LARAMIE—“The Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation is pleased with the Nov. 18 decision by U.S. District Judge Johnson in the wolf lawsuit,” Perry Livingston, Wyoming Farm Bureau (WyFB) President stated.  “Judge Johnson ruled that the USFWS rejection of the Wyoming Wolf Management plan was arbitrary and capricious.”

“From the 1980s to 2009 a lot has changed in what the United States Fish and Wildlife Service says about the wolves in Wyoming,” Livingston continued.  “From the 1980s to 2009 nothing has changed in what the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation says about wolves in Wyoming.”

“Wolves were supposedly going to stay in the Park,” Ken Hamilton, Wyoming Farm Bureau executive vice president, said.  “The federal government sold the public on the idea that wolves were supposedly going to stay in Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.  The recovery numbers and requirements by the USFWS have been a moving target and when you throw the judiciary in there it becomes even more confusing.”

“Judge Johnson’s rule shows that science should still matter when making decisions,” Hamilton said.

From the beginning of conversations about introducing wolves to Yellowstone, the Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation has worked to provide a voice for the livestock producers and citizens of Wyoming who are impacted by the wolves.  In 2004, the Wyoming Farm Bureau joined 26 other associations to form the “Wolf Coalition.”  The broad diversity of the groups showcases the importance of this issue.

“We are proud to be a part of such a diverse group of people that have stood up for livestock and wildlife interests here in Wyoming as a united “Wolf Coalition”,” Livingston concluded.

CONTACT:
Kerin Clark, WyFB Media Director, 307.532.2002 or kclark@wyfb.org
Ken Hamilton, WyFB Executive Vice President, 307.721.7712 or khamilton@wyfb.org

Wyoming Farm Bureau Federation Statement–November 18, 2010

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