Legislative Report: Wolves continue to dominate discussion

The March Environmental Quality Council meeting was once again a very packed couple of days. The council is beginning to wind down on the four studies that have been assigned to it, and has begun discussing possible policy recommendations that the committee will put out for public comment over the next several months.

While we had many important topics that we touched on, the council again spent the better part of a day discussing wolves. Much of the subject matter centered on the methodology of how wolves are counted, how the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks is adapting its protocols for wolf removal, and further discussions of a nasty tapeworm wolves are now carrying in Montana called Echinococcosis Granulosus.

How wolves are counted is of particular importance to Lincoln County because we were told two years ago by FWP that there was only one pack of wolves in our county, but that there was “growing evidence” that perhaps there were more.

Just recently, FWP produced testimony suggesting that there are now six, but “possibly more” packs of wolves.

You know what the primary method of wolf discovery is in Montana? Airplanes and helicopters. It’s why wolf numbers are always more accurate in topography that has fewer trees and more open space for successful discovery. FWP also tries to capture and collar wolves to be able to monitor and count using information provided by citizens – primarily sportsmen – but it’s clear that it is producing numbers well below actual populations.

The department also gave the committee a description of new response protocols now being implemented in response to several livestock owners raising objections to the lack of effectiveness past protocols have had on depredations. It will allow for a more aggressive Wildlife Service response, but has a window of only 24 hours without allowing for an entire pack removal. Entire pack removals were discussed, but because wolf numbers could drop below the delisting threshold, it was not included in the new protocol.

This is why we must have a more accurate count of wolves. We will never be able to control wolf numbers or the devastating effect that they are having on our livestock owners and the wildlife that they are decimating until we do.

We also received a presentation from FWP on Echinococcosis Granulosus. EG is a tapeworm that wolves or other canines carry in their intestines as the definitive host. The intermediate host is typically a domestic or wild ungulate, but can be a human as well.

The infected host scatters thousands of EG eggs with each pile of scat it drops. Once ingested the eggs hatch in the digestive track of the intermediate host, enter the blood stream and are carried to organs, primarily the lung, liver or brain. Once major capillary beds are infected, they develop into large cysts.

These cysts can kill infected persons unless they are diagnosed and removed surgically. And here’s the best part … EG can have a latency period of 10-15 years before cysts develop.

After hearing from both the department and reading the testimony that was submitted to the committee, it was clear that there are varying opinions of the degree of threat that EG poses to public health and safety. I personally believe that EG is a significant threat that needs much more attention and that we all need to be educated on how to avoid it. We also need to use all means necessary to eradicate it.

There are some basic precautions that we all must be undertaking to minimize our exposure to EG.

• Dog owners should not be allowed to let their dogs consume any carcasses – wild or domestic.

• If you believe your dog has consumed a carcass, talk to your veterinarian immediately about proper de-worming strategy.

• Always wash your hands after handling a dog that has access to ungulate carcasses.

• When outdoors, do not touch or disturb wolf, coyote or fox scat.

• Anyone that plans on touching a wolf, coyote or fox should always wear gloves and wash hands and forearms afterward.

The EQC has asked the Centers for Disease Control to attend our next meeting and hopefully answer more questions committee members have regarding EG. I’ll let you know what we find out.

(Rep. Chas Vincent invites constituents to call with questions at 293-1575. He can also be reached through e-mail at cvvincent@hotmail.com )