small water impoundments related to coalbed methane development; funding proposals for management of state lands; watershed health; and livestock/wildlife disease issues.

If you will be in or near the Sheridan area either of those days, please consider attending to demonstrate citizen support for sound wildlife management. If not, please call or write the following lawmakers to express your opinion.

During the last Joint Agriculture Committee meeting in March, several interest groups recommended topics for the committee to discuss between now and the start of the 2005 Legislature. One topic strongly promoted by the agriculture lobby is a wide-ranging study of how the state classifies and manages predatory wildlife species.

Despite habitat losses stemming from energy development, and the continuing toll of drought upon big game, sage grouse, and other wildlife, legislative debate has nevertheless shifted instead toward a desire for more intensive predator management. It is vital that sportsmen and conservationists speak out and let legislators know that without protecting suitable habitat, even killing every predator in Wyoming would not sustainably increase wildlife numbers, and could actually lead to further habitat degradation through herd overpopulation.

Traditional predator control methods such as aerial gunning are also expensive and must be continued year in and year out in order to counteract natural increases in breeding by targeted species like coyotes. Certain statewide predator control efforts are also funded largely by sportsmen and the taxpayers at large, with far fewer contributions than initially promised from livestock operators who benefit from these programs.

QUICK TAKES: HOW TO HELP IN ONE TO FIVE MINUTES
Please take a moment now to contact Agriculture Committee members. Ask them to focus on stemming further habitat degradation and loss, rather than predator control, as they seek to protect Wyoming wildlife for future generations. Committee members include:

Sen. Gerald Geis (R-Worland), Co-Chair: ggeis@senate.wyoming.com / 347-6443
Rep. Jim Hageman (R-Ft. Laramie), Co-Chair: (no e-mail) / 837-2890

Sen. Rich Cathcart (D-Cheyenne): rcathcart@cheyennehomes.com / 649-2315
Sen. Laness Northrup (R-Powell): lnorthrup@wyoming.com / 754-4472
Sen. Chuck Townsend (R-Osage): ctown@senate.wyoming.com / 465-2342
Sen. Bill Vasey (D-Rawlins): bvasey@senate.wyoming.com / 324-3943

Rep. Bob Brechtel (R-Casper): bbrechtel@house.wyoming.com / 237-3174
Rep. Ross Diercks (D-Lusk): diercks@wyoming.com / 334-3670
Rep. Elaine Harvey (R-Lovell): harvey00@tctwest.net / 548-7866
Rep. Layton Morgan (D-Cheyenne): lmorgan@wyoming.com / 632-8204
Rep. Mick Powers (R-Lyman): mpowers@wyoming.com / 787-6362
Rep. Ed Prosser (R-Cheyenne): eprosser@house.wyoming.com / 632-6068
Rep. Mark Semlek (R-Moorcroft): msemlek@house.wyoming.com / 756-9294
Rep. Jim Slater (R-Laramie): slater@wyoming.com / 742-6378

After e-mailing these decision-makers, please consider sending us a copy of your letter to wyovoters@wyovoters.org so we can evaluate the value of these alerts in producing results, and keep in touch with you about the issues you care most about.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Ben Lamb (ben@wyovoters.org) or Jason Marsden (jason@wyovoters.org) at Wyoming Conservation Voters: (307) 265-0870

VIEW THE ENTIRE COMMITTEE AGENDA AT:
http://legisweb.state.wy.us/2004/interim/ag/meetings/agd0429.htm

Thank you for helping to preserve Wyoming's heritage!